A LONG AWAITED JOURNEY!

After years of waiting ( due to Paul’s TWO almost-consecutive interim parishes,) AND weeks of planning and preparation, we are now on our THIRD 30-day trip in our little “Goldie” Roadtrek RV!
Our last long trips were in 2013 and 2014!    Thus the weeks of preparation, 3 new tires, (dry rot), removing a bird’s nest and wasp nest , replacing an anode in the hot water heater , flushing all pipes and generally spiffing our “sweet girl” up!  She looks great and we are so happy to be “ on the road again” 🥰
Paul has worked long and hard on planning our route: SOUTHERN coast of US ( we have done the NORTHERN and Middle U.S.)  ...then  toTexas, then North to Boszeman MT to see my son and then to Glacier and then home!  Most all of it on 2-lane highways!  The ONLY way to travel ... and enjoy it!  🏔🚐🏜
I also have worked hard making arrangements for house, 2 dogs, 8 chickens, (several hummingbirds) garden, my mom, who lives locally in assisted living facility, bills, Crock-Pot meal planning,, etc.  IT TAKES A VILLAGE.....

So... as we drove Goldie out of the culdesac and up the hill, to the blaring music of the William Tell Overature ( it’s tradition!) , we both had big smiles on our faces .... and  JOY slowly overtook he ANXIETY AND WORRY  of leaving...feeling PRIDE  in our thorough preparations, 1000’s of lists checked off, A SENSE OF RELIEF in the support systems that would handle things in our absence .....and I know Goldie was GLOWING, too !
Paul commented as we got on the Interstate, “Listen, ......do you hear that?  It is SILENCE! “ (No rattling of loosely packed items, no food boxes flying off shelves, or door swing open to spill contents inside.). We had learned from our past mistakes and were quite smug and happy with our experience and abilities!  (we’ll let you know how that works for us!😉)

Yesterday, day ONE, we had to drive “ interstates” 🤣😞 😏 to get to “ 🎶Pardon Me Boys,....is that the.....CHATTANOOGA  Choo Choo”, TN!!!!  ( after a nice stop in Johnson City, TN, to meet Paul’s sister Judi and husband John, for lunch at Cracker Barrel). Uneventful, except for the rain, boring interstate trip, otherwise. 😳🙄😴
The best part of the trip was smelling the stuffed green peppers , I had gotten up at 5a.m. To make, cooking in the crockpot!
We pulled into our campsite around 4:30pm, set up quickly in the rain ☔️... glitch #1... very minor... Paul’s umbrella broke and he got soaked!  Had our celebratory before dinner drink , ate , and were shortly in bed reading and falling 💤 asleep... before the sun went down..
I was up at 5:30 a.m. ... with a full 8.5 hours sleep!
Day Two Begins......🤗
Gotta get makin the bacon! My Paul is up. 👏😘( 🕢)