On the Road Again - Year 5

Has it really been 5 years since we gave up the apartment!

As we get ready to make another loop out of Vermont on our living learning mobile journey,  I'm reflecting on how it all feels a lot more -  now that I've been doing it for a few years.  I have a lot more data points to work with this time around, so   I've decided that I would try blogging more regularly,  process more,  share more.   Perhaps shorter posts, but more frequently.

Our last couple weeks in Vermont had us trying to tie up loose ends on lots of projects, so it was quite busy.  Leaving makes you feel like you need to get all your ducks in order - no more procrastinating on this or that!    As Mallets Bay Campground closes on October 15, we moved  over to Shelburne Camping Area  for a few weeks.    

Craig has been working on preparing the bus for our journey west, supporting me with my projects, and  practicing naps since his retirement (September 20)!

During our last week in Vermont, a wind storm made its way through Vermont and left us without power for 3 days.  This gave us a chance to test the Generator.  The power came back on just as we left for 3 days to network with colleagues at our annual Vermont ed tech conference!



I facilitated three conversations about Maker spaces in schools on Thursday;  Craig lead a conversation on Risk, Facebook, and FUD in the world of school IT departments; and on the last day,  I convinced some of my tribe to set up a POP UP maker space to fill a few last minute cancellations at the conference.

Exhausted but energized, we drove back to our campsite where Craig found an old friend from high school parked next to our bus!   They reunited while Craig did laundry and packed up the bus for departure.  Meanwhile I spent a good HARD long day organizing and packing EMMA away into her winter home.  For those who don’t know  - EMMA is my mobile studio for creating and making.

It was pretty emotional,  since I had just come back from a morning brunch with my sisters and my mom and an afternoon visit with these precious grandkids .

We started our tour with a short 180 mile day to the Walmart in Cobbleskills, NY  so we could pick up some packages from Allison’s family and deliver them when we arrive in Denver later this month.

We were treated to an amazing home cooked meal and great company at Sally and Lon’s new home.   Even got to meet their alpacas.

And tonight we’re tucked into our new home for the week - Turkey Swamp Campground  - a very nice New Jersey Campground which is driving distance to our kids in Brooklyn and New Jersey.   Looking forward to some decompressing as we switch gears and to some quality family time with our kids before we head west.