Sometimes (always) things don’t go as planned. A month leading up to our “epic life changing road trip” a series of unfortunate events made us question our decision making skills. Here is what the storm before the calm looked like for us.
A 100 foot tree crashed through our roof in Florida
Two weeks before leaving Alaska, during a hurricane a tree fell on our home in Florida. Our insurance canceled itself two days before said hurricane (long story) and we were stuck paying out of pocket and hiring people while traveling. All this was extremely stressful because we had to navigate a four hour time difference, upcoming rainstorms and terrified tenants. This was an unexpected expense/event for sure, but after a week of hustle, things were fixed up.
We lost BOTH driver licenses one day before a road trip crossing 2 countries, 3 provinces, and 7 states.
The day before we left for our road trip from Alaska to San Francisco Jessi asked “Where are our drivers licenses?” We couldn’t find them. With a friend’s wedding approaching we had no choice but to drive through Canada with only our passports. We crossed our fingers, put good vibes into the universe and off we went. Nothing starts a great road trip like breaking the law.
We learned we didn’t have the right car to tow our new trailer
So we made it to SF without getting arrested. Score!
Now we only had one week before picking up our camper trailer that we already bought (yes, sight unseen, like all well-informed purchases should be). To get ready for the trip, we thought all the t’s were crossed and i’s were dotted. The only thing left to do was put a hitch on our Mini Cooper. A few hours later we’d be finished… or so we thought.
We got the call from the shop:
“So, uh, your particular mini doesn’t allow for a hitch.”
“Wait, what? Like, not at all, like not possible?”
“Yup, your exhaust is in the middle so no hitch exists. Gotta come pick it up.”
“Damn.”
We had 24 hours to purchase a “new” vehicle with limited resources
We already had two leased cars–which we had gotten to commute to our 9-5’s –that we were contractually stuck with for the next 2 years. We had 3 days until go time and no way of towing our camper. We went into brainstorming/panic mode. We called friends to see who needed/wanted a car. We talked to the leasing agencies to see if we could upgrade to a larger vehicle with no luck, and then we turned to Craigslist to see what our options were for trucks.
The night before we are scheduled to hit the road, we found a small truck 40 miles away. We test drove it for five minutes and said we’ll take it. A quick trip to the DMV and then to the hitch shop we were then set to jet!
The next morning, we were on the road, heading to Arizona, to pick up our new home: a T@b Camper. What else could possible go wrong?
The first week was spent throwing up.
We had imagined our first week filled with blissful moments, romantic evenings spent at home stores, and long happy glances across the room as we nested together in our new home.
Instead, we spent the first week puking…everywhere.
The first night, we got in late and only hooked up electricity, so while there is a “bathroom” in our camper, it was non-functioning. Jessi spent the night kneeling under a redwood tree hurling the remains of dinner. We also didn’t know how to set up the stabilizers (little landing pads that lower from the bottom of the camper like a moon lander) to keep it from rocking on its wheels. So, every turn of any of the 4 bodies in the camper meant lots of rocking…and lots more throwing up under the tree outside. The KOA camp bathrooms were far to far away to make it in time.
By the next night, we hooked up the water, so the toilet could flush…what luxuries! By that time Valerie caught the bug, she didn’t have to kneel outside, still, have you ever puked in a 2’x2′ bathroom? We have!
Needless to say, this was NOT what we expected from the first week on the road.
Three weeks later….
But here we are, week three and things couldn’t be better. While there were a few unexpected bumps on the road, things could have been much worse. As we write this, we sit in an artsy coffee shop in colorado, listening to live music. In this moment, we are VERY happy campers, and couldn’t feel more thankful about our new adventure.
Also, no one ever said it was going to be easy. Living a life of adventure is never easy. To quote one of our favorite books, The Alchemist:
What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.
Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested
*This contains affiliate links to one of our favorite books, The Alchemist.
160 Comments
I feel like every big adventure has to test just how bad you want it! Hahaha glad you made it past the storm!
Totally! But the storm always passes.
