June 22, 2019.
Hello, hello, hello.
Lovely to see you.
Since we last met, a lot has changed! If you were to ask Devon about his employment status he would undoubtedly, without hesitation, reply with, “Retired.”
No, really haha
Yes, we’ve had the conversation about what that means; is it going to stop him from saying it? Absolutely not haha.
Nonetheless, Devon finished work June 1 and I just finished this past week June 18.
HALLLLLLLLELUJAAHHHHH.
When Devon and I started all of this, we agreed to commit the month of June to working on getting everything done. We purposefully saved these last few things for this month.
THUS FAR,
we have gotten the Element inspected, tires aligned, 2 NEW tires, new windshield wipers, and a new shock for the back hatch. Devon and his dad made an elevated floorboard for the back of the car to make storage easier, AND we were able to fit the 6 cube and 4 cube storage organizers on top of it (this is a HUGE YAY!).
These last few weeks have been pretty hectic between trying to get things together for the inside of the car, make some initial camping reservations/plans for when the lease ends, and focusing on work. Consequently, trying to explain how we’re making all this happen can get a little confusing. To help explain a little better, here’s what my interview with Ellen would sound like:
So the lease is ending at the end of the month. What happens then? Where are you going next?
Devon’s birthday is July 2, so we’ll spend that first week of the month enjoying time with friends and family in the Hampton Roads area before leaving on July 6. From Newport News, we’ll be staying with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Bruce just outside of Richmond. We’ll be between there and Lake Anna for about a week before heading out towards Charlottesville for a few nights and then spend the weekend at Devil’s Backbone Basecamp Brewpub (FRIENDS, we’ll post about it as it get’s closer, but this would defffffinitely be a prime time to enjoy time with you before we go!! We want to see any and everybody so please lemme know if you’d like to join us somewhere!). From there, we’ll start heading north into Shenandoah National Park — our first National Park!
Fun fact: the 58 in our website title is for the 58 national parks.
1/58. Done.
After Shenandoah, we’ll spend some time with my mom both in Loudoun County and a surprise location ( 😉 ). And then we’ll come back to Loudoun after our mini vacation, spend about a week or so in Northern Virginia, and then from there…We’re off.
After the time spent at my mom’s, we’re going for the gold:
Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME.
I won’t spoil the details of where we’re headed in between NOVA and ME, but stay tuned as we make the journey through some incredible places.
Okay wait so that was a lot of places, right? How long are you going to be gone? Are you coming back?
Unfortunately, money runs the world, so we’ll have to play it all by ear. We have plans for the next six months, so assuming we stay financially afloat through Christmas, hopefully it’ll be another 6 months before we’re back. It all depends on how much is in our bank accounts honestly!
Where the h, e, double hockey stick are you staying?
WARNING: MATH INVOLVED
If I could sum up how we’re going to make this trip work, I’d say this:
The Thousand Trails membership saved my money and my life.
Wow.
Feel the dramatic undertones.
Up until a week ago, you could find me stressed to the MAXIMUM about trying to find where to camp. If you don’t know me already, I’m kinda just a little particular about some things…I don’t mean ~clean~ and ~organized~ hahahaha (ABSOLUTELY NOT) but I mean, I like to look at allllll my options, exhaust allllll resources, and understand every angle, before making a decision. So when it comes to trying to figure out which campground has the best reviews, how much it costs, if it’s available, how long we should stay, if it’s in our budget to stay that long… I’m exhausted after deciding only one location; just like you’re exhausted from that sentence. My point is, for me, it’s a lengthy process.
And that doesn’t include having to get someone else’s input…
Anyways, Devon and I had heard about this thing called Thousand Trails and looked into it very briefly maybe 6 months ago… Literally, looked at it once and thought nothing of it again. What we had taken away was that it was an expensive membership to different resorts in one relative area of the country — in short, too much for what it was.
NOW, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I know nothing about camping. NOTHING. So when I see the price of things, what’s expensive to me, is very normal and expected to Devon. Having researched my fair share of campsites now, the ones we were typically looking at were anywhere from $20-$70.
Here we go with that math I mentioned, hold tight:
After so many nights, those costs add up… $30 a night….for, let’s say half of the year, 182 nights…..round to 200….that’s an easy $6000 in lodging. There has to be a way to minimize that. There has to be a better option.
*dramatic pause*
*clears throat, straightens up*
“Thousand Trails is the largest and most successful provider of RV resorts and campgrounds in North America with over 80 locations in 22 states and British Columbia, Canada. We have combined the beauty and relaxation of a scenic nature preserve with the resort-style amenities and security of an exclusive club. At each resort, we provide a secure, gated environment with park rangers who look out for our guests’ safety – so you can focus on having fun.”
*smiles and looks at the camera*
Okay wow that was a lot. There has to be a catch?
As of today, we have stayed at ONE (1) Thousand Trails location.
As of today, there is no catch.
Now, that’s not to say there weren’t fine print details we had to look further into to understand, but ultimately, they were all compatible with what we’re about to do.
Let’s focus on all the hard work we’ve been doing this month before we dive into the Thousand Trails Ocean. I promise you, it’s deep haha.
So you’re just gonna camp everywhere? Are you not working? How do you have the money to do that?
Simply put, we’ve been saving. We’ve been working for this. This is our next big move.
…
This was a lot of info. It was only a few questions, but it’s a lot of info and that requires patience to really process.
We get it,
it’s a big step.
It’s different.
It’s a, “Why would you want to do that?” kinda thing.
how bout this,
We’ll do it
and let you know.
Meet me here this time next week to talk about our final prep for our new life and MOVING OUT of our apartment!!!
j&d
WE WENT THERE 