Saturday, April 27, 2019

It's Been a While...

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ~ Ferris Bueller - June 11, 1986


Life DOES move fast. I haven't posted since October, 2017! Work has been central to my lack of writing. The work changes are not bad, but do require me to acclimate with a different approach of travel life.
In the end, the changes required may help me advance my desire to getting on the road, travelling more in an RV.

Some of the differences in our current travel life.

  • Our daughters - now 26 and 21 - still enjoy travelling with us. They get bummed out when something "get's in the way" of a good camping trip.  But the reasons to miss are valid ones - be it school, work, or their own blossoming relationships. 
  • Molly the pup, is over ten years old now, but still has spurts of "puppy-like" energy.. Still, she is less inclined to go with me on long hikes, and I've had to tuck her  under my arm a few times on treks back to camp.
  • Rather than  be "THE GUY" for IT at my home-base office in Pennsylvania, I belong to a great work team with members from across the country. That provides me the opportunity to learn for each other, and travel to some nice destination cities. I travel for work on average once a month. Some are week long trips, others only three or four days. Unfortunately this means more airport time than RoadAbode time. It's just easier to jet to Jacksonville, Chicago, Atlanta or other office destination than it is to drive with RoadAbode. Sometimes I have only a week's warning of actual travel dates. Most work trips I don't get time to experience the actual destination. Airports, hotels, offices, restaurants and the roads in between take up most of the time. It is work, after all.
  • I do a lot less server/desk support, and more IT planning. This affords me the ability to work remote - and I have setup a nice home office to do just that. I still go into the office most days, but if it's even threatening to snow in the winter, I don't need to drive. This last year of having my home office has me dreaming and  investigating how to take the "show on the road" more often. Work pays for my hotel and other travel costs, I want to soon figure out how to translate that into more travel with RoadAbode. Will need to try out on some upcoming Northeastern US Trips.


Biggest Change of 2019
Lastly, the biggest change for 2019 is RoadAbode 2.0 A new Class C motor home.
RoadAbode 2.0 is a 2019 Jayco Greyhawk FS. I've always like the built quality and equipage of the Greyhawk, and the FS floor plan affords taking a  "full crew complement" in comfort.
RoadAbode  Floor plan

The FS standard equipment is what my "dream" RV includes. Comfortable sleep space for two to three couples, with additional space for some children - if needed.  Higher ceiling, and a  Fiberglass roof. Two slide-outs to increase the living space. A quieter  air conditioner - ducted throughout the coach. A larger bathroom space. More counter and pantry space for the galley.  Energy efficient LED lighting so our coach battery lasts longer boondocking.  Hydraulic jacks to assist in leveling. There's plenty more, and all with a nicer fit and finish than we have had previously. We are looking forward to our future adventures - and hopefully - longer ones too.