I joined the forum in September of 2008 not long after Beth created this space out of a need to have a welcoming, supportive platform for women RV'er to come together and share their knowledge and experiences and support their dreams and lives. (Thanks also to Margie Woodall, "Ms Behaving", for sharing the site with me at that Nick Russell Rally.)
I have been to GTG's from one side of the country to the other. I have been lucky to have met so many of you. Some of you several times. With the support and encouragement of some of you I have been able to see Alaska, Baja Mexico, Florida, Oregon, Washington State, California, New England, the Blue Ridge Parkway, New Orleans, Kansas City (Unbound Headquarters!) , San Antonio, Avon (SD
), the piney woods of Georgia, McIntosh, Fl, interesting bars in Nashville, Texas and so many states and places in between. I know that the last few years have seen some of our members change their life styles to better fit their current wants and needs. I know that some have left the forum's community for the ease of Facebook. Some have just left or drifted away. People come and go in our lives. Most of us have lived long enough to recognize that of all the constants, change, is often the front runner.
This winter's trip out west gave me an opportunity to revisit many of the memories of the past 11 years. And an opportunity to make new ones. I thank everyone that "waved me down" and invited me to visit along the way. I thank everyone who found a hole in their schedule, large enough to take me on a tour of their city, to show me places of interest, to include me on site seeing tours or hiking or to gather for a dinner with friends.
I definitely don't want to take it for granted. I am not a member of multiple RV communities. I am too much of a hermit for that. My network exists because of this forum and many, many of you. My life is richer because of this diverse supportive community.
I want to give a special thanks you to Martha for sending me off from Louisiana with three tins of home made cookies. (At Quartzsite it seems that I only found two of the tins but luckily by the California coast I discovered the third tin.) Though Martha gracefully said I could eat them all if I wanted to, it made me feel pretty special to be the delivery person for Martha's cookies. It made me remember that we don't always have to be someplace in person to remember and think about those we care about and have shared moments of our lives with. I got to witness Martha's generosity and caring as her cookie's brought her to places she could not herself go this winter. Thank you, Martha.
So, yes it was colder out west that I wanted it to be. No one thought to put me in charge of the weather. And I may think twice before heading out to Arizona for another winter season. But I hope to be able to head back out in the future. I know that some of you will be somewhere along that route. Utah's parks have been calling out my name for years and those towns in northern, NM......
Thank you again, and safe travels through life whether or not you still have a house with wheels. You are will always be a part of this tribe.
Tina
