Well, it’s been a little while since my last update. Not because nothing has been happening, but because quite a bit has been going on, and not all of it involved actually traveling.
One thing I’m learning about this whole RV adventure is that making plans and actually following them are two very different things.
I had planned to spend more time exploring Joshua Tree, getting out on some trails, hiking, and just enjoying the area. Unfortunately, life had other plans.
I had to fly back to North Carolina for a wedding and some work meetings. I left on Thursday, October 15, and didn’t return until Friday, October 23. That’s eight days away from the RV. Fortunately, I was able to leave the camper at the RV park, and a friend stayed in it for the week while I was gone.
Was I disappointed about missing out on Joshua Tree? Not really. Sure, I would have liked to explore more, but I know I’ll be back. This certainly won’t be my last trip out here.
Getting Back Into the Swing of Things
Coming back yesterday was good, but tiring. There’s something strange about stepping away from RV life for a week and then trying to pick up exactly where you left off. It’s not as simple as getting back into the camper and carrying on. There’s a mindset that comes with traveling, and when you interrupt it with flights, work meetings, and everything else, it takes a little while to get back into that rhythm.
And naturally, before I could get back on the road, I had a few things to fix.
Remember the jackknifing incident that damaged my truck’s taillight? Well, it also managed to bend the pin at the top of my trailer’s front jack, where you attach the crank to raise and lower the trailer. The dealership’s solution was to replace the entire jack. Of course it was.
Rather than buying a whole new jack, I managed to find a replacement part for about $40. It wasn’t quite as straightforward as simply swapping out the old part. The jackknifing had bent things slightly out of alignment, so I had to do a bit of finagling, bend a few things back into place, and line up the holes correctly. But after about half an hour, I had it working again.
Forty dollars, a little patience, and some tinkering. I also fixed the damaged taillights on the truck myself. So at least those repairs were finally behind me.
An Early Start… Sort Of
The plan this morning was to get an early start and head toward Sedona, Arizona. That was the plan, anyway.
First, I had to empty the gray-water tank. Then I drained all the old water because the camper had been sitting for a while and refilled it with fresh water. Then there were the propane tanks to fill, the truck needed gas, and I still had to stop at Walmart for supplies.
By the time I’d gotten everything done and actually hit the road, it was around 11:30 in the morning. So much for my early start. That’s another thing about RV life. Sometimes just getting ready to leave feels like you’ve already put in a full day’s work.
The Mountains Make It Worthwhile
But once I finally got moving, I was reminded why I’m doing this in the first place. The scenery out here is absolutely beautiful. I’m driving through the California desert toward Arizona, surrounded by mountains, and I can’t help looking at them.
Coming from North Carolina, we obviously have mountains. The Appalachians are beautiful in their own way. But compared to some of the mountains out here, they look like anthills.
It’s a completely different landscape from what I’m used to seeing back home, and I really enjoy it. This is also my first time traveling this particular stretch of the Southwest. I came into California through Arizona on a different route, so even though I’m heading back east, there’s still plenty of new scenery to experience.
And in a way, today marks something of a milestone. I’m officially turning back toward home. Not that I’m going straight there. I don’t have to be back in North Carolina until the day before Thanksgiving, so there’s still a good amount of traveling ahead.
Working While Traveling
One thing that has become obvious on this trip is that working remotely while traveling doesn’t necessarily mean you have unlimited time to explore. Those eight days I spent back in North Carolina were originally supposed to be spent hiking and exploring Joshua Tree.
And I’ve got another interruption coming up. On Monday, November 2, I’ll be flying from Phoenix to Boston for work, returning on Friday, November 6. That’s another five days away from the camper.
When you start adding up all those days, it’s quite a bit of time out of what was supposed to be a long RV adventure. So in some ways, this trip feels shorter than I expected. There are places I wanted to visit and things I wanted to do that I simply haven’t had time for.
But I also have to remember that this is my first extended RV trip. A big part of the experience is finding out what works, what doesn’t, and what I’d do differently next time. And I’ve certainly been learning.
Did I Really Need to Bring All This Stuff?
One of the things I’ve started thinking about is everything I packed before leaving home. When you’re preparing for a trip like this, it’s easy to convince yourself that you might need something. But now that I’ve actually been traveling for a while, I’m starting to ask myself a different question. Have I used it? And if I haven’t, why not?
Obviously, some things are essential even if you never use them. A jack, for example. You don’t leave important equipment behind just because you hope you won’t need it. But other things? Well, that’s where I think there’s room for improvement.
Take my desktop computer. Yes, I actually brought my desktop gaming computer along on this trip. My thinking was that I might want to play video games in the evenings, so why not bring it? Guess how many times I’ve used it. Not once.
And that’s not really a bad thing. I’ve simply been busy doing other things, enjoying the outdoors, exploring new places, and taking in the scenery. It’s not that I’ve suddenly lost interest in gaming. Being at home and being on the road are two completely different experiences.
But it does make me wonder whether I really needed to carry a desktop computer around the country. That’s extra weight and space for something I haven’t touched. And weight matters when you’re towing a travel trailer.
So when I get home, I’m going to have to take a serious look at everything I brought, figure out what I actually used, and decide what deserves a place on the next trip. The goal isn’t necessarily to pack as little as possible. It’s to be smarter about what I bring.
A Few Lessons From the Road
Another thing I’ve noticed is that I probably need to make more of an effort to get outside and walk when I’m back home. I haven’t done nearly as much hiking on this trip as I originally hoped. Part of that is because work has interrupted my plans, and part of it is simply because there always seems to be something else that needs doing.
But I have been getting outside more, and it’s something I’d like to continue once I’m back in North Carolina. There’s no reason I can’t make more time for walking at home. I just need to actually do it.
On to Sedona
So that’s where things stand. I’m back in the truck, the trailer is behind me, the repairs are done, the tanks are taken care of, and I’m finally moving again.
Today’s destination is Sedona, Arizona, where I’m planning to camp on public land west of town. I’m looking forward to exploring the area, seeing the red rocks, and hopefully getting some of that hiking in that I’ve been missing.
And while this might technically be the beginning of my journey back east, there’s still almost a month of adventure ahead.
This first RV trip hasn’t gone exactly as planned. But then again, I’m starting to realize that’s probably part of the experience. I’ve dealt with repairs, changed plans, flown across the country for work, and carried around a gaming computer that apparently just wanted a vacation of its own.
And despite everything, I’m still having a great time. I’m learning a lot about RV travel, a lot about what I actually need, and a little about how I want to spend my time. For a first trip, I’d call that a pretty good start. Now, on to Sedona.
