So Much to Learn!

We have had an amazing start to our Travels. Not that you would know it because we chose to start our travels in a technology dead zone. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Unless…

Unless, you don’t know it ahead of time and you may or may not have made commitments based on an incorrect assumption that between 3 cell phone companies, all with internet access, there would be no dearth of internet.

#LessonsLearnedtheHardWay

There is a saying that you don’t know what you don’t know. Well, double down on that as a trailer traveler. So under hashtags “learnedthehardway”, add do not assume that internet or even phone will be accessible. Yep! We were even without phone. I am old enough to remember phones before call waiting and answering machines but I admit to feeling personally attached to my cell phone.

 

This was especially true when we drove through Southwest Texas. Another lesson is, when your vehicle gets 5-7 miles per gallon because you are pulling 9000 lbs., do not pass a gas station. Even if you think you have plenty of gas. Even if the signs list multiple towns coming up. And you cannot count on seeing signs like this:

Trust me. There are parts in this world that not only have no cell signal, they have no gas stations. Instead, they have faded shells of former gas stations. And here’s the worst part, these are often the same places. We drove a long time watching the miles available go down constantly doing math hoping to make it to the next town and the town after that. We did make it but with very little to spare. One more town and we would have had a problem. With no cell phone to fix!

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There are RV parks that are parking lots. Even in national parks known for their natural beauty, there are places where there is just enough room to back up the trailer. No grass or picnic area between you and the next traveler to provide a cushion for the less accurate RV driver. And if you are a newbie who defines newbie, you can count on that moment for the backup camera to not work.

But here is where the best lesson comes in! RV/Travel Trailer people are really nice people. Every place we went, we had some hiccup. And every place we went, someone more experienced than we stepped in to offer advice, direction, or even physical labor. There were no shaking heads and sighs indicating how out of our element we were (because yes, we are OUT of our element here!). Instead, we were regaled with stories of #lessonslearnedthehardway by others. It has by far given us faith that we can do this. It is okay that we don’t know everything and we will make mistakes but if we keep learning, we can make our dreams happen.

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I have so much to show and tell about our days in the dead zones. I am typing and uploading as quick as these hands can. I have a lot of catching up to do after my days without the internet. In the meantime, we are still learning, hopefully not the hard way!