We’ve officially reached two years on the road. Alcohol was consumed as we celebrated at Loro, Austin’s creative Asian smokehouse, and looked back at what we’ve discovered since we began this crazy adventure. What follows are the answers to our retrospective.
The Superlative Awards:
Best thing about being on the road?
Brian: The experiences. And the company, of course. (Tracey’s note: that husband of mine is smooooth.)
Tracey: New sights and places to explore. And new food. Always the food.
Worst thing about being on the road?
Brian: Leaving places before we’ve gotten to do everything we want (potential solution: being retired).
Tracey: Continuously falling in love with new places, new restaurants, new campgrounds, and then leaving them behind.
Dogs: While they were not present for this conversation, the dogs would say the worst thing is rain on the metal roof.
Hardest thing about being on the road?
Brian: Health care.
Tracey: Lack of unlimited hot water in the shower.
Dogs (Again, voting in absentia): Moving days.
Most surprising thing about being on the road?
Brian: How easily the dogs adapted and are enjoying it.
Tracey: How far in advance we need to book parks.
Destinations:
Most favorite stops:
Brian: 1) New Orleans 2) Cincinnati 3) St. Petersburg (The dogs rate this one highly as well thanks to the Fort De Soto dog beach.)
Tracey: 1) Boston 2) New Orleans 3) Badlands (Although after only a short time so far in Austin, it’s already threatening to replace the Badlands on this list.)
Least favorite stops:
Brian: South of the Border.
Tracey: Carabelle Beach – wildly unlevel RV park with no space between sites, brackish water at the beach across the street, and limited local dining.
What stop are you most looking forward to visiting in the next year?
Brian: Bar Harbor and Vermont.
Tracey: Summer/early fall in New England. All of it.
Where do you most want to revisit and spend more time?
Brian: Cincinnati.
Tracey: The Florida space coast.
Old life vs new life:
What do you miss most from our old life:
Brian: Carefree Internet access, Caribbean vacations.
Tracey: Separate offices.
One thing you downsized or stored that you miss:
Brian: Our big fancy couches.
Tracey: Full sized agility equipment.
What were you most worried about before we started:
Brian: Not enjoying it. Finding reliable Internet.
Tracey: Lack of privacy.
The above conversation took us through a few glasses of white wine, some brisket kettle corn, char siew pork belly and smoked prime bavette. We got a bit more philosophical over dessert in Part 2.