Seasons Greetings

I had the opportunity to spend 10 days in Kona Hawaii with a lovely couple that I befriended very early in my intentional community exploration--Greg Sherwin and Chris Elkins.  They were on my first stop at Boulder Creek Co-Housing Community.  As you recall, they joined me for a week in my RV to attend the to the Co-Housing Conference in Durham, NC back in May.  We spent 10 lovely days together at the Kona Tiki Hotel and Reid got to join us for 5 of those days.

Kona Hawaii Dec 18th

Being from Houston, I rarely thought of a sunshine destination for vacation but am so glad I accepted their offer to join them.  The Kona Tiki is a small, mom and pop hotel right on the water.  There's no air conditioning but the weather was so nice that it wasn't necessary.  It was great to be able to re-connect with them and just kick back and enjoy life during what is normally a stressful season.

After that, I flew back to Durango, spent one night, unpacked and repacked and headed to DC to spend a week with Reid and his 3 youngest boys.  It was his Xmas gift to them.  His twins had never flown before so that was an adventure.  We rented an Airbnb and visited museums.  They spent one day traveling the metro out to the burbs for lunch with family while I took it easy around the rental unit.

Here's a photo of Reid and the boys on Xmas day:

The Tatge boys on Xmas day

and another of Reid and I:

Having fun on Xmas day in DC

The day after Xmas, we flew back to Houston where Kent picked me up and we drove to Lake Livingston to visit my mom for her birthday.  After an overnight stay there and some catching up, we drove back to Friendswood and I stayed with Kent and his family.  After all the trouble that goes with trying to sell your home, they got an offer and are expected to close in the next few weeks and join me at the lodge on Lake Vallecito.

I'm in Houston another week or so in an effort to get some annual Dr visits in before heading back to the cold north.  

Life is good and I'm looking forward to seeing what the new year brings as I continue my search of a simpler life.

I'm at the San Jose, CA airport waiting on Reid.  He's flying in from a weekend visit with his boys in Houston and I flew in from Durango this morning having gotten up at 3:30 am to do so.  His flight is a bit delayed so I thought I catch up on my blog in the land of the fast internet.

I've been on Lake Vallecito for almost 2 months now.  I've made some improvements but they're coming along slowly since I have more skill using a computer than a saw or hammer.

On my sabbatical, I wanted to visit intentional communities across the US and I did so traveling around in my tiny house/RV.  I like the model of living with like minded people sharing and leveraging resources rather than being wed to the idea that we all need our own stuff.

I know I need my own space but it doesn't have to be big.  I just want it to be cozy and warm and if it happens to be in a lovely place--all the better.

My RV provided that experience except staying in a lovely place required that I do so crammed in next to a bunch of other manufactured homes.  That wasn't what I was going for.

Given the fact that I live and breathe by my ability to connect with the world via my phone and the internet, I also found the places where I stayed didn't offer that.

None of the intentional communities that I visited appealed to me enough that I wanted to move to any one of them but all had a quality or two (or many) that I'd like to replicate.

I liked the Twin Oaks community in Virginia who had a huge shared clothes closet.  As a person who shops at consignment stores and recycles my clothes often, this had a real appeal to me.  Twin Oaks also requires communitarians to work 38 hours a week in the community in exchange for the opportunity to live there.

We might use some of their practices up on Lake Vallecito as we begin our own new community there.

Can't Wait to See My Sweetie!

So I've been on my own on the lake for two weeks now.  While I consider myself to be an introvert and actually enjoy (and need) quite a bit of time to myself, even I have reached my limit.

In talking to Kent yesterday, he recommended that I go to Walmart and buy a volleyball and marker and create my own "Wilson" like the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away so I can have someone to talk to.  It's good to have a sympathetic brother.  He and Lydia are trying their darn-dest to get their house sold in Friendswood so they can join me in this winter wonderland.  I think it will be much more fun when I have some company to experience this with me.

I was warned that 75% of the population in Vallecito leaves for the winter and many of those who stay have jobs so they don't have a lot of time to hang out and play with me.  I think I'd feel better if I had internet and my furniture was here.  I don't have much furnishing-wise in the house.  Even still, I'd probably want to drive the 20 minutes south to the library in Bayfield or 40 minutes SW to Durango for some sort of human interaction.

I told Reid I was getting lonely and he said it MUST be serious if I'm getting lonely.  Being the extrovert, he doesn't always see things the way I do.  Thankfully, he's flying in today to spend the week with me including Thanksgiving.   He's got to work a few days so I'm going to take him to the Durango Co-working space (DurangoSpace) where we can both get a good strong internet connection and he can connect with his team via teleconferencing as he so often does.

I had a 10 day trip planned to go to Kona, Hawaii in early December with my dear friends Greg and Chris from the Boulder community but it appears that Reid's custody trial is scheduled for that time so I'll be back in Houston for that on Dec 7th.  I'll forgo the Hawaii trip for now.  Reid promised he'd take me there another time when we could both go and have fun.

So any of my friends who want to come for a visit in a beautiful albeit primitive place....come on.  You may have to sleep on the floor but the heat works and I'll make sure you get fed.  Those who have carpentry skills or just a bunch of energy or ideas for painting and other improvements are especially welcomed.      

So this is what it's like when it snows

When I got back to Vallecito last Monday night (Nov 9th), the cabin I'd been sleeping in was frigidly cold. The pilot light was out on the propane wall heater so I pulled the foam pad from the RV into the house and slept on it on the floor in the big carpet-less den. At least it was warm. The next morning I checked the propane tanks and the cabin's tank was empty. Even though the walls in cute little cabin #2 are insulated, the pipes are not so I decided to once again move the things that I had moved from the Navi into cabin #2 into the house. The good news, it's not a lot and now I'm not wandering from the cabin and the Navi and the house looking for things.

The big issues were to get cabin #2 winterized along with the Navi and to try to find a place to store the Navi down in town (Bayfield or Durango) before it gets snowed in. There is an RV park 20 min south in Bayfield that will let me park it there and when/if the weather is too nasty to drive up the mountain, I can stay there for the night and plug into electrical. It's not covered but the price is right at $50/month and the Navi gets to stay with other RVs so there will be someone looking out for her.

After pulling up the nasty shag carpet in the den of the house some time ago, I painted the floor yesterday while it snowed outside. I used muscles I forgot I had. To all my friends who pay for gym memberships, try manual labor—you get a workout and get to see that you've accomplished something. I'd say it's free but that's not exactly the case but at least it's cheaper doing the work myself and I have a feeling of accomplishment.

I know there were plenty of days at work where I would have liked to have finished something without all the drawn out meetings and decision makers who had to give their approval.

While it was a dreary snowy day yesterday, today the sun came out and because my internet was not working well, I decided to drive into town. While I was hopeful that my internet situation was improving by living in the house by using my ATandT hotspot on my iPhone, it's back to working about 25% of the time.

