For the last several springs and summers we’ve taken frequent camping trips to local lakes.  And the Mr. worked remotely from our RV. While he worked, I did, uh, very little. Mainly spent time outdoors in exquisitely beautiful surroundings, hanging out with the Creator.

We’re retired now. No more “work remotely from RV” nonsense.    And we’re getting ready to head out on an extended camping trip.  Destination?  South.  It’s cold in Kansas.

But it will be more than that.  We’re not just “retired”.  We’re “tired”.   So off we will go, on a sort of Sabbatical type journey.   Seeking God’s face in the sanctuary of nature.  Surrounded by evidence of God’s handiwork, proof of His amazing ability to make everything work out according to His plan.  Hearing him say “I love you” through the sounds of birds singing and leaves rustling in the breeze.   Kind of an extended Sabbath rest for our souls.  Renewal and refreshing is the goal.

A trip like this has been in our plans for so very many years. 

We have no real time frame for our trip, kind of an open-ended journey with loosely planned destinations.  Loosely planned CHEAP destinations (senior discount government campgrounds)  Two months is our initial goal.  Gotta be honest, I’m wondering if it’ll be more like two weeks.  We’ve never been gone from home for longer than two weeks.  😳  (consider this:  Grammy B away from her four precious grandchildren.  EEK!)

For as long as we’ve been married, which is nearly 45 YEARS!!, I’ve heard one question from my hubby more than any other.  “Where’s your sense of adventure?”  The most recent speaking of this line was on a muddy/semi-flooded road in rural Kansas on the way to the landfill with a truckload of stuff.  For the record, no we didn’t put the truck in 4 wheel drive and drive through this:

honestly…..it might have been fun….others did it….we could have too….Where’s YOUR sense of adventure, Mr Man of My Dreams? 

But we have had our share of crazy adventures over the years.  Flat tire on first pop-up trailer while towing it on our maiden voyage during a heavy rainstorm in a one-lane road construction zone in the mountains of Colorado. 

 And once many years ago during the night in California while camping with my sister, the camping tent across from ours was surrounded by several Highway Patrol with their rifles pulled.  They were looking for a murder suspect who had been camping in that tent.   Of course my hubby bravely bolted out of our camper and stood right there watching the whole thing while the rest of us rather loudly questioned his wisdom in doing so.  Not to worry, the suspect was not in the tent.  We may or may not have slept that night.  And we left the next day.  

 A lot of our adventures involved weather/storm type scenarios where I thought perhaps we should vacate the premises.  Like right now.  And of course…. the gentle voice next to me would say “where’s your sense of adventure?”.   Correction:  gentle is not necessarily an accurate adjective. 

One trip…. we couldn’t find our 6 month old baby girl in our camper during a horrible thunderstorm.  That’s because she was no longer inside the camper!!  😯😨😱 I blogged about it here:  64 days and counting.

And another time….. I nearly drowned in a whitewater rafting mishap in Colorado.  I blogged about it here:   Fences and Fear

And our past ownership of this vehicle nearly ended our camping fever for good: I blogged about it here:  Recreational Vehicle? Depends on your definition of “recreation”.

But still, we willingly and happily camp.  Yes we do.  

Forty-five years have passed and we’ve moved from our opposite ends of the “adventure” spectrum to a more central position.    For one thing, we’re a little too long in the tooth to relish any activity that might break a bone or cause heart failure.   I feel certain we’ll choose our adventures wisely on this long, long trip.

So, in a few days….off we go.  To unknown adventures.    With a known Travel Companion and Guide.  If you stay tuned to this blog, perhaps I’ll share stories of the road with y’all.  (Y’all….we are headed south for a bit)