Calling this week a success! -- Day 9

To say the learning curve has been steep is an understatement, but I'm prepared to call this week a success. There are still a few things that need figuring out, and probably some new things that we haven't encountered yet, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the safety and sanity of a mundane existence.

Lessons from the Road:

1. Call ahead. When we were city dwellers, I would never go to a restaurant without calling to get on the waiting list, I would often call stores to make sure the item that I wanted was in stock, I would call the box office to buy my tickets in advance. This habit is invaluable on the road, but has to be done early! I have learned that Texas State Parks usually close around 5pm and weekends book up really fast.

2. Life without a generator sucks. Camping without electricity is an American tradition that dates back to the frontier days when it was a necessity. Personally, I have never really been a fan of "primitive" camping, and my daughter is even less so. Currently, our generator is not charging our house batteries, which means that if we aren't plugged into shore power, we got no juice. This makes dry camping really challenging, and much less fun.

3.  You better really like your travelling companions. Everybody knows how much I love my family. And I've grown accustomed to our pets. The stress of being on the road will put all of your relationships to the test, and I can admit that I haven't passed all of those tests will flying colors. Still, remaining open to life's lessons, and understanding that this is hard for all of us, I feel like we are all learning to love each other better.

4.  Don't be afraid to ask for help. The RVing community is full of really knowledgeable and helpful people! There are lots of online resources, as well as people that are probably in your campsite, that are willing to help you out of many situations. I highly recommend Escapees RV club, RVillage.com, and iRV2.com.


So today, as we wake up just outside of Bee Cave, Tx and enjoy breakfast before hitting the road, I look back on our week and smile. The challenges that we have overcome, and the obstacles that we see in front of us, are just making this adventure more exciting. Can't wait to see what Inks Lake State Park has in store for us today!