Spring 2013 Edition of Airstream Life Magazine

I was so thrilled to hear that the portrait I took of Robert at Alumapalooza 2012 made the current cover of Airstream Life Magazine.  This image was one of my favorites from the event. Robert and his pups were such great sports to pose for me!

This will be my 3rd cover image for Airstream Life Magazine.  Looking back, I noticed that all three covers have a dog in the photo.  There must be something about traveling with pets that is so appealing.  I know that I can't even imaging traveling without Max.  The article in this issue is all about traveling with your pet...something Max and I know a little something about.  

Thank you, Airstream Life!

A Silver Trailer Lifestyle

What a lifestyle it is to own a silver trailer.  I love my teardrop trailer, "trailie" and I haven't taken her out for about a year and a half so it was about time that I did.  This is Max's first time in "trailie" and I think he is loving it a bit more than the tent.

I decided to join a bunch of women and their airstream trailers for a weekend of camping.  I'm glad they allowed me to stay even though I don't have an airstream, but I have a silver trailer so I am going to say that counts. I toured all of their rigs and I have to say...it sure is nice to be able to stand up inside.  What a luxury!

All of their trailers are so put together and fancy.  I love them all.  I do have a little trailer envy seeing how beautiful they are and one even has a bed that you can walk around.  No joke...it's like a condo on wheels.  I very stylish condo, I might add.

It's been a fun weekend meeting new friends, all from different parts of California and Arizona.  All with a common love for all things shiny.  Especially things that are shiny that you can live in and pull with your car.

I dream of owning one of these someday and setting it on some land somewhere with solar panels and live there, in the middle of nowhere.  Ahhh, to dream.  Taking Max out in "trailie" was one of my 39 goals this year so I can check that off.

It can seem a little scary to join a bunch of strangers for the weekend, but that is exactly what I am doing.  I am so glad that I did.  For the past few days, I have been taking a lot of pictures of these beautiful airstreams, click HERE to see more photos.

Back On The Road

The sun is out, it's a beautiful day here in Southern California. I am feeling the urge to get back on the road. This picture is from the very first day I took trailie camping for a "trial run." What a great time I had with Maggie, Karen and Heather. So, I am writing this blog inside of "trailie" in my driveway...with Maggie, of course. Some of the toughest days I had on the road were in the first 6 weeks. It's interesting being alone, not really having a schedule and exploring America. As "difficult" as it was, I miss it so much! I am ready to go again. This time, I want to explore the Southern route.

This map is what I did last summer so I am hoping to explore all of the areas I didn't see on my 120 days on the road. Also, I am going to do things a little different this time. I want to write more. I want to meet more people and listen to who they are. Besides seeing some amazing places, I especially enjoyed meeting people and learning more about their life. As I meet them, I look forward to introducing them to you on American Life Today.

For now, she sits in my driveway. It's my glamorous writing cubbie hole/guest house. However, nobody has taken me up on staying in it so far. Maggie enjoys hanging out with me inside. The only difference between now and when we are traveling (well, there are several) is there isn't anyone coming up to us asking:

What is that?
Do you sleep in it?
Is it for your dog?
Can you stand up in it?
How much does it cost?
Is there a bathroom in it?
How big does it pop up to?
Does it have air conditioning?
Where do you get one?
What's it called?
Just you and your dog?

Seriously....look at it. Of course I am friendly and happy to answer (most of the time), but it's just a hard tent in a sense...a really cool one at that! :) So, we are beginning our plans for the next outing. Perhaps I will be in a town near you. If I am...remember these answers:

It's a teardrop trailer
Yes
Yes
Depends on who's standing
Lots
Define "bathroom"
What you see is what you get
2 Doors that open
Where they make 'em
Trailie!
Yes...and misc. items

Anything I'm missing?

How it Began

How did I make the decision to quit my job and travel the country? It wasn’t easy. It took several months to put my life dream into a reality, but I did it. You know what? You can do it as well!

I was working in a job for the past 7 years that was challenging at first, but since the company merged with another, it just wasn’t the same anymore. It got too political, wasn’t creative, and my interest in selling the product was non-existent. However, the flexibility and compensation were hard to abandon.

