We have heard it several times.
"We're going to stay home this winter, to take care of ...." With only one exception in our experience, the fellow full-timer who uttered that phrase, never moved their rig again. It can happen without realizing it is going to happen.
We uttered that same phrase in the fall of 2021. For a number of reasons, we just felt we needed to be present in Iowa. It helped that our daughter and son-in-law very generously offered us housing, so we didn't have to ride out an Iowa winter in the RV. We knew we were in danger of falling into that black hole that develops around people who need to take a break, but we did it, none the less.
I quit blogging and looking back, I realize it was the perfect time to be sharing my thoughts about what was happening. The reality is we settled into a routine of living in a household with our daughter's busy family and two grade school aged grandsons. We were there for Christmas with all the kids and saw friends we normally wouldn't see in the winter. I took a job serving in one of our favorite restaurants, conveniently located 5 minutes from 'home' and met new friends there that are now in my heart forever. It was a mild winter, by Iowa standards and we had a chance to be present with the family and take a much-needed break from the Full -time lifestyle. My daughter mentioned one night early in the winter, that maybe we should just plan to 'take a break' every five years or so.
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| Sledding with the Grandkids |
I have to admit, the Black Hole that sucks many from the full-time lifestyle did taunt us.
Winter passed. We savored every minute of our 18 months in Iowa. But, along about September we were both itching to get away and migrate south.
We arranged to return to Llano Grande, where we were work camping the year Covid happened during the winter of 2019/2020.
Flash forward... and we are back at Llano Grande. We are spending time with good friends in the RGV (Rio Grande Valley to you gringos)
As I write tonight, I am full of emotions I can't quite process. I have written over the years about our first friends from this lifestyle, John and Cathy. 16 months ago, John was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and has undergone surgery and treatments associated with an aggressive disease. We chose to come here to be close to them. In our minds we couldn't be anywhere else. We have grown close to them over the years and feel as close to them as we do people we have known for decades. It is the connection that RV volunteers forge that is only understood by those of us who are in that lifestyle They have travelled to Iowa and met our friends and family. Our Iowa peeps ask about them all the time because they have met them, had dinner with them with us and socialized with them when they have visited Iowa.
Just like last winter, when we stayed in Iowa, tonight I know we are where we are supposed to be this winter. We will work for the park the hours we need to barter for our site. I secured a serving job to keep me busy and give me the extra money that I like. Most of all, we are here to support John and Cathy in any way they need us. My emotions are all over the place.
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| Breakfast ride with the Llano group |
We have hooked up with the motorcycle club here and gone on one ride with them. It's a good group and we look forward to riding with them through the winter. I have the State Park right next door with good birding whenever I need to take a break from the world. If that doesn't do the job, Texas is a plethora of wide-open lonely roads. A long motorcycle ride is always good for the soul. Here in the park, we are back in the company of work campers we met and liked from last time. We are far from Iowa but very much in our second home with winter family.
Simply put, we know we are where we are supposed to be right now. We don't know what lies ahead for our dear friend. For that matter, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. We wake up each day with hope and a loose plan for our future and greet each day as the blessing that it is.
Until Next Time....