My brother Kent said it was difficult to understand the importance of the internet considering he works with his hands.  After thinking about it for a while, I decided that for him, it would be like not having electricity. He could still do his work (he owns a roofing business) but it would have to be done by hand.  For me, I can pick up the phone and call people or drive into town but sending a quick email is so much faster.

Things do take longer here. You call a plumber. He doesn't return your call. You call someone you heard was reliable to deliver firewood and are promised delivery on a certain date and it doesn't happen. I guess it's the price to pay for living in the boonies.

I joined the Vallecito Service League and met about 20 women at a luncheon last week. It was a mix of women young and old and big and small. Just about everyone I've met so far is very friendly.  What a rare treat to be able to have a long lunch in the middle day and not have to worry about getting back to the office.

The family who runs Pine River Lodge across the street are tutoring me when I drop by for visits. From what to do when deer jump out in front of me, to how to drive in the snow, how to shrink wrap your windows for insulation, how to respect propane, how to treat service folks so they'll treat you right, etc. 

After one of my visits, the previous owner (Mary Green) stopped by to meet me.  She was staying at the Lodge across the street.  She's full of good information and a real delight. I was wondering why so many people knew her and it turns out she's a business banker at Wells Fargo...plus she's lived in the area for 25 years and it's a fairly small community.

I was surprised when I drove into Durango to switch propane service into my name, the girl there knew the property and the situation with the cabins. I tell people that I bought the old “Durango Resort on Lake Vallecito” or some know it as Rainbow Lodge or as Lakehaven. Just by mentioning one of those names, most people know the property.

Unfortunately I didn't find a 4WD in Houston nor have I found one up here yet. So this morning I backed out of my covered parking space and promptly got stuck. While one of my neighbors plows the road in the subdivision leading up to the county road which is plowed daily for the school bus, the 10 feet from my carport to the subdivision road was not plowed. There was probably 6 inches of snow with some ice mixed in. I backed out with intention---of not getting stuck but it was not to be.

When I got out to size up the situation, I noticed that my right front tire was flat. I got my small air compressor out of the RV and aired up the tire and checked all the others too. I found some flat pieces of lumber and stuck them in front of the 4 tires and struggled some more. I decided to back up and try again and finally made it to the subdivision road where I could get some traction. I have to drive up a 12' section of gravel road to make it to the county road and then take a sharp left turn to get on the pavement. I got a running start and drove quickly (but not too quickly because I could slide off the top of the road when I got there) and damn it if a truck wasn't coming on the left so I had to stop and risk getting stuck again. Rather than making the hard turn to the left, I drove straight out in the opposite direction that I wanted to go and found a dry spot to turn around. I stopped a time or two to make sure the flat tire was still inflated for the 40 mile trip to Durango. I was either going to buy snow tires for my Jeep 2WD or an old 4WD Subaru whichever materialized first.  

I drove to Discount Tires and they installed the best winter tires they have called Bliz mates or some such things. After a late lunch in town, I picked up some snow cables at Auto Zone and got instruction on how to install them. Once again, I think I'll be using some muscles I didn't know I had and developing some skills that I didn't know I needed until now---in search of a simpler life.

Celebrating the double nickle

This is the second time that I've been back in my hometown of Houston after leaving on my RV adventure last May. I had nine days to spend with my favorite people and to celebrate my 55^th birthday. Reid and I found a four bedroom house to rent in Sugar Land on Airbnb so he could spend some time with his boys on the weekends. He was able to work from the house and I spent a good portion of the week in search of a used 4WD vehicle to take with me back to CO.

While I was in Houston, I heard that it had snowed a foot at the lake in Vallecito so I'm looking forward to getting back to see what that looks and feels like.

It was interesting being back in Houston. I've never thought of Houston as pretty but you get used to where you are living. Having been on the lake in the mountains surrounded by beautiful trees, I'm reminded why I was keen to leave.....not just to find a simpler life but also to find a more beautiful place to live it. Whether or not I'm tough enough for the cold weather and the snow or not is yet to be determined.

I had a great birthday. Reid took me to Hugo's on Westheimer for a romantic dinner—just the two of us. Also, I got to visit with my friends from Chevron over a long lunch at the Raven Grill near my old stomping grounds near the Museum District. Kent and I drove 90 miles NE from Houston to Livingston to have a home prepared lunch and birthday cake with my mom and her husband on a wet, rainy day.

Happy birthday to me!

I was sad to hear about all of my friends who have been affected by the reduction of what Chevron likes to call human energy. Many have selected to take a package or else they had to apply for and compete for fewer positions and/or risk losing their jobs altogether. I'm glad I wasn't there to experience it. I can't imagine going to work every day wondering whether or not you're going to have a job and/or for how long. My heart goes out to my friends and colleagues during these turbulent times.

Loving the beautiful fall colors

So I came up with a name for the property---Views of Vallecito.  It's descriptive but not too pretentious.....sort of rolls off the tongue.

I left Vallecito last Monday morning heading towards Angel Fire, NM for a two day visit with my friend Kimberlee Acker and her parents at their lovely home in the mountains.  As I left, it was rainy and cold.  Right before I got to Pagosa Springs, I saw an oncoming car swerving, a handful of deer scrambling on the highway and a pick up truck driver pulled over inspecting his bumper.  Thankfully I was able to slow down and avoid a collision with the ever present deer who seem to be popping out of no where on a regular basis.  It's for that reason, that I prefer not to drive at dusk or in the dark given the potential for a collision on the skinny, winding mountain roads leading up to the lake.

Speaking of wildlife, I saw a slew of wild turkey on Kimberlee's parent's deck and a herd of elk surrounding their property.   The lovely views, warm hospitality and a gorgeous home in the mountains was a nice diversion from perhaps a little too much solitude in Vallecito.....No actually I don't mind the solitude, if I could overcome the internet dilemma which makes it difficult for me to take care of lodge business.  

The pull off on Lake Vallecito where I stop to access internet

Anyway, following my short visit in AF, I drove to Taos to see a stylist who does a great job giving me that short, spiky haircut that I like so much.  With all my years in Houston, I was never able to find a stylist who mastered that cut.  Now, Amber is just 4.5 hours from Vallecito when I need a good cut.  We talked about how I could determine if there might be any stylists in Durango who could do the job next time.

Following the salon visit in Taos, I made my way back down Mora, NM (45 min south of Taos) to visit one of my favorite intentional communities--Hummingbird.  It had been 3 months since my last visit and it was good to get caught up with everyone.  I shared with them my adventures at the Tiny House Jamboree, my surprise at seeing the BIG prices that tiny home builders are charging in CO, my visit to see Holly's tiny house (built by the Hummingbird company in Canada) in Golden and my overnight stay at Wee Casas in Lyons where I got to experience one night accommodations in the tiny house built by Durango's, Rocky Mountain home builder.  And, of course, we talked about my recent purchase of the property in Vallecito.  I always feel so warm and welcome and I value the opportunity to visit them and learn more about how they make community not only work but thrive and grow.

