Take Me Home, Country Road!

How all our world has changed in the last two weeks! It is the consummate example of one of our favorite quotes – “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plan!”.

But, then, we stop and think about all the blessings that we see around us every day. The beauty of people caring for each other (not the hoarders snatching up all the toilet paper), the unbelievable magic that when we decided to sell our RV site in CA that it sold in 14 days – and then closed two weeks later, how our hesitation to “plan” for the allocation of funds from the sale (to not jinx the sale) kept us from putting it in the market and the list goes on and on!

While it was painful to leave our friends at Desert Shores and our church family at St. John’s, we knew when we returned to the desert from our Christmas trip home that we needed to be home “more”. With our desire to travel with the motorcoach to see this beautiful country (which requires summer travel) – and then being gone for several months every winter – we were not going to be happy and neither would the cabin. We finished up the “last projects” and listed the property at the end of January. We were so thrilled that Dave & Nancy Anderson from Meridian ID fell in love with it – and made it their “second home” by the end of February.

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So, we had it all planned – fly to Florida for doctor appointments on April 1, help dear friend Judy by driving her car to NC, spend April & May at home and then return to California in late May, pick up the coach, meet up with friends, Tom & Peggie and head for Alaska. So much for planning!

Then came COVID-19! After spending a few days contemplating our options, we decided that flying into Ft. Lauderdale was not “happening” – neither the airport, the airplanes, nor the uncertainty. With our own social distancing bubble (ie, Contessa), we decided the best course of action was to “Go Home, Country Roads!”

We got on I-10 Thursday afternoon about 2 miles from Desert Shores – and plan to stay on it for 1,975 miles to Lake City, FL. From there, we hope to take the Toad to Tampa/St. Pete for doctor appts and then head north to be home by Palm Sunday. If something happens that those appointments get cancelled, we’ll head north at New Orleans and see Nephew Jim in Tuscaloosa on the way home.

We departed about 1:30p yesterday after getting our transmission and coolant system serviced (routine). We made our way to Quartzsite, Arizona for diesel fuel ($1.89/gallon – yahoo!) and spent the night there. Shortly after we hit the road, California Governor Newson ordered “shelter in place” for the entire state. We were the last job our mechanics did for the time being. Yesterday to Tucson was a beautiful drive with loads of trucks (delivering goods to Americans) and motorhomes & trailers heading home. Today is Las Cruses NM!

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Please, dear ones, take care of yourselves & each other. We will post along the way – but with everything shut down, our experiences will be limited. But we are safe traveling in our own bubble – and coming home!