Crazy Happy Lifestyle: Camping and life on the road

Life on the Road

We thought we would take a moment to write a little story about life on the road and what we thought.

Many of you are wondering if you could survive it. Let me assure you: You may not.

But before you shy away from an exciting adventure and good times,

Read on...And yes, it rhymes.

To set out on an adventure of this magnitude is fantastic in theory,
But when you add up the cost, is it really that worthy?
After two months of travel, we think so, and here's why:
Our family is stronger, so the means we can justify.

So what is life on the road for a family of five like?
It was like we looked at our day-today and said, "We are on strike!"
Traveling and camping is a busy lifestyle,
But it was good to be away from it all for awhile.

To make it work our parents gave some advice:
Everyone needs to chip in to make this trip a real paradise.
So we divided up the work among all five
It would take us all working together to survive.

Part I: Setting Up Camp

Mom and Dad worked together to get the camper parked.
Dad did the hard work of parking the camper where the site was marked
While Mom waved her arms around with the occasional random comment
She felt like she did a good job because Dad always nodded like he knew what she meant.
[We actually did all parking and hooking up in silence by the end of the trip because we just knew what the other was thinking...it was spooky...and this did not rhyme.]

Once we were parked, Caleb's job was the first to be complete.
He was in charge of the wheel chocks, so he was the first to hop out of his seat!
He knew the importance of his job; it wasn't child's play.
If he didn't do it right, the camper would roll away!

Cameron was our muscle in charge of stabilization.
He cranked the "X" chocks in place to further avoid roll away ruination.
He then plugged us into the electricity
Which we often had despite not being near a city.

Grace was the power tool extraordinaire
And she sure knew how to use the hardware.
To put down the jacks, she used a power drill,
This helped further ensure that the camper would stand still.

Mom jumps into action once the camper is unhitched
She gets the level and makes sure we aren't pitched.
Then it is time to make the camper bigger
With a wave of her wand the sides slide out with vigor.

Part II: At the campground

When we get to a campground and Matt says, "Want to share a bottle of wine?"
This is code for, "I'm out of beer, so wine will have to work fine."
Or, "We've been traveling all day and my beer in the outdoor fridge is warm."
Because we all know wine is not Matt's norm.

Mom and Dad are in charge of cooking
While the kids like to explore and go out looking.
Once dinner is done the dishes are the kids' chore,
While Mom and Dad go on a walk so we can't hear the occasional dish war.

Laundry was usually a job in Mom's profile
But she didn't mind because she could sit and read for awhile
Being gone this long, laundromats were a must
Though the process (and certain laundromats) can make you question your wanderlust

Many routines were the same on the road as at home
Not everything has to change when you decide to roam.
Reading bedtime stories was often one of Cameron's jobs
And he had us all laughing when he (regularly) chose to read Calvin and Hobbes.

We didn't have many toys, nor did we need them.
But occasionally the Legos caused toy mayhem.
We didn't mind as it was a reminder of our home place
And thankfully when play was done the Legos went back in their case.

Two months was too long for the boys to grow hair without check,
So big sister was happy to buzz them from head to neck.
Matt had a little less of an adventuresome streak.
He drove to town to find a professional who wouldn't make him look like a freak.

There were a few days that Mom had to work
Because for two months, her responsibilities she couldn't shirk.
She made sure she had a good connection and took over the dining table
She was thankful for the work that this trip did enable. ;)

Part III: Driving down the road

Jobs on the road were a different paradigm.
Matt was the master driver as I have said many a time
The words "Talk to me, Goose," he said to Mom frequently
Mom, the navigator, was quick to respond and made mistakes infrequently...sort of.

The kids only had to do one thing once the seat belts went click:
For goodness sake!...Give the parents plenty of warning if you are going to be sick!
They did a great job spending so much time in their seats
As long as we stopped regularly for some eats.

Eating on the road varied
Sometimes it was a relaxed picnic, but usually it was a bit more harried.
We often ate at a rest stop or truck stop cramped with the slide outs pulled in
And sometimes we didn't stop but ate in the truck, but that ran our patience thin.

Part IV: Tour of the Camper

The camper turned out be exactly what this family did need
And our expectations it did regularly exceed.
At thirty feet, it wasn't a small trailer to tow.
We had plenty of room even after it was packed full.

The kitchen offered all of the comforts of our house.
Making foods we were used to made for happy kids and spouse.
We made spaghetti, pizza, soup and muffins
Even cookies were baked for the three ruffians.

The dining area was shaped like a horseshoe
And with a large window has a great view
There was room for all five to sit
Even after 2 months of vacation food, we all managed to fit

The bathroom is compact as you knew it would be
If you are taller, be careful when you sit or you might bump a knee
The shower has a tub which came in handy
And also had a skylight which was dandy.

The parent's room was as boring as you would expect
But had lots of storage for all that we would collect.
The closet was not exactly a walk in,
But it fit all of our clothes so we called it a win.