Starting off on our new life adventure was an adventure in itself.  After spending the holidays with my family, we thought it befitting that we leave to start our new journey on January 1^st.  It would be a poetic way to start the new year.  That was not in cards, though.  A delay in getting some of the parts needed for our being-built-in desk would delay us for a couple of days.  This was ok with us; we’d roll with the punches.  The biggest punch came when we were hit with a foot of snow, then a few more inches, and finally a polar vortex so none of the snow could melt.  The mini we bought to tow behind the motorhome wasn’t even able to get out of the garage; we were completely homebound.  We tried to focus on work, so when we could leave, we could just pick up and go.

Finally, it looked like we’d have a break in the weather for a couple of days.  Our first job in getting ready to load our new home was to dig out a spot next to the house for it.  The neighborhood roads had been roughly plowed, but not enough for our motorhome to be parked and leave room for people to go around it.  So we cleared a 40 foot long spot all the way to curb; this wasn’t what we expecting as full-timers.

 

Thankfully, the roads were cleared enough that we were able to take the mini out and go pick up our motorhome with our beautiful new desk installed (From Trees to These was nice enough to keep it through the storms).

We came back and just started throwing stuff in.  Our new mattress was a little awkward, especially trying to keep it clean on the way out, but it made it in along with everything else.  It was too cold and time crunched to put away everything properly, that would have to wait until we got to Texas.

Getting to Texas was our next goal.  Initially, we had of ideas of stopping in Kentucky to visit Brandon’s great aunt or stopping in St. Louis for a few days.  We had planned on going to Dallas first for a visit and had reservations in Livingston and Austin based on this plan.  Everything was thrown out the window and getting to Livingston quickly and by interstate before any more storms hit was our only goal.  We did have to stop for the night and did so in Nashville, TN.  Brandon’s parents were able to meet us in the morning and we handed off some family heirlooms that weren’t going to make this journey with us.  Somehow we didn’t think antique Japanese glass and the RV were a good fit.

Finally with a little more rain, we made it to Livingston and once again became Texas residents.  Our spot at Rainbow’s End was right across from the showers which was perfect as I wasn’t waiting for our water heater to heat up when we pulled in.  I strolled over and took a nice long, hot shower.  The next couple of days were spent registering the car and rv and fun things like that.  Then we headed off to Austin a little late and worse for wear, but we made it and we were happy.