Today is two weeks since I'm back from my latest trek. I had
a lot to catch up on when I came off the road and there is a long (longer than
I thought) list of things I want to do to the van in preparation for the next long
trek. But, it has been too cold to work on the van (warm weather is in the
future, actually, beginning today - hooray - except it's raining).
So, between doing the inevitable catching up on some things
that were tied up in my mail that I decided to have held in South Dakota until
I knew I'd be somewhere long enough for the mail to reach me, sorting through
all the stuff in the van to eliminate stuff carried along but not needed (that
seems to happen after every trip), working on some client project work and
other things on my "to do" list, I have been recapping all the
terrific folks I met and visited with along the way. Some are old friends (I
mean that in terms of the length of time we've known each other - although some
of us are beginning to approach the time when we'll be considered "golden
agers"). Others are folks I've known through a variety of Internet
connections and/or readers of this blog. Finally, some are people who crossed
my path during the trek for one of any number of reasons.
The people I meet and interact with are as important a part
of my adventures as the roads I travel and the places I get to see and explore.
I made a list of people I had some form of interaction with on this trek and
it's quite a list. I hope not, but I may have missed a few people as I made up
this list. The list also doesn't include the numerous servers, other business
people and camp hosts, among others, I met as I patronized their restaurants
and businesses or connected in other ways. So this list could easily be double
the number of people noted on this list.
Here's the list:
Dudley
Carpenter - Sparta, NC*
Muffet
Gray Carpenter - Sparta, NC*
(I
saw numerous others I knew while with Dudley and Muffet and met several new
folks)
Ed
Purdy - Mebane, NC*
Jane
Purdy - Mebane, NC*
Gaston
Matthews (aspiring musician) - Raleigh, NC**
Jimmy
Crawford - (aspiring nomad - in a year or so) Raleigh, NC**
Richard
Rosen - Sebastian, FL*
Art
Gliner - Vero Beach, FL*
George
Morrisey - Merritt Island, FL*
Carol
Morrisey - Merritt Island, FL*
Richard
Parker (full-time RVer at Florida RV Show) - Tampa, FL*
Joan
Parker (full-time Rver at Florida RV Show) - Tampa, FL*
Marshall
Ellgas (full-time vandweller) - Hudson, FL**
Allison
Ellgas (full-time vandweller) - Hudson, FL**
Gary
Pinnell - Sebring, FL*
Linda
(owner of Linda's Books), Sebring, FL***
Tommy
Head - (former boat & vandweller and current RVer) Port Charlotte, FL**
Barbara
Glanz - Sarasota, FL*
Mike
(boat dweller and aspiring vandweller)- St. Petersburg, FL**
Barbara
Hanson (aspiring vandweller) - Clearwater, FL**
Michael
Aun - had dinner at Celebration, FL (from St. Cloud, FL)*
Christine
Aun - had dinner at Celebration, FL (from St. Cloud, FL)*
Lois
Miller (RVer) - Hudson, FL**
John
Miller (RVer) - Hudson, FL**
Dick
Strader (Full-time RVer from WV) - Crystal River, FL*
Joe
Uvick (full-time RVer from Flint, MI) - Ocala, FL***
Lisa
(RV traveler) Ocala, FL**
Rachel
(RV traveler) Ocala, FL**
Lyn
Castro (RV traveler from NC) Ocala & Osceola National Forest, FL**
Bobby
Stephenson (RVer from southwest VA) - Osceola National Forest, FL***
Judy
Calhoun - (van camper from upstate NY) Osceola National Forest, FL***
Tom
Calhoun - (van camper from upstate NY) Osceola National Forest, FL***
Jerry
(van camper from Pittsburgh area) - Osceola National Forest, FL***
Kathy
(van camper from Pittsburgh area) - Osceola National Forest, FL***
Kathy
(vandweller from Cornwall, NY) - Osceola National Forest, FL**
Lou
Heckler - Gainesvile, FL*
Jonellen
Heckler - Gainesville, FL*
Ray
Perez - Gainesville, FL*
Gypsy
Jane Cassidy (full-time RVer/vandweller from VA) - Hazlehurst, GA**
Ellen
(full-time nomadic vandweller) - Hazlehurst, GA***
Leonard
Steward - (soon to be full-time, home-made RVer) - Jasper, GA**
David
Hair (part-time vandweller from Dalton, GA) - Blue Ridge, GA/Tumbling
Creek Campground, TN**
Cuzzin
Dick Tracy (full-time vandweller from Dalton, GA) - Tumbling Creek Campground,
TN**
*
Long time friends from graduate school, social and business
**
Friends I met for the first time (with an exception or two) who have been blog readers and/or
participate in various on-line forums I am a member of
***
Chance meetings during various stops or camp stays along the route of the trek
I want to thank each of these individuals for their
individual (and, in some cases, joint) contributions to a most enjoyable first
trek and adventure of 2014. You'll note that in some cases I didn't list last
names and this was simply because I didn't have a last name to list. And with
the exception of only one person on this list, I look forward to my next
encounter with each of them.
