GO WITH THE FLOW

One of the most important rules we’ve learned since starting RVing is to be prepared to go with the flow.

For instance, we were planning to leave this Wednesday for Texas after a tire we had ordered came in. Well, the tire’s not in and we still need to get with some family before we leave. So, we’re now planning on getting a new tire on Thursday and then heading in the general direction we want to go. As I write this, we don’t know for sure which way we’ll head yet.

The latest dilemma started with our trip down from Cape Girardeau. At the last minute we called some friends along the way and made plans to spend the night in their town so we could visit. Then about twenty miles the other side of them, one of our tires blew out. The closest place to get it replaced under warranty was Little Rock.

So we spent the night in Wynne, Arkansas and then traveled to Little Rock next day on our spare. We’ve been waiting ever since for the new tire to come in!

Meanwhile, as the clock ticked off the hours we hadn’t decided what to do after leaving here. Should we go to the Houston area first, then head back north to near Ft. Worth to visit friends? Or should we go to Ft. Worth first? We decided to go south first, then head back north, but a phone call from a friend in Houston changed those plans.

We also hadn’t decided whether to go to Southern Arizona, Phoenix or Verde Valley, but that same friend may have answered that dilemma for us. She asked if she could hitch a ride to Phoenix with us.

So as of right now we think we’re heading to Ft. Worth first, then to Houston area where we may spend a few weeks before heading west. Then we may stay in the Phoenix area, or we might park the motorhome south of there and take our friend to Phoenix in the car.

We’re flexible because we’ve learned not to obsess about planning every detail. The first year we traveled my very good friend in Washington came down with cancer, then my sister in Arkansas. Suddenly we couldn’t focus on traveling for pleasure. We shuttled back and forth between Washington, Arizona and Arkansas in a desperate attempt to support our loved ones who needed us.

Then a sudden illness for me and an operation at the same time for my husband caused us to have to stop in our tracks. We didn’t have a choice.

How wonderful that we owned an RV that could transport us, or house us wherever we needed to be. It still keeps us flexible so we can go where we want or where we’re needed. We never plan ahead much anymore. And we don’t obsess about itineraries. We simply go with the flow . . .

Aah the flexibility of changing course in midstream!