In my old office I used to keep a notebook on my desk to record interesting or funny quotes. My friends Tim and Kelly we major contributors and when I left my office for the road, I gave them each a copy of my quote book.
My habit of writing down quotes stayed with me on our trip. My favorite so far came a few weeks ago when we stopped to fill up on propane. The gentleman topped off the tanks and while putting away his equipment said, "I been doin' this a lotta years, and I ain't neva seen a campa pullin' a campa."
It wasn't the first time we had been asked about our two campers, but it was the most expressive. It also made me think that I should explain our reasoning behind our "campas".
Reason one is simple, our driving vehicle had to have a bathroom. A four year-old's bladder only allows you to drive so far before a bathroom break. This ruled out pulling a travel trailer with our pick up, or using a 5th wheel.
Reason two, there are several hours between the time that the kids go to bed and the time Becky and I fall asleep. As all parents know, this is extremely valuable time. Most of that time is spent talking, planning, updating the website, writing, relaxing and listening to music. We wanted to be able to do all of those things each night without disturbing the kids.
To resolve these two issues, we looked at a lot of RVs and then we looked at more. We finally found the trailer we wanted on a lot in Findlay, Ohio. On the day we went to check it out I noticed the Cruiser tucked away in a far corner of the lot. We test drove it, were assured that she had the power to pull the trailer and made one salesman very happy.
Since our purchase and in the first couple months of the trip, we have found even more advantages to our travel train. Having two refrigerators, two bathrooms, extra storage, and the ability to chop 17 feet off our overall length are all things that have been useful at one time or another. Pulling the trailer also gave us an area to entertain my brother when he met us near New York City. If it weren't for the trailer, we would have been sleeping in the RV at the transmission shop, rather than spending the week at a beautiful state park. Now that Abby has started on-line school it's really beneficial to be able to take a four year-old distraction to another room.
It may not look conventional, but our "campa pullin' a campa" has served us well on the first leg of the journey.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Watch Your Kids
On our visit to Ocean City, NJ a week or so ago, I sat on my chair looking out at the Atlantic and day dreaming. My dreams were interrupted by life guard whistles and my attention was drawn to the back of the lifeguard chair and a sign that read "Watch Your Children". My first reaction was "Hey I just paid ten bucks to be down here on the beach with life guards, maybe you could keep an eye on them.", it was a gut reaction made without thought and fueled by laziness. I knew where Abby and Carter were, they were digging in the sand a few feet away, and with the help of some other children had formed a hole large enough to bury a Honda.
Still, I took the advice of the sign and instead of staring at the water I stared at Carter. I tried to really focus on what he was doing, to figure out what he might be thinking. He was working really hard at digging, in a matter of a few minutes the kids had met and established distinct working roles in the construction of this hole. He was clearing sand from the front and placing it in a pile behind him, where another child would pack it down. He took his "job" very seriously, he made sure to place the sand exactly where the other child needed it. I imagined that he must have felt that his job was very important, because he was very intent on doing it right. I enjoyed his facial expressions and even his occasional frustration when the wall caved in. We talked about it later and he told me about the plan that the group had for the hole and how they were building it.
I spent some time watching Abby as well. She was a water gatherer. Her "job" was to take a bucket down to the ocean and bring back water to fill in the mote. It was clear that Abby's mind works differently than Carter, just based on their movements. Abby works hard too, but when she goes from the job site to the sea it's a dance. I can tell there is a song playing in her mind and I'm not sure if she notices anyone else is around her. She has a wonderful capacity for losing touch with the real world. It's a skill that can be very frustrating if you are trying to get her to focus on homework, but one that will probably allow her to imagine and create things that other people can't envision.
So in the end I was glad that I took the time to really watch my kids. I think I will do it more often in the future.
