Rhew The Nation -- Organizing Cross-Country Travel

Deek and I have been across the country many times now, in many different ways--car, train, and plane. On our car trips, I've noticed Deek has to do a lot of work to arrange and rearrange all the stuff in the back of the car when we stop at hotels. So, I decided I'd do what I do best--research--and find ways to make this trip easier for him.

I found this website that talked about breaking your clothes up into daily bags so you don't have to haul in a whole suitcase. Brilliant! Upon researching, I found these bags, which hold a lot and have handles.

It worked perfectly! In addition to these, we had a "go" bag--which we filled with items we might need (ie: tennis shoes, an extra set of workout clothes), basically anything we *could* need but didn't want to pack in the every day bags--and a toiletries bag. Three small bags. That's it. SO MUCH EASIER!

If you're not looking to spend money on Ziploc bags, grocery bags work just fine. We had more days on the road than bags, so we used grocery bags for two days. Those did great too. 

To hold these little magical no-suitcase-required bags, I found this item.

It has two compartments, one for used clothing bags and one for unused. Plus, it has a ton of little pockets.

Deek and I packed all of our non-road clothes (since we were spending a week with his family) in a suitcase. The suitcase got put in the very back of the truck and never moved from that spot. We placed this little beauty in the very front of the trunk for easiest access. We'd pull a clothes bag out at night, and put it in the used clothes compartment the next day. Easy peasy.

I also used this awesome diagram from Stuffed Suitcase to lay out the car. It helped me put things in logical places, which made the trip that much easier. https://stuffedsuitcase.com/pack-car-road-trip/  For example, when I opened an FBomb (keto fat bomb) and it splashed on my light blue shirt, I grabbed some baby wipes from the armrest compartment and wiped it right up. There was never any evidence it was even there! 

Our little man, Gus Rhew, came with us across the country. He is not a huge fan of the car, so we got him a little bucket seat to make him feel more comfortable. Despite the terrified look on his face, this is Gus *more* calm than he normally is in the car. LOL!

We also got him collapsible bowls which we could easily carry around. Since we spent half the trip in the southwest, we wanted him to have access to water constantly. Thankfully many of the places we went were very dog friendly, especially Tombstone.

Gus likes to sleep in a crate. They trained him that way at the shelter, and he's a small dog. The world is very big to him, so he likes to feel like he's safe and secure when he sleeps. The only problem is...his at home crate takes up a lot of space. So, we decided to get him a travel crate. I cannot rave about this thing enough. It folds up *really* small and is easy to put together. Gus loved it!

While he wasn't a fan of the car, Gus really enjoyed the trip. He liked visiting with family in the PNW, and he liked exploring all the new places and hotel rooms. And we liked having him with us. He's truly the sweetest, calmest, most gentle pup, and he's an integral part of our family. 

Gus in Roswell, ready to see some aliens!!

For those of you who are considering car travel for long or short distances, I hope this blog will help you organize your trip! I was so glad I put the time in on the research because it made things so easy. We were in and out of hotels in a jiffy, which is what you want if you're exploring or spending a long day traveling.

Stay tuned for my next blog where I talk about the first leg of our trip--the South to the PNW via the northern route!

Leaving the Rat Race

I've been thinking lately that our lifestyle must really make some people scratch their heads. At our age, we're supposed to be chasing the next big thing--a bigger house, flashier cars, more stuff, all the "things" people are "supposed" to want. But Deek and I have gone in the opposite direction. We've gotten out of the rat race. And I'm sure people wonder, "Can they really be happy?"

Well, here's the honest to goodness truth: yes.

Deek and me exploring our town

What a complete and total relief to not reach for the next thing. What a joy to just BE present in this moment, to be thankful for what we have and enjoy the freedom our life provides.

I honestly wasn't sure how I'd feel about living in an apartment. We went from owning a home to renting a home to renting a town home to now renting an apartment. (Side note: We LOVE renting. I know it doesn't have tax benefits, yada yada, but there's freedom. If there's a problem, someone else fixes it and pays for it. We just have to arrange the time for the workmen to come.) But I've found I really like apartment life. I'm an extrovert, so I don't mind the noises from upstairs or the throngs of other people who live here. Our neighbors are super great in that they're quiet, polite, and respectful.

I also adore the amenities we have here: a saltwater pool, free Starbucks 24/7, a state-of-the-art gym, free breakfast on Tuesday mornings, walking trails all over the place, and we're within walking distance of Trader Joe's (which may or may not be a good thing for the wallet--LOL). Also, the complex is super cool about letting you personalize. We're allowed to paint the apartment and screen in the porch. Deek screened in our porch last weekend, and I've literally been out there every day to sit, drink coffee, and enjoy the sounds of summer.

Coffee and reading poolside!

Views from the screened in porch

Oh look, I'm there...again!

Deek and I still have one car and don't have plans to get another one anytime soon. I get up early and take him to work and then pick him up in the evenings. It affords us extra time together (not that the commute is long--we picked this apartment specifically because it's super close to his work), and he's close enough that we can go for a walk or have lunch together most days.

Look what we saw on our latest walk around the lake at his work!

When we moved, we could only take what we could fit in a small 6x12 UHaul trailer. It sounds big, but when you put stuff in it, it's not. So, we sold or gave away a whole lot of our possessions. And you know what? We don't miss those items. Instead, it's freeing. When we got the apartment, we only bought a few items, but overall, we have a very small amount of "things." And I love it. The apartment looks spacious, it's a cinch to clean, and we aren't inundated with junk.

Of course, we had to keep our favorite works of literature! ;) 

My dad is a realtor, and he said the trend of late is to scale back. Renting is becoming as popular (and in some areas, more popular) than buying. More and more people are getting out of the rat race. They're seeing the benefit in stepping back and living a simpler life. 

If Deek and I elect to buy a house, it will only be as an investment for our future vagabond lifestyle plans. But we both dread the thought. If we get a house, we'll actually have to start making our own coffee again (the horror)! LOL! But seriously, it's amazing to be able to spend our time and money on things we want to instead of things we have to. 

This weekend, we had a lazy weekend (I think we're still exhausted from the move/living in a hotel/job hunting because we STILL haven't felt like adventuring). Deek said, "If we had a house, we might be doing yard work right now, but instead, we're writing and taking selfies with our unamused cat. I love this life!"

Bless Trinna's heart. She puts up with all her humans' antics!

Lazy day hair

I love this life too. I mean, I epically love it. 

And best of all, I get to spend all this free time with my best friend/husband/love/soulmate, Deek! I always have the best time with him! We talk about nothing and everything and laugh... a lot. I'm happier than I ever dreamed I could be. It's all about people, not stuff. That's where the real life is. 

<swoon>

They have pedestrian bridges in the South. How very Portland!

Found some interesting art on one of our walks

Trinna baby loves the relaxed lifestyle too! ;)

So, today, stop what you're frantically doing and take a look at the people in your life. Kiss your significant other and ask him/her how the day went. Spend time reading to your children. Call your mom and/or dad. Be sure to take time every day to show the people in your life just how much they mean to you. The rat race can wait. Relationships can't. 

Until next time, love and laugh out loud! <3