We took Lucille, our camp trailer (named after Lucille Ball and her movie The Long, Long Trailer), on our first camping excursion, a couple of weekends ago, in preparation for our epic adventure, and it was a very educational experience, to say the least.
First off, I decided not to take our dog. I had been considering it, and the kids really want me to take her, but after seeing how much more work it was going to add to the mayhem, and listening to someone else’s dog bark for 3 hours while they were away from their RV, I decided against it.
Second, I learned that I greatly underestimated how much gas was going to cost us. The road trip app that I have been using to calculate the price of gas, apparently doesn’t factor in pulling a fully loaded 26 ft trailer. Ugh!
Thirdly, I learned that when you aren’t hooked up to electricity you can’t expect the battery to last forever, and the furnace doesn’t work without power. We found that out at 5:00 in the morning laying in freezing camper. I stayed in bed while Shawn got up and tried to figure out what the problem was. He flipped switches, looked at lights and buttons, fiddled, hemmed and hawed, and then finally went outside to change the battery.
Fourth, I had the sudden realization as I lay there in that freezing trailer, that on our trip I will be the one flipping switches, looking at lights and buttons and then changing the battery at 5:00 in the morning. What if I can’t figure out what is wrong? Am I up for it? Can I do it? Do I want to do it? Sigh… Laying in a freezing camper at 5:00 in the morning really forces you to evaluate and reevaluate all the whys, whats and hows. Believe me!
And Fifth, I came to the conclusion that, I really am going on this epic adventure to make memories with my children and to build family relationships, the relationships I have with my children and their relationships with each other. Also, to build relationships and make memories with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. My kids haven’t seen any of my family for 3 years. That’s way to long. You can’t put a price on those kinds of relationships and memories with loved ones, and when it comes down to it I would do anything to foster those relationships, even change a battery at 5:00 am in my pajamas.