I got a late start leaving Hummingbird because I hung around to participate in Ami's yoga class for the community.  By the time I got on the road, it was starting to get dark and it was raining.  I drove an hour and a half to a cozy little place I found (in the middle of nowhere) on Airbnb.  It's in Glorieta, NM on the way to Albuquerque where I'll fly home to Houston on Friday to meet up with Reid who is flying back into the US f
rom Sydney.

Oh what fun it is to get to experience the fall colors in the Rockies, to meet new friends and to catch up with others I've known for a while and to fly home to Houston to re-connect with Reid and my family and friends.    

 

Views of Vallecito in early Fall

I closed on the property that includes a 2200 sq ft, 2 story house with 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths and a huge basement along with 7 summer cabins on Lake Vallecito NE of Durango, Colorado on Friday, October 9^th. It's a beautiful spot and Kent and his daughter Sarah and Reid and my mom and stepfather all came up to see and experience it with me for a few days. The fall colors and lovely weather brought big smiles to all of our faces. We have lots of ideas about what we can do to improve the property for our own use and for potential rental income. However, I'm here by myself at the moment. Kent and his wife Lydia need to sell their house before they can move up from Houston and partner with me on the project. Reid has his job in the Silicon Valley and a pending custudy case which will hopefully be resolved by the end of this year so we're all in a holding pattern.

While I got a fair price with my cash offer on the property, I don't want to invest any more money into improvements until after Kent and Lydia can move up and help and until after the winter season passes to ensure my thin Texas blood is up for the challenge. I'm six months into my sabbatical and am excited to see how this new endeavor works out.

Six of the cabins are furnished with passable furnishings, dishes and appliances as long as renters are as mesmerized by the lake and mountain views and don't look too close. My mom said, "Trina they've been rented for the past 50 years in this condition, there will probably be people who'll be happy to rent them just the way they are."  I'm not so sure. I need to do a market analysis on Airbnb and/or VRBO in order to see what other cabins in the area look like and the rental prices. My understanding is that May-October is busiest with many businesses closing down in the fall and winter while some do a marginal business up to the first of the year then wait until the snow melts to get back into full swing again.

I've found that it's like stepping back in time here. I discovered that one of the cabins has a TV with a VHS player. There is no TV reception but I'm assuming the player works---I just didn't know VHS tapes were even still available.....but it appears they are in this part of the world anyway.

I met my neighbors across the street who run the Pine River Lodge. Others in the area call the women who run the property “the sisters” since it's a family run operation lead primarily by two sisters Donna and Debbie both in their sixties. Their family has been operating the lodge for at least 50 years so they have lots of stories to tell and they seem to be quite helpful about what works and what doesn't work. Right now, my life feels like an episode out of the old Green Acres sitcom or perhaps the sitcom that Bob Newhart starred in when he and his wife ran an old New England Inn and had frequent visits from brothers who were both named Darryl.

I asked Donna if anyone does yoga in the area and she said some women get together for Tai Chi once a week. She gave me the name of the woman to contact to learn more about it. I asked if I should “google” her phone number but Donna said no, I can find the number faster than that. She opened up a local phone book. I haven't seen anyone use one of those in years. She didn't find the number there so she called the local country market and asked the owner for the number. It turns out this was faster than I could have found the number on Google. That's because, I've discovered, that a fast internet connection will be out of the question in this area. Currently, I can't make or receive calls on my iPhone with my AT&T service. I've spent hours researching internet, phone, and TV options and hope that the Century Link land line, Verizon jet pack for internet and the DirecTV bundle will work. I didn't think I'd ever be buying a cordless phone again but it may be the only phone service I can get here.

People ask me if I plan to live here full time. I'm honestly not sure if I will make this my home or if it will become investment property where I visit on a regular basis while I give the Silicon Valley a try with Reid.

I'm happy to have such a lovely place to call home right now as I winterize the Navi for safe keeping and try to decide what to do with myself and the property in preparation for the first snowfall. Kent brought my Jeep up from Houston but I'm told I'll need a four wheel drive for the 7700 foot elevation in this part of Colorado. So, I'm thinking about trading it in for another used vehicle with the proper equipment for this area.

After 3 days of chasing my tail with internet and cell phone issues and the 20 mile (30 min) drives into Durango to take care of business that I'm so used to handling on the Internet, I got home tonight before dark and decided to tackle pulling up the 18 year old stinky, shag carpet in the den of the house. If I'm going to have my furniture shipped up here or if I find furnishings nearby, I'm going to have to replace that before it will feel inhabitable to me. Right now, I'm living in one of the cozy,one room cabins near the house with my Navi sitting nearby. The belongings that came with me on this trip are now divided between the Navi, the house, and the cabin. My goal this week will be to get what I need out of the Navi so that I can winterize it and put it under cover somewhere close before it starts to snow. I have a neighbor who has a large covered area that I'm hoping I can use (I'm waiting to hear back on my request). I'm told that if it works out, the Navi will be snowed in for the winter so there will be no escaping in it until the spring.

So many decisions to make but what a beautiful part of the world to do it in.

Still in California

While I was supposed to stay a week with Reid here in California, it turned out to be two.  I was supposed to fly to St. Louis to help Zeona furnish a small home she just purchased for an Airbnb rental.  That real estate transaction fell through so I decided to stay with Reid in California since my own real estate transaction won't close until Oct 13th in Durango, CO.

I finally got over my fear of driving his expensive sports car after I paid $100 one day for a rented car through Enterprise.  His car is so low to the ground after my experience driving my RV or even my Jeep Liberty before that.  It feels so vulnerable having so many vehicles hovering over me.  However, once I got behind the wheel and experienced the power and the maneuverability, it might make it difficult to get behind the wheel of the RV again.

Anyway, I drive him to work everyday and then I explore.  The original intent was to help him find a home here to buy but he's in a holding pattern until the end of the year so he might have to continue his nomad existence for another few months traveling back and forth between CA and TX.

We have found several lovely places, but it's hard to get over the sticker shock of the prices here compared to Houston.  Now I know what my friends from Chevron in San Ramon were talking about when they moved to Houston.  First of all, you make more money just because you don't get so much taken out of your check in TX.  Secondly the cost of living especially when it comes to buying a home is so much more affordable in TX.  However, this weather is hard to beat and there are some incredible views that are hard to find in TX.

He's flying to Houston and I'm flying back to Denver on Wednesday.  He'll be visiting his boys and I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing yet.  My flight arrives at 11pm so I may just boon dock in the Navi at the airport when I get back and decide the next morning which way to go.

 

Since last I wrote

After Golden, I had the chance to catch up with Zeona, a lovely young woman I met while visiting the Boulder Creek Co Housing Community.  She's very entrepreneurial and I admire that about her.  She does a variety of things to earn income including massage therapy and buying real estate and renting properties on Airbnb.  I caught up with her over lunch in Boulder.  She's buying her second small home in St. Louis and plans to fly there next week to furnish it after closing.  I told her I'd like to go with her to help and maybe learn a thing or two.

