Day 18: Quartzsite Musings...

It's been a long, dry stretch, so I'll do my best to catch up! We are having the exact ball we thought and hoped retirement would be.  However, like jumping out of an airplane for the first time, till you do it, no amount of research and investigation will fully convey the experience.

First: Took me a few times, driving past the sign...

...to get that the geologist's term, 'quartzite,' is different to the town name, "QuartzSite!"

Second: A major realization, as a result of a trip back to frigid, chilly Colorado..

I went back to finish cleaning out the garage: prospective renters were put off by not having all the shelves cleaned off. There was room to park two cars in it, but...

It was COLD, there: below zero F, both days, and snowy on the ground. I came from PHX, in the morning, which was 58F, to arrive at DEN, to a brisk high of 16F.

Yep. This full-time snow birding was a good choice! 

Having been born and raised in Colorado, I remain a proud citizen of the state,, BUT...a lifetime of dealing with winter was one of the main reasons Renee and I chose to follow the RV life. Being there in cold Colorado reinforced that notion, but, more significantly, led to a realization, one that really fully dawned on me upon my return.

When I was back in the empty house...

...Renee called to talk about this-n-that, and she asked, "Being in the house, do you miss it?" The question caught me by surprise, and I had to think about it. 

After a few silent seconds, I replied, "No. Not really. Yea, the space is nice, and the freedom to move over 5 acres of land might be cool, but it's not home. it's just a rental."

The full realization didn't take place fully till I returned to our home...which is now Harvey II! It was then the entire picture became clear: Where we live is now home. 

Keenesburg is no longer our home...it's just a house.  That was an entirely unexpected conclusion, and it filled me with great joy, and some relief.

Our 200 square foot home, with little storage space, not much room to hang pictures, or to display tschotskis..is just enough.

It's enough to be comfortable. It's enough to share this journey with a wonderful partner. It's...enough.

We can plan and dream and till we commit, we never know if the leap was a good one or how we'll land. The research may increase the chances of a good landing, but the old shibboleth comes to mind: Behold the turtle...he makes no progress until he sticks his neck out.

A number of our friends have said to us, in slightly different ways, that they couldn't do what we have done, and frankly, we weren't, and couldn't be sure...till we jumped. It is an INCREDIBLE feeling, floating on a parachute of dreams, that by the grace of the Universe, is holding us up and allowing us to float along in our dream.

Come join us!

 Day 2, Quartzsite: It's different!

Our first stop, after leaving Phoenix, was in Yuma, AZ., for the Yuma BLM offices. There, you exchange your reservation for the actual passes you put on your camper and tow vehicle. The folks there were extremely patient with our questions, and handed up a sheaf of maps and tips. Then, we began the 90 miles trip from Yuma, to La Posa South, which is the largest of the quartet of sites available in Quartzsite.

We arrived here in the dusty La Posa South camping area...which is 11,000+ acres of (mainly) primitive camping. Since the RTR was over, the spaces were many and varied, and we picked one of the better ones, not far from the fresh water, the dump station, and the pit toilets.

Mainly, because there are no hookups; one can get potable water to put in your rig, and one must take your 'Blue Boy" (a generic name for the towable poop tanks folks use to...well, empty their poop tanks!) to a central dump station. There can be a sizable line of folks waiting to get access, and it's not the rosiest-smelling place....but, it's just part of  the experience of being a nomad!

Once set up--we're here till mid-April--we got to the tasks of knowing our way around the area, and drove into town to scope things out. A sizable contingent of the vendors are still set up in town: rocks, gems and minerals, RV supplies, and a gazillion food trucks are scattered around town. As you might expect, prices here are not very cheap, but the closest Walmart is in Parker, a 35-mile drive. at a nominal 12 mpg in The Beast, one carefully considers what's worth the drive!

Sorry for the short, boring report: I'm STILL trying to figure out how to attach photos...stay tuned!