The Queen of the Road

this will become our main decision soon

Well, we've told the kids and a couple of close friends, so it's official and now I can write about it.  After getting the canned ham to a state of perfection we wondered what to do next.  Then I uttered something Left Brain has been waiting to hear for many years...let's do this full time.  Yikes, I thought. Who said THAT?  It sounded like my voice. 


Don't get me wrong.  I love my canned ham and it has brought us some fabulous adventures, but a couple of months in a small enclosure is probably our limit.  It finally did rain today and while I love the sound of rain on the metal roof, it does limit your ability to get outside and more than three feet away from each other; something I believe is required for a solid marriage.


So the planning has begun.  We will prepare to sell the house when we return to Wisconsin and purchase something to live in and hit the road.  Sounds simple enough.  The thought of always being in a moderate to warm climate with fresh vegetables is very appealing.


The planning is easy - the implementation of the plan not so much.  We have amassed (dare I say hoarded?) a lot of "stuff" over the years that we have hung on to with the idea that "I might need that some day".  This is from being raised by a generation that were children during the Great Depression.


Thinking of this project has caused me some sleepless nights, thrashing around in my bunk like a gerbil spinning on its wheel.  Lots of energy expended, but not getting anywhere with it.  After the first few nights it got better as I started to list what I wanted to part with and who might be able to use it.


The idea of leaving my family, friends and community is difficult, but I know it's only for the crappier months, we will return to our home area for the spring and summer, so it's not like I'll never see them again.  I guess you could call me a fair weather friend....literally.  Thankfully the technology available today allows us to stay in very close touch with them via phone, email and Skype.


At first the thought of leaving my gardens made me almost sick, but then I considered the flip side of not having to do the physical work of creating and maintaining it.  It was great fun,but each year gets a little harder.  Not to mention the money we will save by my not buying plants and garden art, as well as craft supplies...because there is simply no place to put it in an RV.


My biggest concern was how I was going to pursue my art dolls while on the road.  So the plan is to dispose of the larger dolls in my current inventory this year and begin a line that will fit nicely into the flat rate boxes.  I will create them, photograph them and put them on Etsy for sale.  That way I can ship them off when ever they sell.  I still hope to do shows, but the first year will be necessary to get a fix on this new lifestyle.


Left Brain was a little bummed about having to sell his motorcycle until I had another sleepless night of strategic planning.  We will rent storage for the first year at least and keep anything we're just not sure of parting with, as well as his bike.  This way I can store my show displays for summer shows and inventory to avoid having to carry around extra weight. That way when we return he can still enjoy riding his bike around...and it will get him out of the RV and a chance to get a way from me. 


I hated the idea of parting with my sleep number bed until I saw one at an RV dealer.  If we can get a rig with a king sized bed, there shouldn't be any reason I can bring my sleep number with me.  Now that would be perfect!  We will try to make that a reality.


So, we are prepared to embark on a new journey...an adventure if you will.  It will involve a major simplification of our lifestyle by removal of things and unused stuff.  It will intensify our bonding with each other....or murder, we'll see.  It will allow us to focus on the simple things in life; the preparation of our meals, seeing new places, meeting new people.  


I knew the plan was right when after the first couple of days of thinking "what the hell are we doing?" to asking "how soon can we make this happen?".


You will be invited along for the ride as we explore the ins and outs of entering this new adventure.  The blog will still be entitled Life in a Canned Ham...it's just that we will be supersized.


If anyone is interested in purchasing the canned ham, I have created a page at the bottom of blog that has more photos and information about it.


Long Live the Queen of Dreams