I wasn't sure where I was going to stay after our visit and thankfully she mentioned Shoshoni which is a yoga retreat up in the mountains west of Boulder about 45 minutes.  They allowed me to stay in my RV and pay their "camping" price of $70/night though it's clear they're not used to RV visitors.  For the price, I got a 20 amp electrical hookup, 3 meals, 2 challenging and 1 restorative yoga workout, 2 opportunities for meditation and chanting, and access to several hiking trails on their lovely property.  

While I was simply interested in finding a nice place to stay in my RV (which is hard to do since there is no camping at all in Boulder to discourage the riff-raff), this turned out to be my 11th  intentional community to visit as well.  There are about 15 people who live here full time--all appear to be in their 20's and 30's.  Everyone I met was quite friendly, attentive to guests and open to sharing their way of life.  The property was very well taken care of...it was clean, simple, and understated.  

The yoga was needed.  The chanting was interesting to witness but not my thing.  The meals and trails were absolutely delicious and rejuvenating.

After my one night at Shoshoni, I drove NE through the mountain to Lyons CO for another visit to the Wee Casa, tiny house hotel.  Reid and the boys and Kent and I toured them in July.  Their rates are $169/night to experience what it's like to live in a tiny house.  Even with my curiosity, that sounded a bit steep to me so I instead stayed at a city run, RV park Sat night.  The park host was an old curmudgeon but the price was right at $30/night for full hookups.  I took my bike for a spin around town and had breakfast at a local hangout.  In doing further investigation of the Wee Casas, I found they offer $20/night off when booking online.  That small savings was enough to convince me to try it out.  

There was one unit in particular that I wanted to stay in with aluminum siding that was built by a Durango, tiny home builder (Rocky Mountain Tiny Homes)  so I reserved that one.  While I was on the property, I talked to Blake and Sky who are 2 of the 3 partners who own Wee Casa about their business model.  They take tiny homes on consignment and rent them out and split the profits with the home owner.  At the end of the summer season, they try to help the home owner to sell the tiny home.  It seems to benefit everyone including the Wee Casa partners, the tiny home builders, and people like me who are considering buying a tiny house or two.

I'm so glad I stayed because it did give me a feel for the space.  I found the unit in which I stayed had nice high ceilings which made it feel bigger.  It had a bed in the loft with alternating steps that allowed for storage which were a bit funky.  The bathroom had a toilet and a full shower but the door separating the bathroom from the rest of the living area once closed made it quite difficult to dress.  That should be moved out a bit.  One nice touch was a rope swing couch/bed downstairs in the living area.  Of course I liked all the big windows but felt a bit exposed tripping down the steps in the morning for coffee.  Overall, I liked the unit but would make some changes if I were to buy it.
  

My new found friend--Holly Bidle in Golden who bought the Hummingbird Micro Home for just over $30K told me of a guy in Denver who was selling a tiny home on Craigslist.  He was asking $29K but seems motivated so may take less.  The only problem, the house is in Lubbock and the only way I can see it is to drive to Lubbock.  I'm not sure I'm that interested.  Would you drive to Lubbock to check it out?

While I was at Wee Casa, I saw some sort of woman's cycling event going on.  Two women dressed up in cycling gear and two other women dressed up in catering gear were outside investigating the tiny house that I was staying in so I asked them if they wanted to see inside and of course, they did.  I asked them what was going on and they explained that the event was a bike ride, or yoga class followed by a gourmet meal outside along the river facing the mountain just next to Wee Casa.  

I asked them if I could "play" too and it turns out, it wasn't too late to join them....except for the bike ride....so I chose yoga.  The event was called Tour la fete.  The hour long yoga session under the trees in the cool evening air was one of the best I've done.  The meal required a dress (which was fun for a change) so I put on my dress after doing some more tiny house investigation around Wee Casa and headed over to the river for dinner.  I missed the music and hors d'oeuvres but the rest of the meal was a delight.  New Belgium ale was one of the sponsors so they supplied the beer and explained the pairings with the meal.  Who knew you could pair beer with a gourmet meal.  After dinner, we were treated to some delicious gourmet cupcakes with a dessert beer???? and a film about volunteers (armed with shovels and buckets...calling themselves "mudslingers") who through social media, amassed forces to help with the big flood that occurred 2 years ago in the area. We sat outside in the cool mountain air under the stars watching the film on one of those huge inflatable screens and were inspired by their altruism.

While I treated myself to the unique stay in one of the tiny homes that makes up the Wee Casa hotel and the Women's Tour la fete event in Lyons on Sun night, I was back at the county park on Monday night near Westminster CO.  I needed to do laundry, so after claiming a campsite, I drove into the "burbs" to find a coin operated laundry since the county park had no amenities.  

I had to chuckle at the fact that I treated myself to a $100 meal the night before and an upscale accommodation (relatively speaking) and the very next night, I'm washing my clothes with the masses next door to the Dollar store.  The juxtaposition definitely makes me appreciate both ends of the spectrum.  I appreciate the fact that I can afford to treat myself to a sabbatical, to the occasional splurges on nice accommodations and gourmet meals....that I have a customized, cozy, tiny home on wheels (customized for me...for now) and get to take this adventure while some are constrained to washing their clothes in a communal, somewhat depressing, coin-operated laundry facility--next to the Dollar Store.

After that, I decided to take a last minute flight to San Jose to help Reid with his continued home search.  It turns out that the last minute approach was quite reasonable.  While I'm in the land near Google, I thoroughly appreciate the comfortable surroundings in Reid's temporary, G suite apartment and enjoy looking with him for the perfect house.  This was his weekend to be with his boys, so he flew out yesterday morning for the weekend in Houston while I stay on and continue to search.  

I'm staying at an Airbnb accommodation in Woodside CA and will be heading out soon to explore the open houses in the area this weekend.

Hanging out in lovely Golden, CO

I'm hanging out an an outdoor cafe near downtown Golden today following a 2 night stay at one of my favorite RV parks on Clear Creek.  It's a breezy, sunny 72 degrees.  Sometimes it feels funny because I'm not really on vacation as many others that I see around me are.  This is my life.  However, I'm not, not on vacation either.

There are many benefits having my home and my few possessions with me where ever I go.  Everything is within a few steps from reach.  And, I'm fairly organized so most things I need I am able to find quickly.  I don't like to have a bunch of stuff around me that visually screams too much, too much.

I'm surprised how important my surroundings are to me.  My boyfriend Reid will attest to the fact that whenever we're in a hotel together, one of the first things I do is to put away all marketing material and helpful job aids.  I've been known to move furniture around if it messes up my feng shui.

One issue I'm experiencing now is the issue of moving every day or every other day.  Though I'm an Amazon Prime subscriber, I can rarely purchase anything online because I'm not in one location long enough for the 2 day free delivery.  While this saves me money and space in my small home, it's more moving around than I'd like.

