Pete the philosopher

7-29-07 (started) – 8-16-07 (continued)

Well, we’ve been home for a few days now, and we’ve had time to reflect and ponder. Okay, in reality, between visits to see Grandma at the hospital and keeping the kids busy with normal summer activities, we’ve finally had time to clean out the RV and put everything away (almost). The question I’ve been asked on more than one occasion since we’ve been home is, “Would you do it again?”

My answer to the question is, “In a heartbeat!”

Now, with that said, I wouldn’t recommend this type of trip for everyone. Becky is a good sport, and I personally thrive on this kind of traveling. I love seeing new places and people, and I like the combination of seeing major sites as well as having the opportunity to stay away from the big tourist spots. Having the RV was a great way to experience different aspects of the country.

I also kind of enjoy having to figure out on the go a plan to make things work out. Traveling through New York City trains and subways with three kids, a senior citizen, a stroller and wheelchair definitely took some flexibility and creativity. Years ago when Becky and I traveled through Europe, this kind of thing was much easier with just the two of us, but the challenge of this trip was kind of cool too. If you don’t like a bit of chaos in your life, this kind of trip may not be the best option.

I certainly plan on future RV trips (and believe it or not, Becky’s even on board with this) although we may wait a few years for the kids to get older before we tackle a cross-country adventure again. Although I love our old, beat-up RV that actually made to the East coast and back, I wouldn’t mind upgrading to a little nicer rig at some point.

Happy travels everyone, and I’ll leave you with John Greenleaf Whittier’s words that I try to remind myself of every so often:

God pity them both! and pity us all,
Who vainly the dreams of youth recall;
For of all sad words of tongue or pen
The saddest are these: “It might have been!”