Bye Bye Betty 8/19/21

Yesterday we said goodbye to Bigger Betty.

We have had her for a just under two years and traveled with her to thirty six states in all twenty one feet of her compact living quarters.

She has been a great trailer. Lots of bumps along the road but we always felt at home in her cozy walls. There was never a night on the road - whether in a great camping spot in some scenic location or tucked up tight in a Walmart parking lot - that we did not feel safe once we closed the door, and turned off the lights.

Yes, we had gotten tired of not having enough room. And she was starting to show some wear and tear around the edges (she wasn’t really designed to be lived in full time) but she always shined through and got us where we needed to go.

Now we wait.

It seems our Airstream may be a little bit later in arriving than originally planned. There is a major delay in the supply chain right now, for all sorts of goods due to the pandemic, and it is impacting her arrival date. But by the end of next month she should be here. And we can be patient.

It feels sort of odd to not have a home right now. Even one that is on wheels. A feeling I have been fortunate enough to never experience in my life. I am not willing to call us homeless because the reality is that we have the means to acquire housing if needed, unlike so many others that lack adequate shelter each night.

So I am utilizing a word I learned from another friend who is out touring the world right now with her husband. We are home free for a bit. And it is odd - but it feels wonderfully disorienting. As if we have been given a chance to see something in a new fresh way - completely unhampered by tradition.

We leave Texas on Saturday to go visit our daughter Tabby in Oklahoma and our son Robert who is finally stateside after way too long. We are looking forward to hanging out in an Airbnb that week (and the dogs have heard there is a yard so they have already given it four paws up). Then we will head to California to spend some time with my parents and visit with friends.

And then, who knows? Maybe our new trailer will be ready. Maybe not. We will figure it out as we go along.

For now I want to just spend some time remembering our Biggest Betty and all the many adventures she gave us.

And I hope that whoever owns her next will enjoy her charms and gifts as much as we did.

Thanks Biggest Betty - we will always love you.