No Destination : hoyden and two dogs hit the road full-time

[hoyden]

Hi all!

The dogs and I split town on Monday (12-12-16)!
I meant to start this thread sooner, so I've got a bunch of write-ups on my website that aren't here.
I'll post my write-ups here too, but this is the email I sent to friends and family, in case you wanna join up anywhere else too

I built a website so y'all can follow along with my photos and writings and locations.
When you subscribe, you will get a weekly update (on Thursdays) with my posts.

https://no-destination.org

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[hoyden]

The Things We Leave Behind

My bed sold on Wednesday, the dresser left yesterday, and today my friend walked out with the tv and armfuls of kitchen supplies and foods that I won't be able to use in the camper.

We talk about ideas of 'things' owning us, about how experiences are what matter, but until you are sitting in a small cottage after two years of being embedded looking at blank walls and empty floors, you really don't understand what that means.

Moving is always a headache and emotionally trying. One thing I didn't expect was how different it is leaving a solid residence to go onto the unknown road vs simply moving from one house to another. When I move into a new place, the packing and moving is annoying, but there is always the vision of the new place and excitement of finding new locations for the stuff. This time there is the annoyance of packing, but the vision is blurry because I can only see my truck and camper and dogs and that unknown road. There is nothing else to see.

I suppose that's one of the reasons why I am embarking on this journey - to require myself not to have any future vision, but to 'be here now' as cliché as that is.

There are 12 boxes of my books at the VA library now. Books are my warm blanket, my grilled cheese and tomato soup... and I gave away close to half of my collection.

I loaded my friend's trailer with boxes full and dropped it all off at a women's center for donation. Months ago, I started selling off my motorcycles. I got down to two. Sold one last week, and the other went to a friend's garage for storage.

My plan was to empty the storage room that I have rented, but I failed in that endeavor. Turns out, it's much harder to 'get rid of everything' than it looks on paper. I've never believed in storing things away. Why pay to hold something you don't use? It still seems ridiculous to me, and yet I haven't figured out the solution to the complex relationship I have with these items. What to do with my dad's papers and photographs? Keep them in storage. What to do with irreplaceable books and childhood treasures? Keep them in storage. What to do with family furniture given to me upon my grandparents deaths? Keep it all in storage.

I don't know when I will get back for this stuff. A friend of mine wrote to me, "it's like the bread crumbs in the forest." And I suppose it rather is like that. Over the past many years, I have left breadcrumbs of various kinds all over the U.S., mostly as friends scattered all about. It's time to go check on those breadcrumbs and not worry about the things left behind.

Zach Bowman wrote in his latest post, ""I can think of no better lesson in the texture of our world. In the width of it. In the joy it can bring when you least expect it. In the miracles that wait for you to come find them if you’re stern enough to leave empty things behind."

I am trying to be stern enough to leave these empty things behind. I leave an empty place behind that happens to house some of my memories in a storage room on the east side of town.

 

[hoyden]

More Stuff

We pack these boxes full of stuff for perhaps use on a later day.
We fill the lockers with unnecessary items in order to hold onto some tangible evidence of our existence.

I am on the tail end of this current adventure - this temporary place I moved for a job and to heal some wounds four years ago. This is the only town in my adult life I didn't purposely choose to move to. I happened here, and at the time it was needed. Now, I am back on a forward path to my next chosen home.
I just don't know where that is yet.

 

[hoyden]

Slowing Down

One of the big things I aim to work on during this trip is how to slow down and relax. Today, while I finished with my errands and last minute packing, I had to remind myself that the lesson starts now.

My original plan was to leave today. I set 2:00pm leave time as my cut-off. If I didn't get all my stuff done by 2pm, I would stay one more night. I don't want to set up after dark, and where I want to head for my first night is about three hours away. Around 2pm today, I was mostly done and started to feel really stressed out. My plan was to stop at Trader Joes (since I ran out of eggs for breakfast), and to fill my spare gas can and top off the truck on my way out. But between that, loading the last few things including the dogs, and doing a last minute check-over, I calculated another half an hour at least.

The last thing I want to do setting off on this momentous trip is to rush myself. There is no need for that. One more day isn't going to change any plans or cause delays.

Once I remembered that, I felt the stress lessen. It's good to remember when heading out on a trip to stop and breathe and let yourself have the time you need. I took Argos for a walk and run, and played with Pugsly. This evening, I'll plan out some new trails from a book my wonderful neighbors gave me as a going away present.

