We have been working for the last couple of weeks to get things sorted out for what we *think* we need for the trip. It is more challenging than I would have thought because we need to think about 3 months and two seasons. We have summer stuff, bug stuff, fall stuff, and warm stuff. Add to that all the stuff that our dog Pete is going to need and the space starts to fill up.
The van kit is pretty much sorted, we have hoses, cords, dishes, towels, bedding and all of the other regular stuff that we need. Setting up the kitchen, that is a bit of a challenge due to space, but we think we have that figured out too. We are a on the posh side of things, we have the power to run an espresso machine, air fryer/oven, and induction cooktop. Food, we won't worry about that too much, we will need to shop every couple of days to keep us going. With travelling by pavement, we should always be able to find a store. Hope that isn't going to come back to bite us.
Where we have been challenged is the house. Normally we wouldn't have to give too much thought about the house, just take out the garbage and tidy up before we leave and clear out perishables. For this trip though, the job is bigger, much bigger. With doing AirBNB we are pretty much having to move out of our home. We have 2 stacks of bins to the ceiling in the garage of clothes, pictures, mom's china - all of the stuff that matters to us. That said, a lot of stuff is just that - stuff - and if it gets broken, we can live with that. We have been picking up on the various house repairs that needed doing, windows washed, garden weeded, as well as organizing things so it works better for our guests. I still have the final house clean to do, linens washed and changed, floors washed, and having the house ready for our first guests on Friday.
While we have been head down getting ready to relax, we are getting burnt out with all of the things that we have had to do. Quite frankly, it has been overwhelming at times. Now that we are just days away from the start of the adventure, I can say that we are looking forward to wandering. Yup, wandering at our own pace, staying or going based on how we feel and what we find. In writing this, the old show Littlest Hobo comes to mind, the lyrics really sum up the wandering concept very well.
We are so thankful that people have stepped up to help us make this adventure happen, from the grand son that will mow the grass to friends and family we can call on should the house need any emergency repairs while we are gone. Just finished with work today, Mandy finishes tomorrow, and we are on the road come Saturday. We met with friends for ice cream tonight, a little sweet (the ice cream) and bittersweet (saying goodbye) at the same time.
After a year and a half of planning, building, testing, and revising, the van is now an RV. Saturday, this all becomes real. Looking forward to it!