We got home to New Hampshire in early April. There was barely time to unpack, as we boarded flights to Oregon so we could see Julie's niece get married. The trip, wedding, sights and gathering of family and friends could easily fill these pages and there would be a lot to tell... but not today.
On our way back to New Hampshire and all during the Oregon trip, Julie and I debated the merits of selling our home and hitting the road full time. We explored all means of retaining our home, that included renting it out, keeping it and compromising on how the RV life would work. At the end of a lot of seeking opinions, exploring the financial, practical and emotional, we decided to take some time to drive from Klamath Falls (the site of the wedding), and visit Crater Lake.
Klamath Falls temperature was in the high 70's and Crater Lake was cold, where the snow was very deep. Over the roof of the Visitors Center deep!
I'd seen Crater Lake from airplanes while travelling from San Francisco to Seattle. Pilots would always point it out and talk about the history. Nothing compares to actually being there. Its beauty is beyond description. And here, at this place, Julie looks at me and says - "Screw it, let's do it!"
We'd been teeter-tottering for a while and each of us waffled a lot. I came to realize that our first poke at this was a lot more than fun. Sure, we had our challenges, but all of that took a back seat to how our lives improved; Julie and I slept better, spent more time doing things than when we were home and she actually kept a sane work schedule. I felt a bit selfish, as it had the appearance that I was dragging her away from all the things she loved... her family and home.
Her thinking was that if there are other beautiful places like Cater Lake, she/we need to see it. Her family is incredibly important, but that doesn't mean we cant go home to visit or they can join us someplace on the road. While spontaneity is no longer easy, there is no debating others have successfully overcome the ability to link up and spend quality time with their loved ones. So why not us?
And so we set out to accomplish our goal...
We sold our house and are now living in a hotel while we await the arrival of a new 5th wheel and dually. The process was, at times, stressful, but we succeeded.
THE RISE OF PUFFIN II
These images are of the unit (3941FO), we are buying. Next week, I travel up to Maine for an inspection/walkthrough. The cell phone pictures I took are lousy, so my future as a professional photographer seem pretty dim.
I almost forgot... Before we set out, we're off to Porto Portugal to celebrate my daughter Angela and her fiancé (Patrick), wedding! Be back when we get back!
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