Still, I took the advice of the sign and instead of staring at the water I stared at Carter. I tried to really focus on what he was doing, to figure out what he might be thinking. He was working really hard at digging, in a matter of a few minutes the kids had met and established distinct working roles in the construction of this hole. He was clearing sand from the front and placing it in a pile behind him, where another child would pack it down. He took his "job" very seriously, he made sure to place the sand exactly where the other child needed it. I imagined that he must have felt that his job was very important, because he was very intent on doing it right. I enjoyed his facial expressions and even his occasional frustration when the wall caved in. We talked about it later and he told me about the plan that the group had for the hole and how they were building it.
I spent some time watching Abby as well. She was a water gatherer. Her "job" was to take a bucket down to the ocean and bring back water to fill in the mote. It was clear that Abby's mind works differently than Carter, just based on their movements. Abby works hard too, but when she goes from the job site to the sea it's a dance. I can tell there is a song playing in her mind and I'm not sure if she notices anyone else is around her. She has a wonderful capacity for losing touch with the real world. It's a skill that can be very frustrating if you are trying to get her to focus on homework, but one that will probably allow her to imagine and create things that other people can't envision.
So in the end I was glad that I took the time to really watch my kids. I think I will do it more often in the future.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Picture Perfect?
Here's another item for the list of things Our Trip has made me grateful for: Photography. Some days it doesn't even seem fair how many great pictures I get to take of my family and of this great country. Sunsets, smiles, mountains, beaches, historical buildings, animals. And I still can't capture it all.
We'll be driving down the road and there's this great mountain view and I'll go for the camera. Dan knows by now that I won't be satisfied with the photo because it's not 3-D or it's not panoramic. I just can't get it all in the same picture. It's just another example of "You just had to be there." It's okay though, because I still try for that perfect picture. And I think I'm lucky to get a lot of good ones.
I've always loved being behind the camera. I took classes in college and tested my skills in a couple newspapers. I even take plenty of pictures of the kids. But as with any hobby, I've just never been very good at keeping up with it. Sometimes I'll go months without picking up the camera. Or I'll take a day trip and forget the camera altogether. I even bragged a few times about my ability to pack so light that I could travel by plane without having to check any bags. But then I'd always leave my bulky camera behind. It was ridiculous because now I really wish I had more photos of San Francisco with Dan and Las Vegas with my girlfriends.
The other problem I have with pictures is keeping them all organized. Especially once everything went digital. Now instead of rolls of film in need of development, I have stacks of disks dating back to 2004, all needing to be printed or organized in some manner.
Having our own website has really helped these problems. It has actually forced me to document Our Trip in photos and organize them regularly. It's pretty easy for me and it's great for family and friends who like to keep up with our travels. Just days after we do something, they get to see it.
The very best part is that Abby and Carter will have all these photos when they're older. They may not remember everything we do. Hopefully, our photos will bring some of it back for them.
We'll be driving down the road and there's this great mountain view and I'll go for the camera. Dan knows by now that I won't be satisfied with the photo because it's not 3-D or it's not panoramic. I just can't get it all in the same picture. It's just another example of "You just had to be there." It's okay though, because I still try for that perfect picture. And I think I'm lucky to get a lot of good ones.
I've always loved being behind the camera. I took classes in college and tested my skills in a couple newspapers. I even take plenty of pictures of the kids. But as with any hobby, I've just never been very good at keeping up with it. Sometimes I'll go months without picking up the camera. Or I'll take a day trip and forget the camera altogether. I even bragged a few times about my ability to pack so light that I could travel by plane without having to check any bags. But then I'd always leave my bulky camera behind. It was ridiculous because now I really wish I had more photos of San Francisco with Dan and Las Vegas with my girlfriends.
The other problem I have with pictures is keeping them all organized. Especially once everything went digital. Now instead of rolls of film in need of development, I have stacks of disks dating back to 2004, all needing to be printed or organized in some manner.
Having our own website has really helped these problems. It has actually forced me to document Our Trip in photos and organize them regularly. It's pretty easy for me and it's great for family and friends who like to keep up with our travels. Just days after we do something, they get to see it.
The very best part is that Abby and Carter will have all these photos when they're older. They may not remember everything we do. Hopefully, our photos will bring some of it back for them.
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