Trying to find a place that has the combination of something aesthetically pleasing to look at with decent phone service has been next to impossible.  Since I like checking in with Reid each day, the phone service is important to me.  So, I move.

Speaking of Reid, when I was in Sunnyvale recently, we caught an episode of the old TV drama--the Fugitive.  I can relate to Dr. Richard Kimble.  

While it's great to have my home with me, it can be a challenge parking it for a quick trip to the grocery store.  My preference would be to leave my home at home and drive to the grocery store.  The one time I rented a car when Barbara visited felt nice to have the zipiness and flexibility to go anywhere.  The world at large (at least here in the SW U.S. is not made for 24' vehicles generally speaking.

Of the 5 airports I've visited while I've been on this trip--a few times to pick up or drop off friends who have traveled with me and a few flights I've taken myself, all of them have presented unique challenges for the Navi---either parking spaces that are too compact, too expensive or low clearance issues.

So those are some issues I've discovered with this nomadic lifestyle.

I think I've mentioned previously that I've exchanged my seat in front of my computer for a seat in front of a steering wheel.  So, I've begun to challenge myself to go for a walk as soon as I wake each morning before coffee or checking my email.  I get the exercise I need and spend less time in front of the computer too.

Examples of Hummingbird Micro Homes

I had a chance to see a Hummingbird Micro Home (built in British Columbia and transported to Golden) earlier in the week.  The new tiny house owner, Holly Bidle did her research and like me attended the Tiny House Jamboree.  Even with the transportation costs, it was cheaper to buy this tiny house rather than any of those already here in Colorado.

A little kitchen in a tiny house

We've got a contract

After nine days of negotiating, the sellers of the property on Lake Vallecito and I have finally reached an agreement on price and terms.  It's a little more than I wanted to pay but they did come off their asking price considerably.  I've decided against an appraisal and an overall inspection and closing is set for October 13th.  I've done a lot of research on the property and am waiting to hear back from the Planning department in Durango as to whether or not I can demolish some of the cabins and replace them with tiny houses the same size or smaller.  I've talked to a septic engineer who educated me on what it will take to upgrade the old system should we choose to make improvements to any of the cabins.  Only the house and one of the cabins are suitable for winter living and both are occupied by tenants.  I've asked the seller to give them 30 days notice so they'll be out before closing.  We'd like to get in there before the weather gets cold to clean and to see what we've got to work with.   Both of them were loaded with junk and/or were dirty when we viewed them.   The other summer cabins in varying degrees of condition will need to be winterized.

So, that's exciting news but I'm going to hold off on too much enthusiasm until closing.  And, while I'd like to replace some of the cabins with tiny houses sooner rather than later, I think it would be best to experience the winters there before making any costly changes.

I've been visiting Reid in California since last Thursday.  He's in a holding pattern trying to find a house in California (without much luck).  My goal was to help him find a house but there just isn't anything new on the market for him to look at.  We did see a great place way up a narrow, windy road near Woodside CA but the drive in and out is so treacherous that he decided against it.  The home sits on lovely property that reminds me of a national park.  However, that same windy road is a draw to motorcyclists and cyclists who love to traverse it evenings and weekends.  Turns out, it's not that peaceful listening to the roar of motorcycles going by no matter how lovely the view.  His realtor says she expects new listings to come on the market after Labor Day.

I'm flying back to Salt Lake City on Friday morning and Reid is flying to Houston to spend the long weekend with his boys.  I've got a friend joining me in the Navi for the long weekend.  She'll fly from Colorado Springs into SLC and we'll spend 3 days on the road together hitting some cool spots in Colorado on the way back to her place.  Then, I plan to see some tiny houses in Colorado Springs and Denver before heading once again to Boulder for a visit there.  

To be or not to be

I made an offer on the house and 7 cabins on Lake Vallecito near Durango.  We're still in negotiation.   I've been investigating tiny houses further and am realizing that getting one for under $60K may be a challenge.  I did find a builder called Hummingbird in British Columbia who designs and builds unique "micro" homes for just under $30K US but I'd have to transport it over the border from Canada.  What do you think of their Cowboy model?  Pretty funky huh?  I'm trying to find out why they are half the cost of the two builders in Colorado who I've been investigating---Rocky Mountain Tiny Homes and Sprout Tiny Homes.  But first, I have to wait to see if I have any property to put it on.

I've been on this adventure in my 24' motorhome for 4 months now and have enjoyed it immensely. However, I'd have to say that for the first time, last weekend, I did feel a little down.

After dropping Lydia off at the Durango airport Sunday morning, I met with Mitch the realtor at Keller Williams to go over the offer he wrote up for me.  Then, I bee-bopped around Durango like a tourist.  I found a cool old movie house so I went to see Meryl Streep's new movie (don't recommend it) and while I was there, it occurred to me that when I leave, I don't know where I'm going to stay for the night.  Moving almost daily from campground to campground trying to find one at a decent price, with a nice view of something other than other RVs with phone and internet access has proven to be quite challenging.  Saturday night, Lydia and I pulled into a park that claimed to be on the river.  I asked for a river front site with trees and was assured they had one for me.  The site had what looked like a man made stream and while it did have a tree--it didn't provide any shade.  As we backed the Navi in, one of our neighbors was sitting outside his RV smoking and while he was just trying to be friendly---started providing me with verbal guidance on how I should hook up my utilities.  Basically, this park was a big gravel parking lot with a bunch of RV's stuffed together.  We were disappointed but since we had already paid, we distracted ourselves with a soak at Trimble Hot Springs north of Durango.  By the time we got back, it was dark and we were lulled to sleep by the little trickling sound from the stream.

While I feel very much at home in my tiny house on wheels and it is retrofitted to meet my specific needs, I find that staying in one of those parks and paying the price ($35-$46/night in and around Durango) makes me really appreciate the good camp sights when I find them.  The next night I stayed in a National Park on Lake Vallecito with no hookups for $22/night.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the campground closer to town to show a comparison but here's what it was like on the lake....much more of what I had in mind when I started this trip.  The Navi and I are quite comfortable with the onboard systems so living off the grid is quite doable.

As I'm writing this post, I'm sitting in the Navi while my clothes are washing/drying at the coin laundry near downtown Salt Lake City--a task I've learned to grin and bear.  At least I get to wait in my home while I wait.  I took the picture with my new remote shutter gadget and a Gumby like tripod and my iPhone.  I plan to shoot my own "how to" videos showing lessons learned about the RV lifestyle and post to YouTube.  Maybe it'll help others as I was helped with similar videos before I embarked on my own adventure. 

They joys of the gypsy experience

  

I'm staying at a KOA near the SLC airport and am flying out to see Reid in Google land for a week.  While the KOA is nothing exciting, they will allow me to store my RV for $20/night and there's a rail line in front of the KOA that will take me to the airport a few miles away.  I'm looking forward to seeing Reid and helping him in his quest to find a home near his work.  He's found some lovely places but none fit exactly.  For the price he's going to have to pay for a home near Google, he deserves one that he can get excited about.  

