by the numbers...... and onward

Our first "POD" adventure - a 26' yellow GMC
1986 - 1988

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The final tally for our on the road adventure is that we drove around 11, 000 total miles 
covering 30 states (plus Mexico)
I was on the road for 56 days and Tim, having headed to Florida earlier, was on the road for
70 days.

In that time we visited:

9 national parks/monuments

And camped/slept in:

7 state parks

1 commercial campground

8 truck stops

1 rest stop

1 apartment (Portland, OR)

1 house (Merida, Yucatan)

8 driveways

Needless to say - we had a blast and saw a lot of amazing things. We had time alone and we had time to visit friends and family. Ultimately, we had thought of this trip as a test - and as a test we probably should have started smaller..... But - we did it, we enjoyed it and we learned a lot about ourselves, the POD, and some best practices while on this trip. And, as always, there are still things we need to figure out!

We learned that we can easily live in the POD for extended periods of time, that we can cook healthy and delicious food while living in the POD, that I can actually work from the POD, and that there are many places to stay while traveling that will not break the bank!
Life in the POD was pretty simple - which we both enjoyed! Simple activities, simple clothing needs,  and simple food - all work best in this tiny environment.
We loved looking over maps, routes, and finding possible things to see. We never felt like we "missed" something in any place - we always made a choice based on what the weather was, how we felt that day ..... There are a LOT of somethings out there! And most are all good!
Keep it simple.

We did come to realize that laundry could be an issue ..... had not thought that one through clearly! We did manage okay with some hand washing and the aid of friends' facilities. I only had to spend a few hours in one commercial laundry near the end of the trip. Also, making sure we were always aware of the "how much water" and "how much urinated water (and solids!)" are in the holding tanks was a full time concern. Luckily, Tim handled those issues, as well as the refilling and dumping as required. Maybe that's why I was the one to spend the hours in the laundromat.......
Fair deal.

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However, the biggest thing we learned on these travels is how amazing this country is! We saw so much beauty and learned so much history along the way. Each state was so different from the next and the forests, mountains and geological formations all told different stories.
The U.S. truly stands out for it's diversity: in its landscapes, in its food and, most importantly, in its citizens. We met so many friendly people - many who shared their stories with us - who lived interesting lives, in interesting places, all doing different things. 

The diversity in this country is what makes us a true nation - a nation of strong, determined and creative individuals.
We are a nation born of an amalgam of cultures from around the globe.
We need to protect that diversity.

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