From Brick to Boxes and the thousands of miles in between…
Well folks, Nattie & Hazel Nut are at it again! We’ve set off on our EIGHTH (my 9th) cross country road trip. It seems every time I try to set up roots outside of California, it just keeps calling me home. So after traveling the country (and the world) in search of a place to call home and chasing down my career, I’ve decided to switch gears and slow the pace down.
Over the last decade I’ve tried chasing down the next opportunity and then next adventure. I left my suburban life behind in favor of a little spice isle a decade ago. That adventure was plagued with ups and downs, packed suitcases, custom declarations and memories of a lifetime. I went from a house full of STUFF, to packing suitcases to get things back to the States. We were SUPER creative with our packing back in the day…. Something that hasn’t changed much over the last decade. What has changed is our mode of travel. The dreams, life goals, and circumstances have been adjusted and changed overtime. But the core values have always been a better life, be a better doctor, and be a better person.
Hazel Nut joined my life almost 10 years ago as a little nugget on the island of Grenada. Since then she’s flown to and from California (on several occasions), been my copilot for THOUSANDS of miles, left her mark on dozens of cities, states, and campsites. She’s become a more seasoned traveler than many of the people we’ve met a long the way.
And it never fails, she’s ALWAYS worried she will be left behind. I’m always telling her “don’t you worry, you’re the most precious cargo! And you’re the last to go in the car” – which is sometimes a lie… because when she’s in a tizzy she’s one of the first items in the car to slow her roll and allow me to get the rest of us packed up.
This round we’re pulling our house with us. After SO. MANY. MOVES. I’ve grown tried of packing up the house and starting over. So I’ve decided that a home on wheels is our next grand adventure! While the average person would have probably parted with their… crap – I mean stuff… I chose to to keep a mobile storage unit (2 actually) for my furniture and those “I will need one day, just not today” items. I figured I’m committing to this #RVLiving but just in case I can’t hack it, I’ll keep my brick house necessities for a smooth transition back to stationary living. If I’m loving the #RVlife then I can sell my items at my leisure without the stress of doing them last minute like over the last few months.
As with each and every road trip before this one, we have a general idea of route, stops, and miles we’re able to go in a day. This trip has been a bit more rushed then the last due to my human copilots having to return to work sooner than I do. But we’ve still be able to somewhat enjoy the road more traveled between the different campsites along the way and my required pit stops.
In the past my daily destinations have been about the miles, attractions, and where the local La Quinta Hotels had available rooms. This year since we’re towing the home on wheels, we used KOAs across the country to set up camp for the night. The only location we didn’t use a KOA was in Midland, Tx when we opted for a hotel so as to get more mileage in that day.
Today we set up camp in Pismo Beach, California (technically Grover Beach, CA). The final stop on this week long road trip. While I don’t have a semi-permanent home for my home on wheels, I do have the next week sorted out. From there I can decide what’s next for my life and my future.
Keep a look out for more about our journey out west ☺️