Reid has been working at Google since October and has been living out of a suitcase most of that time.  He had his car shipped to CA and he's got his SUV at the Houston airport for his trips home to see his boys.  Like me, he's found the nomadic existence can be challenging.  

Before I left, I was concerned that I might feel "untethered" and wasn't sure how I'd handle that.  That can be a plus or negative depending on how you look at it.  For the most part, it's been ok because the excitement of getting to do this has outweighed the negatives.  But I am a little tired of not knowing where I'm going to be from night to night and not always liking the choices available to me.  

For this reason, I'm hoping the real estate transaction works out so my family and I can begin to try out our own little community in Colorado before the first snow. 

Hanging out in Durango.....or thereabouts

I met up with Kent and Hannah last Wed at the property we're thinking about buying near Durango, CO.  They were renting out one of the little cabins overlooking Lake Vallecito.  I stayed in my RV at a nearby campground.  Here's a shot of the lake with the mountains in the background.

Lake Vallecito in the Summer

This part of the country is simply beautiful with lovely weather to go with it compared to what we're used to in Houston this time of year.

Reid flew into Durango from Googleland on Friday and we all explored the property and strategized the fun things we could do with it.  We thought about opening a coffee house with WIFI in the house/store up front to hang Mom, Kent and Hannah's artwork for tourists and the locals.  I'm dreaming about demolishing a few cabins and replacing them with tiny houses.  Kent's dreaming about refurbishing some of the cabins to make them winter-able.  There's the house/store and seven cabins so we can each fulfill our dreams as long as the money holds out or the winters don't scare us away.

Kent's rendering of our own intentional community

Besides all the dreaming, we've also visited with the folks in Planning, Building Codes, San Juan Basin Health Department (busy with the Animas River debacle), Community Development, etc.  This particular area around the lake (a man made reservoir created in the 40's) has been there the longest and has hodge podge cabins all along the lake before stricter codes were developed in the 70's to regulate density and setbacks.  We don't care because we like the laid back, lake front, seasonal village atmosphere as long as we can make the improvements we want to make.

In addition to living there, we would like to rent out cabins as a business for potential income and tax advantages.

So, since May 4th, I've visited about 10 intentional communities--a couple of them twice.  I've enjoyed traveling around in my tiny home--the Navion.  With the emergence of this property, I'm gravitating towards starting my own community with my family and continuing the simpler, down-sized lifestyle in a part of the country that has four seasons.  We've even got my Mom considering a move from where she lives NW of Houston.  I've found that RV's are great but I'd like to put down roots.  While I could continue to explore other parts of the US, I can't imagine any other place as affordable and beautiful with people I already know and love.  

Kent's wife Lydia is coming for a look this weekend.  I've done about as much research as I can think to do.  We should be in a position to make an offer soon.  Time will tell if this one is meant to be or not to be as I continue my search for a simpler life.  

Prologue:  I had to include a funny piece of video I captured of my niece Hannah who helped me come up with a creative option for a new gadget.  Have a look here:

  

  

I'm in love with tiny houses!

Lots has happened since my last post.  Kent and I found a lake front property near Durango, Colorado that we're very interested in potentially purchasing.  I toured the property with the selling and buying agents 2 weeks ago.  Now, Kent and his daughter Hannah drove back there from Houston to check it out further.  We could start our own tiny house, intentional community in a beautiful part of the world with an incredible lake view.   There's work to be done and we're not sure about the winters there.  It'd certainly be no fun if they turn out to be just as brutal as the summers in Houston.  There is lots to consider so we'll see how it all turns out.

Meanwhile, I made another visit to the Hummingbird intentional community between Santa Fe and Taos New Mexico for a long weekend visit.  I had an opportunity to spend more time visiting with several of the community members for a deeper dive into what they're all about.  I enjoyed the volunteer work weekend I participated in back in May.  I really like the community members I've met and love the 500 acres they live on though it is quite remote--about 45 miles from Taos.

When I left Hummingbird, I headed north again towards Colorado Springs for the Tiny House Jamboree.  On the way, I visited the Sprout Tiny House manufacturer to see how their houses are constructed.  It was interesting to see how their manufacturing process compares to Winnebago.  Sprout can build in a home in about 3 weeks while Winnebago builds about 40 units a day.  Obviously Winnebago is a much, much larger outfit.  Check out the Sprout website to see what they do.

Last weekend, my good friend Barbara joined me in my travels. We had fun filled weekend together at the Tiny House Jamboree in Colorado Springs.  She flew up from Houston last Thursday night and we stayed in my RV at one of my favorite places--the Pike's Peak RV park in Manitou Springs.  We rented a car and drove up to the Jamboree Friday, Sat, and Sun.  We had an absolute blast.  The weather was gorgeous, the people low key and friendly and the idea of living in a beautiful tiny home in a beautiful part of the country has got me excited.

Barbara and I at the Tiny House Jamboree

Granted I've been living in a tiny home and traveling around the country visiting beautiful places and people.  I love the coziness of my home on the inside but the outside leaves a lot to be desired.   The tiny homes we saw were so interesting looking inside and out---so much more charm than any RV I've seen.

So, my mind is awash with tiny house ideas.  Will I continue my tiny house adventure in my RV and/or buy some property near Durango, CO with tiny cabins already there...or, do something else entirely?  One idea was to buy a tiny house and put it on land next to the Hummingbird community to further explore a relationship with that group of warm and interesting creatives.  Another is to buy two, live in one and rent out the other for income.  Time will tell how it'll all play out.

As I'm writing this, I'm sitting in my RV listening to it rain outside.  I had a long drive from NW Denver where I had some preventative maintenance done on the Navi at the Mercedes dealership to a quaint RV park near Wolf Creek Pass.  I plan to get up early and drive to Lake Vallecito to meet up with Kent and Hannah to discuss the cabins now that they've had a chance to see them.  These are exciting times to be in search of a simpler life.

Since last I wrote

Reid and 3 of his boys came to see me in Manitou Springs for a couple of days (Sun-Tues).  We stayed in a quaint cottage, hiked the Garden of the gods, ate fudge, walked around town, drove up to Pike's Peak where we froze our tushes off and then picked up my younger brother Kent at the airport in Denver on Tuesday at noon. Kent wanted to look at property near Durango and Silverton CO so that's what we did as Reid took his boys on to Bryce Canyon and Disneyland and Google-land before taking them back to Houston.

We all had a late breakfast together in Golden CO and then parted ways.  Kent and I made it to Pagosa Springs the first night and stayed at a decent RV park there.  The next day, Kent and I met up with a realtor (Mitch) who showed us some property near the Purgatory ski resort.   Mitch recommended some National Park land that Kent and I could stay on for free--a place where Mitch actually got married.  It was a beautiful spot.  Mitch told us some stories about his encounters with a bear who came into his house and a mountain lion he met in his driveway so wild life was front of mind during our night of "roughing it".  

