Week 490 - Ten Year Anniversary - 01-03-2016

Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

We were married to the MotherShip on 4-5-6. This April 5th will be our 10 year anniversary. Our 108,350 miles have taken us to all the US states and five Canadian provinces. We have met thousands of people, spent a good deal of time with a 100 of them and became very close friends to a dozen. Just yesterday a good friend asked "how long will you do this?". Not sure, but probably until we stop!

And our really big adventure to Alaska in 2009.

We are full time travelers. We have met couples who have lived full time in their motorhome for 10, 20 and more years. In the beginning we did not ask what they meant by "full timing". Since we have been asking, and this is what we have found. The typical "full timer" bought their motorhome and traveled a year or two all over the USA and perhaps Canada. Some even ventured into Mexico and returned with their rigs!

After their initial travels most full timers had found two or three places they liked and stay each year for extended months at each place. For the first nine years the longest we stayed at one RV park was one month. You can see from our map that we have been to a lot of the country. After you have seen the notable places like Niagara Falls, Crater Lake, Alaska's Denali National Park and New York City, then you take the back roads. On these roads is where you see real America. Places like Salvation Mountain, Royal Gorge, City of the Rocks and a thousand more. Seriously, we have just scratched the surface.

This year we settled in for three months at Golden Village Palms RV Resort in Hemet, California. We have been to GVP eight years for short visits and befriended dozens of sand volleyball players who are now playing Pickleball. We understand why travelers settle in to a place or two. You meet enjoyable friends and become part of a community. People like Joe. Joe plays pickleball and met Mandy and likes her. Twice Joe has taken care of Mandy for a day when we had to be gone overnight to the hospital and a memorial. And there are potlucks and other get-togethers and events.

We have left Hemet to register as Arizonians or Arizonans (not sure which!). And we are now
attending the Family Motor Coach Association rally in Indio, California. At the rally we will have a booth to sell memberships to BigRigBible.com, our website for full time travelers. And memberships to our new site, TellMeDaily.com. TellMeDaily is Your Life Scheduler. A place to keep your personal events, activities, notes and shopping lists. And it has a vehicle service scheduler for your car or motorhome maintenance: oil changes, check tire pressures, lubes, tire rotation, wash/wax, clean filters and dozen more services.

We will be teaching an hour-long rally seminar for Full Time Traveler Wannabes. As we slow down our travels, we are reminded that Those who can, do; those who can't, teach!

We pray that the Lord will bless your new year and we'll see you next week.

Love, Pete, Ellen and Mandy (who is now off restriction for last week's email).

P.S. Pete was a 1st thru 12th grade teacher for 3 years. Ellen has taught volleyball and pickleball. For those who are offended by "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach!" consider your college logic class. It means "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach!". It does not follow that "those who teach, can't do!"