Life on the Road
Houseless: The First Two Weeks
Fun, adventure, stress, and adjustment
I didn’t count us as really officially houseless until we closed on the sale of our house. That happened on July 19th.
It wasn’t the smooth transition I had hoped for. The new owners said the air conditioning wasn’t working. It was. Then the radon test came back too high, so we still have to hold $5000 in escrow in case the system needs to be replaced. Since it was working when we left, I have no idea why it was high for the presale test. Still, the papers have been signed, and we are now completely houseless.
So far, we’ve been through 13 states (NY, NJ, PA, OH, MO, KS, CO, NM, TX, LA, MS, AL, and FL for those playing along at home). Some were drive-throughs, others we spent some time in. We got to see our son, Ross, who we haven’t seen since before Covid. That was wonderful!
We also went to the Hallmark Museum in Kansas City, MO. I never knew that existed. I will now admit to loving ornaments from Hallmark. The museum was much better than I thought it would be, but it was, sadly, a monument to the (false) idea that one can become a millionaire if one just works hard enough. After all, J.C. Hall came to St. Louis with just two boxes of postcards under his arms and parlayed that into a multimillion-dollar business. Still, it was fun to see the old ornaments and cards.
We got to see worldschooling friends in Arvada, Colorado, and she graciously hosted all four of us, me, Jeanne, Zoë, and Daxton at her house for two nights. That was wonderful and relaxing. We went to see the old town, got yummy treats, and cooled off in the splash park. (Thanks, Sandra and Mike! And a shout-out to Miri who let us sleep in her room!)
We had to vend at a show in New Orleans, but we also had a few days to see friends, enjoy the city, and eat yummy food. Let me recommend Bayona’s to anyone who is in the city. We go there every time we’re in the city, and it is worth every penny. Since I’m recommending, I’ll point you to a bakery we just discovered there Breads on Oak which is top-notch vegan. No, I’m not vegan, but Daxton is lactose intolerant, so getting vegan pastries and pizza is always on our list.
Daxton wanted to see the World War II Museum, which was awesome, and to go on a swamp tour. We choose one that is on a private bayou and uses a small boat instead of an airboat, which is not good for the animals and plants in the bayous.
While we were in New Orleans, we went to the North Shore and hung out with some other worldschooling friends. That was a day of talking, hanging out, and enjoying their pool and backyard! Daxton was thrilled to meet up with his friend Emile and play video games and go swimming. There was also a coconut, which was delicious and fun. (Thanks for the lovely day, Rebecca and Mondo!)
I thought that visiting friends who each have a home base would make me want to have one as well, but it didn’t work that way at all. I enjoyed sharing their spaces, but I didn’t walk away thinking I need a home base too.
While there was tension, some arguments, and adjustments to living so closely together and learning how to travel together, the last two weeks were a good chance for us to get used to the idea that life on the road can be full of adventures both fun, like visiting friends and seeing new places, and stressful, like getting up at 5:30 am in order to fit in a 9-hour drive and arrive at the next stop before dark.
I was only caught up short once. I was vending and someone asked me where I was from. I always used to answer that question by saying, “We live in Connecticut, but we only sell online and at shows.” I had no ready answer and spluttered for a moment before saying, “I’m a nomad.” My customer responded with, “That’s cool!”
And, you know what, it is.