Dunno if it's fortunate or unfortunate, but we didn't run into any wild creatures other than a few field mice (luckily, they stayed in the field) and a bunny and some birds.  The stars were incredible.  There were no signs of civilization anywhere.  What a rare treat.  

We saw some more property on Friday and then headed eastwardly for a campground on lovely Lake Vallecito about 30 miles from Durango.  From there, we planned to drive south with the intention of camping at Ojo Caliente for the evening so I could get Kent to the Albequerque airport on Sunday at noon.  

On the way to NM, we stopped at a property for sale on the lake that included a house and 7 cabins.  We loved the view but thought the property would be way too expensive.  Turns out it's fairly affordable.  So, I drove back to Durango today so that I can meet up with the realtor tomorrow to see the property.  Kent and are are excited about the possibility of starting our own intentional community in cooler Colorado.  We'll see how that turns out.

It was great having Kent join me for a few days on my adventure.  I think he needs to get out of Houston more than I did.  He owns his own roofing company and summers are brutal.  While I consider him my sweet, little brother, he's getting too old for that kind of work in the hot, humid Houston summers. 

While I've loved having company on my journey, the Navi is rather small for more than one person--a good thing to know as I ponder how big of a place I need to live comfortably.  

One thing I forgot was that Reid and his boys and Kent and I drove up to Lyons CO to check out the WeeCasa hotel.  The wee houses were lovely on the inside---very well thought out and quite affordable but we all decided they were too small.  Good to know as I continue my search for a simpler life.

Back in cooler Colorado

While I enjoyed my journey across the middle eastern and western US, I'm glad to be back in Colorado because most everywhere else I've been since leaving here in late May has been too hot for my liking. I enjoyed the trip to Durham with Greg and Chris and I enjoyed seeing my good friends in NC and TN. I thoroughly enjoyed the week in IL while I was taking the RV maintenance training and seeing the Winnebago factory. The homes in the Abundance Ecovillage in Fairfield IA were lovely but I don't want to live in the middle of corn fields AND hot summers. So, I made my way back to CO as quickly as possible and plan to hang out here or westwardly at least until the fall.

Abundance Ecovillage - Fairfield Iowa

I had a bit of engine trouble with the Navi crossing Kansas. Acceleration was a problem again similar to the experience going up to Pike's Peak however, I wasn't climbing a steep grade. I limped in to a gas station/truck stop in WaKeeny KS and asked if there was a mechanic who worked on diesels. I was directed to a small auto shop off the interstate. They guessed that it might be the fuel filter even though they had no computer system to run diagnostics on the Mercedes engine. It was a relatively inexpensive fix and luckily, it worked.

The next day, still in KS, it happened again. While I was at the mechanic the previous day, I Googled the problem and read about a product that helps to clean out fuel injectors in diesel engines.  So, I went in search of an auto parts store (turns out most small towns have them) for the product to give it a try.  Otherwise I'd be driving 40 mph max towards Denver.

I found it, poured it in the fuel tank and thankfully it worked too. Auto parts man said it may have been bad diesel. Since I'm close to one of the few Mercedes dealerships who service Sprinter RV's with Mercedes engines, I've scheduled time for them to take a look at the Navi's engine on Tuesday.  Me and the service writer are on a first name basis and I have him in my contacts.

Sometimes I question my choice to buy a used RV (especially when I was stalled out in WaKeeny KS) and one with a Mercedes engine. Honestly, I don't think RV's are attractive inside or out. I knew I would want to refurbish one the way I wanted it and wouldn't paint the walls for instance if I had bought a new one.  I wouldn't have bought one new. They're way too expensive and a depreciating asset.

When I saw them being built at the Winnebago factory and walked through some new ones, it didn't make me want a new one. I don't like the decals, the shape, the color choices nor the layout in most of them but knew that an RV would be a mechanism to get me from point A to B and that I have been able to do.

Pikes Peak RV Park - Manitou Springs CO

Now that I've been exploring Tiny Houses again and see how much they cost compared to RV's and realize they are transportable, I wish I would have considered one of them rather than the Winnebago. They've got personality, warmth and charm.

Check out this video of a young couple who traveled the US in a tiny home they built themselves.

Tiny House, Giant Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1oqcA4DFKw

There is a Tiny House manufacturer in Colorado City and I hope to tour their facility this weekend.

Tiny House Showroom in Colorado City CO

I also found a Tiny House hotel called WeeCasa north of Boulder in Lyons that I plan to visit.

Check it out at

WeeCasa

http://weecasa.com/

I like the trend towards smaller homes and would love to find a Tiny House intentional community in a beautiful setting. Thus allowing me to refine my quest for a simpler life.  

Visiting the Mother Ship

So I'm in Forest City, Iowa—home of the Winnebago factory. I drove up from St Louis after a week in California helping Reid search for a house near his job at Google. He was staying in a Google suite 4 blocks from the restaurant/shopping district in Mountain View so we explored that area on foot when we weren't out with the Realtor.  He found a home he liked but it turned out there was a contingency offer in front of him so he'll wait to see what comes of that.

Visit to Mountain View

After a week in CA, we flew to Houston for a quick weekend trip for the fourth. He got to spend time with his boys and I got to spend time with my Mom and Kent and Lydia.

Quick visit with Mom in Houston

I parked the Navi at the St. Louis airport while I was away. While I appreciate the fact that they have designated parking for RV's, I didn't like the fact that I got charged $20/day while everyone else in the lot was charged $9/day. I tried to explain to the cashier who took my $195 for parking that the Navi only took up one parking space with the nose sticking out without preventing anyone from getting by. She just smiled as she gave me my receipt.

Remote parking at St. Louis Int'l Airport

This is my 3^rd airport experience since traveling in the RV. Once was to drop off Reid at the Denver airport. Another was to drop off Greg and Christine at the Raleigh/Durham airport after our trip together to the Co-Housing Conference in Durham, NC. Then, this time to drop off the Navi at the St. Louis international airport. I worry about getting myself into a situation that I can't get out of like the experience dropping Greg and Chris off when I almost smacked the roof with the low clearance sign and then had to back up and move over 3 lanes to the exit as cars were coming around a blind curve in our direction.

Anyway, this airport experience was just expensive. No close calls with low hanging signs. Since I flew in early evening, I decided to stay at an RV campground within 6 miles of the airport. A note of interest, Ferguson is about 6 miles away as well but in the other direction. I thought I'd save that destination for another time given all the unrest there recently.

Following the no frills (by that I mean a concrete parking lot with a clear view of all the other RV's) stay near the airport, I drove up to Fairfield, Iowa the next day and took a quick drive through town as I'd heard it was an interesting site to see Iowans and Transcendental Meditation enthusiasts co-existing in one small midwest town. Just north of Fairfield is the Maharishi University of Management so I was curious. Maybe it was because I was tired, I don't know, but the downtown square looked pretty much like any other small town so I went in search of a campsite. Interesting side note: Check out Jim Carrey's 2014 Commencement address at the Marharishi University.