Pingback: albuterol inhaler
Pingback: lowest price on generic cialis 40mg
Pingback: viagra for sale in usa
Pingback: where to buy ciprofloxacin
Pingback: viagra cheap online
Pingback: buy naltrexone
Pingback: how to get viagra
Pingback: tylenol 500 mg
Pingback: buy viagra online without subscription
Pingback: buy cialis
Pingback: usa pharmacy viagra
Pingback: bimatoprost for eyelash growth
Pingback: cialis without doctor prescription
Pingback: buy pfizer viagra in canada
Pingback: buy viagra overnight delivery
Pingback: buy hydroxychloroquine online
Pingback: viagra 100mg
Pingback: Viagra 25 mg coupon
Pingback: Viagra 200mg coupon
Pingback: Viagra 120 mg online
Pingback: Viagra 100 mg pills
Pingback: Viagra 200mg over the counter
Pingback: buy Cialis 20 mg
Pingback: Cialis 60mg medication
Pingback: Cialis 80mg no prescription
Pingback: Cialis 80 mg price
Pingback: Cialis 40 mg united kingdom
Pingback: Cialis 80 mg united kingdom
Pingback: how to purchase Cialis 20 mg
Pingback: how to buy Cialis 20mg
Pingback: where to buy sildenafil 150mg
Pingback: tadalafil 20mg without a doctor prescription
Pingback: levitra 20 mg online pharmacy
Pingback: cost of lasix 100mg
Pingback: furosemide 100 mg pharmacy
Pingback: cost of propecia 5 mg
Pingback: cheap lexapro 20mg
Pingback: finasteride 1mg nz
Pingback: abilify 10mg online
Pingback: how to buy actos 30mg
Pingback: aldactone 25mg online
Pingback: order allegra 120 mg
Pingback: allopurinol 300mg prices
Pingback: order amoxicillin 250 mg
Pingback: cialistodo.com
Pingback: ampicillin 500 mg tablets
Pingback: where to buy antabuse 250mg
Pingback: antivert 25 mg without prescription
Pingback: cheap arava 10mg
Pingback: cost of strattera 18 mg
Pingback: aricept 10mg nz
Pingback: arimidex 1mg for sale
Pingback: tamoxifen 10 mg uk
Pingback: ashwagandha 60caps no prescription
Pingback: atarax 10mg pharmacy
Pingback: augmentin 875/125mg united states
Pingback: how to purchase avapro 150 mg
Pingback: avodart 0,5 mg medication
Pingback: baclofen 10mg purchase
Pingback: bactrim 400/80mg tablets
Pingback: bactrim 400/80mg purchase
Pingback: benicar 40mg medication
Pingback: Biaxin 250 mg tablet
Pingback: Premarin 0,625mg prices
Pingback: where can i buy buspar 5 mg
Pingback: calcium carbonate 500mg cost
Pingback: cardizem medication
Pingback: casodex 50mg pills
Pingback: catapres for sale
Pingback: ceclor 250 mg coupon
Pingback: ceftin over the counter
Pingback: cheapest celebrex
Pingback: celexa 20 mg without a prescription
Pingback: cephalexin 500mg coupon
Pingback: cipro 250 mg without prescription
Pingback: how to purchase claritin 10 mg
Pingback: doubleu casino
Pingback: slot machine
Pingback: online casino for real cash
Pingback: best online casino for money
Pingback: online casinos
Pingback: online slots for real money
Pingback: casino slot
Pingback: real casino
Pingback: real casino online
Pingback: virgin casino online nj
Pingback: car insurance quotes comparison
Pingback: commercial car insurance quotes companies
Pingback: best insurance rates
Pingback: car insurance quotes rates by state
Pingback: auto car insurance quotes
Pingback: car insurance quotes online
Pingback: ameriprise car insurance quotes costco
Pingback: usaa car insurance quotes claims
Pingback: car insurance specialists
Pingback: cheap car insurance quotes
Pingback: personal loans illinois
Pingback: cheap payday loans
Pingback: payday loans near me
Pingback: buy real viagra online
Pingback: installment loans online
Pingback: quick loans pasadena ca
Pingback: california bad credit loans
Pingback: payday loans pasadena ca
Pingback: personal loans with no credit check
Pingback: hemp cbd oil benefits
Pingback: cbd oil online
Pingback: dosage of cbd oil for chronic pain
Pingback: can i buy viagra online legally
Pingback: cbd hemp oil benefits for pets
Pingback: purchasing viagra in usa
Pingback: cannabis seeds high in cbd
Pingback: cbd oil benefits bloods
Pingback: female viagra south africa
Pingback: cbd oil mg dosage for anxiety
Pingback: cbd oil free sample bottle
Pingback: where can you buy viagra uk
Pingback: medical cannabis oil for sale high cbd rso
Pingback: female viagra pill online
Pingback: mass effect assignment
Pingback: college essay writing service reviews
Pingback: college paper writers
Pingback: best online essay writing services
Pingback: buy essay online cheap
Pingback: essay writing service uk
Pingback: buy sildenafil without prescription
Pingback: college essay writing service reviews
Pingback: homeworks of america
Pingback: writing essay online
Pingback: english essay writer
Pingback: cleocin 150 mg coupon
Pingback: clomid pharmacy
Pingback: viagra pharmacy generic
Pingback: clonidine no prescription
Pingback: clozaril 100 mg medication
Pingback: colchicine 0,5mg no prescription
Pingback: how to buy symbicort inhaler 160/4,5 mcg
Pingback: combivent 50/20mcg cheap
Pingback: help writing college essays
Pingback: coreg price
Pingback: compazine without a doctor prescription
Pingback: cialis online
Pingback: coumadin no prescription
Pingback: cozaar 100 mg otc
Pingback: customessaywriterbyz.com
Pingback: crestor usa
Pingback: dissertation writing coach
Pingback: help essay 123
Pingback: best essay writing service canada
Pingback: cymbalta online
Pingback: where can i buy a research paper
Pingback: help with writing thesis
Pingback: help writing thesis statement
Pingback: can someone write my paper for me
Pingback: dapsone 1000caps australia
Pingback: cheap ddavp
Pingback: depakote pills
Pingback: diamox 250 mg without a doctor prescription