The only way this adventure - or any adventure - works is to slow down, keep focused on what is right here, and make loose plans for the future. Because you can't predict what's around the bend.

 

[hoyden]

260 miles in two days

I thought about making it in three days, but the beautiful spot I boondocked at Roosevelt Lake was marred by the proximity of the highway. It is a quiet highway, but nonetheless, a decently traveled road with views of my campsite.

My first night was initially difficult. Pugsly had a little mishap in the truck. I took her pillow out and washed it in the lake, then set it on the truck hood to dry. Her bottom was kinda poopy and messy, so I took some wipes to clean her up. Once I get the top up and the dogs inside the camper, I tried to put the doggie diapers on her. The size was right, but her shape isn't. Diapers aren't meant for breadloaf-shaped dogs. They kinda work, but I'll get her the next size up and try those.

It always takes me a day or two to get re-used to the small space. I set my phone down, but didn't realize the sink lid was open and nearly drowned my phone. Luckily, I snatched it up almost as soon as it touched the water and put it upside-down on the carpeted floor. The phone was fine, but it bothered me. If it dies, I have to find a Verizon store and then I have to shell out a bunch of money for a new one.

After the excitement with all the poop and the phone, I decided I wanted to relax with some hot chocolate. I boiled water, and mixed up a mug from the hot-chocolate-mix-jar my neighbor made for me as a going-away gift. I had a few sips, set it down, and proceeded to knock it over. Since my parking wasn't totally level, the drink ran towards the door-end of the camper, which was good, because that is the stove and a backstop (vs if it had run the other direction, it would have gone down the side between the counter and the front of the camper. Much more difficult to clean up).

After cleaning up that mess, I decided that I was very fatigued and should just climb into bed.

This morning was probably a wondrous sunrise, but I needed my sleep. I got up after the most brilliant colors had faded, but the sky was still soft pastels and the muted colors over the lake were a sweet surprise.

After the dogs were fed and while I was making breakfast, I heard some peculiar noises on the roof. There were around 10 Great-Tailed Grackles congregating on my camper rooftop. I didn't mind the company, but they flew away when I opened the door to get a better look.

I packed up and got on the road, only to find a detour that took me about an hour and a half out of the way on my route to Tucson. Luckily, I wasn't in a hurry and enjoyed the backway from Roosevelt Lake south.

My photos are on my camera and the cable is in the camper. Since I'm currently luxuriating at a friend's house in Tucson, photos will have to wait. Today Argos met some pigs, and Pugsly had a minor prickly interaction with a small cholla but also got to get some great new smells.

All in all, not terribly bad first two days on the road.

 

[hoyden]

I'm holing up in Tucson at a friend's house for a couple of days now. Have some lymph node swelling on the left side of my face that came on yesterday and it's weirding me out. Ate a ton of garlic, and resting up.
Hopefully, I won't have to go to the Urgent Care. Ugh.
Not an auspicious way to start this trip.

 

[Stalking Light]

Safe travels Dawn, hope to see you on the road at some point.

 

[fireball]

Thanks for sharing!


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[Cayuse]

Happy trails to you and the pups!

 

[ski3pin]

Happy trails, tales, and tails!

 

[takesiteasy]

Thanks for sharing your journey Hoyden. Good luck! I will be following along.

 

[Captm]

Best wishes on your journey! Since we met you at Expo you have accomplished quite a bit and are so happy that you have taken this step forward in your life.
We look forward to following your adventure,
Tim & Molly

 

[Tuff Guy 62]

Have a safe journey Dawn and may the road you travel be all that you hope it will be. Good luck on your adventure and we all look forward to you "keeping us in the loop".

Arrivederci
Brian

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Dawn, be safe and enjoy the journey! We are all wishing you the very best!

 

[craig333]

Good luck on the journey. Hoping the urgent care clinic won't be necessary.

 

[smlobx]

Good luck on the journey!
I'm happy to see you're slowing down.

 

[Bseek]

The worst is behind you. Relax and enjoy it now.

 

[nikonron]

You go girl! Maybe we'll see you on the road somewhere. Wish I could talk my wife into living on the road. Ron

 

[highz]

Hope you will be feeling better in the morning.

 

[hoyden]

Hi! Thanks y'all!

I went to the dentist today here in Tucson and they gave me script for Amoxicillin and told me to get to an Endodontist asap. Seems my Mat 2015 root canal might be having issues. Great. Why didn't this happen 2 weeks ago when I still had dental insurance? Ugh.

I'll know more tomorrow, but my adventures might end up taking me into Mexico for dental work!