I stayed at a City park nearby for the low rate of $15/night for electricity and enjoyed cooler weather than I've not experienced since I've been in the midwest. I stayed at Clear Lake State Park in Iowa for one night at the same rate with the same cool temps. Tonight, I'm at Crystal Lake State Park right on the lake and still enjoying the affordable electrical connection and the cool weather.

I took the 2 hour Winnebago factory tour this afternoon. I saw where they prepare, cut and sew the fabric for the various pieces of furniture. I asked the tour guide who picked out the fabric and he assured me it was mostly women designers. I guess he's heard complaints by others like me who don't like the color, decals, fabric and flooring choices in most RV's. I would have bought a newer coach to reduce maintenance issues but I knew I'd be making significant aesthetic modificantions to whatever unit I purchased. It's one thing to use the RV to camp out every once in a while and quite another to travel and live in one full time.

Here's a sample of the couch fabric before and a picture of the couch (and interior repainted walls) after. You can't even say the original shows dirt better—because it doesn't.

Original fabric sofa cushion

Recovered sofa and painted walls

Anyway, the tour was interesting. The factory produces 50 complete units each day. The units range from the big class A's to the smaller class B vans. My RV is a class C by the way. I wondered what it would be like to work in that assembly line day in and day out. My only experience with that was when Reid and I volunteered with the ChevronBoomer's network a few years ago to make peanut butter. Of course that was a much simpler production process but a tough gig none the less. I remember the noise was deafening and 4 hours of screwing on lids made me appreciate the fact that I didn't have to do that everyday. Parents should send their kids to volunteer for one day there and I imagine the kids would reconsider the value of a college education.

I asked the tour guide if he used to work at Winnebago (since he looked retired and could have been a workamper). He said he worked there 30 years. He said he had 4 different jobs in 30 years. I asked him which one he liked the best and he said the vacation part. Seems sad to me to spend 30 years in a job and the most memorable parts were the vacations.

I'm thankful that I have a job that allows me to take this extended time off and the means to do it without pay or benefits. Oh, I got my first COBRA bill recently. Again thankful to have those good benefits the past 8 years.

I see others around me in parks and campgrounds and remember the short weekend trips I used to take. The opportunity to get away for more than a week at a time is marvelous. It's a different experience when you've got bills to pay and emails to send, calls to make, as well as laundry and maintenance issues to manage. I just get to do those things while I'm exploring the US and I smile everyday as a result.

The Navi feels like home though I do get stir crazy when it's hot out and I'm stuck inside such a small space. I wasn't sure how I would feel after the fun week with Reid in the Silicon Valley looking at real estate or the weekend in Houston. I enjoyed both tremendously but am also enjoying this adventure. I wasn't sure how coming back to Navi would feel. It felt just fine.

I'm toying with the idea of starting a small business interacting with women like myself who are interested in solo RV exploration. I'd certainly point them towards the RV training I just completed and recommend they hire a certified RV inspector from the RV Inspection Connection to inspect their unit. In so doing, I could earn a small stipend. The main appeal is potentially writing off some of my RV travel expenses (that I'm incurring anyway) and educating others interested in exploring this lifestyle.

So, I've visited 8 intentional communities* now and have found something I like about each one but none seem just the right fit for me. I remembered that I did quite a bit of research a number of years ago around the Tiny House movement and even read the Big Tiny a book a woman wrote about building her own tiny house.

What I know about myself is that I like creature comforts like a/c, heat, electricity and running water. I also like the idea of finding a home to live in that's not too small (100 square feet in my Navi is too small to live in beyond this trip), not too big, but just right. So I did some research again last night and found that there is a Tiny House Jamboree in Colorado City, CO next month so I'm looking forward to checking it out to further refine my quest for for a simpler life.

*The communities I've visited to date include:

1. Boulder Creek Co-housing Community in Colorado
2. Hummingbird Intentional Community in Mora, New Mexico
3. Sunrise Ranch Intentional Community near Estes Park, Colorado
4. Durham Co-housing Condo in North Carolina
5. Twin Oaks Intentional Community in Louisa, Virginia
6. Earthaven EcoVillage near Black Mountain, North Carolina
7. Heartwood Community in Blue Ridge, Georgia
8. The Farm Intentional Community in Summertown, Tennessee

I'm sitting at the airport in Las Vegas waiting for my connection to San Jose with Tchaikovsky playing in my earbuds to try to drown out the noise here. This is one of my least favorite airports, but it's been almost a month since I've seen Reid so I dropped the Navi off at the St. Louis airport this morning and I'm headed to Mountain View this evening.

I spent the past week at an RV maintenance class in Whittington, IL. $1640 seemed like a lot for the 5 day class so I wasn't sure if I'd feel that I got my money's worth.  I'm so glad I decided to participate. It was a small class with me and 3 other guys. I've seen a lot of training in my day and this was one of the best.

It could be that I was motivated given the fact that I've already had a number of maintenance issues on the Navi even though I've only been on my journey for 2 months. But mostly it was the instructor—Terry Cooper or Coop (the Texas RV professor) who made what could have been a very boring and complex topic interesting and understandable. I actually got excited about reading my RV user's guide.  I don't know if I'll be able to maintain or repair everything that comes my way but at least I have the confidence to give it a try and the knowledge to explain what's going on. Terry Cooper and Steve Anderson started an RV Inspector program and I wish I would have known about the program before I bought my RV. I got lucky and it seems to the Navi is fairly solid for her age but she could have turned out to be a lemon.  What they're offering is similar to the home inspection business only for RV (or potential RV owners).

While I could go on for more training and potentially become an inspector to help others enjoy the RV living/lifestyle and make a little money, I think I'd rather help them market their quality program.

Steve runs the Workamper program which matches RVr's with employers (usually campgrounds) and work opportunities. Combining Terry's 40 years of RV maintenance and teaching experience with the Workamper program seems an excellent match. I found them both to be energetic, professional, highly competent and exceptionally caring. One of the guys in the program was 79 years old and his AC did not work in his Roadtrek.  Even though the training was over for the day, Terry spent extra time with Ralph to see if he could help him resolve his issue.  It turned out to be an easy fix and I was impressed with his thoughtfulness.  We all had some little issue and in addition to covering the prescribed material and hands on practice, Terry helped us either fix or troubleshoot each of our issues.  I really like these guys and will do what I can to help them promote the RV inspection business.  And, I'd say I got more than my money's worth with the increased confidence in handling and maintaining my own RV.

So, I'm off to California for a week to help Reid find a house there. We plan to make a quick trip to Houston over the 4^th and then I fly back to St. Louis to pick up where I left off with a visit to the Dancing Rabbit eco-village in Rutledge, MO and then the Abundant Life eco-village in Fairfield, Iowa, followed by a Winnebago factory tour in Forest City, Iowa which should be a good accoutrement to the RV maintenance training.