July 2025 –
After my sister and I made it back safely I took a few days before venturing off to complete the rest of my travels. It was on my way to Gatlinburg Tennessee that I got a sign, confirmation one could say about a next step in my adventures. In the back of my mind I was thinking that I would love to travel around with a small camper that Angeline would be capable of pulling. So what do you know while stopped at a gas station I saw a vehicle similar to Angeline doing just that, pulling a trailer. I took a picture both mentally and physically to confirm what I just saw. I tucked this little “God wink” away for a later time.
I’d booked my last condo for the season using my vacation package through Sundance Vacations wayyyy up in the mountains. Driving up the mountainside was a bit treacherous and I was so glad I made sure I arrived during the day. I followed my intuition and stopped at the grocery store to grab a few things before heading to the condo. It was enough for only a couple of days since I was going to be working in the morning and it was getting late. It was interesting seeing all the warning signs regarding bears. I arrived at the place with groceries, my work bag and my carryon with essentials in tow. I don’t think I mentioned that I travel essentially with all the clothing I own that can now fit into a 3-piece luggage set (Large, medium, and carryon) a bin for seasonings and some dry goods, a laundry bin with towels, washcloths, and sheets. Yes, I travel with my own linen. A bin with photos, a few books (I do mostly audio books , but like the feel of turning pages at times), some personal items, a garment bag (small), a few extra blankets, and on the front seat are my two traveling companions (Golden Pathos plants) named in memory of my mom and dad.
Generally after my first work day at a new location I step out and may drive around to checkout my new surroundings but I remembered the treacherous mountainside drive with no guardrails and opted to stay put and enjoy the beautiful view from the balcony overlooking a drop-off into a mass of trees and clear skies. The condo had some inspirational art… Another “God wink”. A piece of advice I will share with anyone desiring to venture out as I have or even to dare to dream of a life you would love and follow through with it, no matter the opposition. My hope is this will provide you with a little courage. I didn’t start out hopping from place to place every other week. I started after my daughter went off to school and my son had moved on to live his life, by taking a week to discover a new place every 3 or 4 months. I have been on this journey of exploration and discovery for the past 10 years as an empty nester. Even before having children I would take a weekend to get in my car and venture out to commune with nature. My family would affectionately refer to me as the “Road Runner”.
I believe I mentioned earlier that I only got a couple of days worth of food and here it is day 2 and I know I will need to get some supplies. I thought there has got to be some type of store for locals who don’t necessarily like to drive back down the mountain. I had an aunt who lived in Jamul California that was similarly situated in a mountainous area and they had a local store they could go to when they didn’t want to traverse down the mountain. So I asked google to show me a store near me and there was about 15 minutes away. I was happy to see that it was close but I didn’t pay attention to the winding roads to get there. As I am making my way, second guessing my decision to not just bite the bullet and go back down the mountain, my GPS told me to take a sharp left. Just as I was slowly attempting the turn there was a car stopped right after the turn, which left me hanging out mid-turn. As the thought of “what the heck” started to enter my mind I see a black bear trapesing down the mountainside. Excited and a little frightened at the same time. It is one thing to be aware that bears are in the area, it is another to actually see one in your area. Note: I am not one that takes a lot of pictures. I am usually savoring the moment which is the reason for not having a picture of the bear. I made it to the store and purchased enough food to keep me fed the rest of the week. I did make it down to the bottom of the mountain one of those days but won’t be making it back there again unless someone else is driving me.
I generally leverage my vacation package for places to stay but these last couple of weeks in July I decided to do something new. I was making my way down to Georgia for a family reunion and was staying at the hotel with family for that. I had used Airbnb back in 2017 to visit my daughter in Boston and the place was absolutely amazing. So I decided I would give it another go. I booked 1 week in Savannah Georgia and another week in Raleigh North Carolina. In between I visited some old friends from Cincinnati who had relocated to Charlottesville South Carolina, which was absolutely beautiful but terribly HOT!!! I loved both stays that included rooms in homes where the hosts resided. I ollowed my intuition on what to pick and where and the stays did not disappoint. After booking these locations and getting the addresses I researched libraries and coffee houses in the area (mostly Panera’s). The hosts in both locations were wonderful people and the place I stayed in Raleigh was absolutely heavenly. Casey and Michael were the best, providing things to do in the area and the room was fabulous. If you don’t mind dogs and renting a room in a home where the host is present and are looking for a place in Raleigh, I highly recommend this home. Some things I did after work was find a local park of which there were quite a few and take a walk or just take a seat and enjoy the view. I have been known to make my way to a swing and challenge myself to see just how high I can go!
TIP: Libraries generally don’t open before 10am so I may go to a local coffee shop that has internet or a Panera or Starbucks to work until the library opens. Generally I will go to the library if I don’t have any online meetings.
Driving up the east coast was a treat and I am glad that I chose to give Airbnb another try. Checkout this photo album some of the beautiful parks and views from this months adventures, down to the Smokey Mountains and up the East coast.
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