Relationships
Relationships are really what make life the great joy it is
(or should be). Sure! I have a definitive need for personal times of solitude,
as do most people. Those are my "me" times when I can focus on my
inner thoughts, absorbing something I've just experienced and learned and just
enjoy the peace of being in my own company. After all, who is the most
important individual to each of us? Ourselves, of course. If you don't like who
you are and love yourself and take care of your personal needs, the chances are
you're not going to relate to others very well.
We live in a very superficial world. We hear all too many
people, whether celebrities, politicians, motivational/inspirational speakers,
etc., tell everyone they "love" them. Heck! They don't even know most
of the people they supposedly love. They could be loving spousal and child
abusers, thieves, con artists, greedy, self-aggrandizing sociopaths and the
list goes on from there. The term is used too loosely and generally. What is
more realistic is to say you appreciate whoever the group of people are - fans,
audience, employees, seminar participants, etc. for their time and attention.
But that doesn't evoke the same emotional reaction and attachment as using that
emotionally charged four letter word.
Now I thrive on the experiences of meeting and interacting
with all the people I encounter, including those I enumerated above. And, since
I do have some very personal, long time relationships with many of them, I can
say that I love them with a brotherly, close friend kind of love. That means I
have a personal interest in their well being, health, activities and families.
And, I can truly say I loved meeting the variety of people I met and truly
appreciate each of them for the individual each is and I would enjoy getting to
know each of them better over time. But, I'd be much more accurate and honest
if I said I really liked them. I remember a woman I had a strong interest in
and an attachment to, once upon a time, saying to me, that she wasn't
"in-love" with me, but she was "in-like" with me. My first
impression was to be let down. But, after I let it sink in a little, she was
being honest with me and while that relationship wasn't destined to be a
"love-affair," it flourished as a very good and important friendship.
Personally, I don't think anyone can ever have too many friends.
So, exploring and seeing all the beauty and amazing wonders
of this world is fantastic, whether created by God or Nature or just a chain
reaction series of events. Visiting the many man-made wonders and artistic,
scientific and other creations of the human mind is also tremendous. But,
learning about and exploring what makes all the individuals I meet along the
way unique is the icing on the cake. And, while the cake may be great, the
icing makes it so much better.
Enjoying the kind of "living free" lifestyle I
have evolved to provides me with, what I feel are, exceptional opportunities to
cross paths and interact with a far more broad base of diverse individuals than
I ever did when I was living a more traditional, stable, fixed residential
lifestyle. Eliminating, in my case, the "front" or "facade"
of a home and business style that gave the impression of stability and some
degree of business success has opened new windows of opportunity to meet and
relate to people from all facets of our society. I can relate just as easily
with someone who has an elementary school education as I can with someone who
has advanced degrees. I can relate to those who have worked for someone else
all their lives as well as other entrepreneurial people like myself.
I have not lowered my standard of living. I've simply
reevaluated my values and interact with each person I meet as they are most
comfortable. I place no one, regardless of their education, experience,
talents, skills or station in life, above or below myself or anyone else. This
has been a lifelong learning process for me. And the best part, is that I am still
learning and I learn something of value from everyone I encounter. That is why
being a living free, location independent, nomadic traveler is such an exciting
adventure.
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