It all started at the beginning of the year. I continued to go through the motions of work, but my body had something else in mind. I went for a normal routine doctor visit to find that I had a softball size tumor in my uterus that would continue to grow if I didn’t do something about it.

In February, I had a myomectomy.

I spent a month lying on my back with nothing to do but think. That’s exactly what I did. I thought about my life. Where I’ve been, where I want to go, what I want to do. I am so thankful that this happened to me because otherwise, I would have just continued the day in, day out grind. Most people don’t have the opportunity to take the time to think about their life and what’s really important. In a way, the fibroid tumor was the best thing that happened to me. I was able to start a new life.

I quit my job.

I packed all of the things I thought I would need and grabbed my dog, Maggie for an adventure of a lifetime. We embarked on a journey across the USA in my little 4x9 teardrop trailer. Little did I know how much I would learn about myself. Not always easy. In fact, some things were a little surprising to me. Pushing my limitations. Every night wasn’t a, “yay, campfire time” experience, although I did have those moments.

I didn’t have a plan. There were a few places I wanted to go and a few people I wanted to see. Other than that, it was my planned dream of not planning. I would wake up, look at a map and decide in the morning where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. This is not a “normal” life, but what is “normal” now and days?

Today is day 3 of being home on a “pit stop.” I am still recovering from being on the road for 117 days. I think it’s because I have a hard time relaxing, among other reasons. In the next few days, I will share with you some of my thoughts and findings of being on the road.

I hope that through my experience, you may realize your own dream. It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. However, because I made the decision, it gave me an experience I may not have ever realized in my life. I look forward to the next chapter and sharing it with you.

Living in "Trailie" For 117 Days

Since I’ve been on the road for over 100 days, here are an additional 50 facts and tidbits on this journey thus far (Visit www.mytripjournal.com/alisontravels for more). Although I am heading towards home, this is not the end. I plan on entering the Southern route once the weather doesn’t threaten to sweep trailie away.
50 Facts and Random Figures (part 2):
1. 117 Days
2. 13, 479 Miles
3. 25 States visited
4. 31 Different Campsites
5. Stayed at 11 Homes
6. Motel 6’d it 6 times
7. One oil change…whoopsie
8. Spotted 2 bald eagles, numerous buffalo, elk, deer and squirrels!
9. 100 bags of ice
10. Backed trailie into 1 barn
11. 1 pedicure (I know, gross)
12. You can start a college fund with the amount of money spent on tolls on the East Coast
13. In Provincetown, you are either gay, Canadian, or lost
14. I like to think that animals are just sleeping on the side of the road
15. Best Quotes from people about trailie…
a. “You can win those on the price is right!”
b. “Is that for your dog?”
c. “Do you sleep in there?”
d. “Does it pop up?”
e. “Is there a bathroom in there?”
f. “Can you stand up in it?”
My response to all of the above: YES!
16. Reconnected with 2 people I haven’t seen in years
17. Met up with 5 My Spacers
18. Met one man who lives in his van full time
19. Watched 13 Concerts
20. Swam in 8 Lakes
21. No TV for 100 days
22. Cindy (Navigator) “redirected” me to 3 dead ends
23. Rode a bike through a 1.8 mile tunnel in complete darkness with sides that dropped off
24. Spotted 19 mullets in one day in Spokane
25. Was interviewed on 1 radio show
26. Lake Disappointment is really not a disappointment at all
27. Not a good idea to give dog treats to raccoons, unless you want the entire family over
28. Skip Sturgis
29. If you want Amish people to run away and hide from you, put a bathing suit on
30. In Oregon, there is no self service gas pump. Not a good idea to argue who is going to pump gas
31. Sang Karaoke once
32. Saw the world’s largest picnic basket located in Ohio
33. 12 sushi stops
34. 24 winery visits
35. 3 Maggie Baths
36. Overheard some funnies…
a. A man was buying a few things in a grocery store in Missouri and tried to pay with Canadian coins. The cashier said, “These are Canadian quarters” and the man said, “Yeah, that’s where I live.” Ummm….duuuhhhh….
37. Wall Drug offers you “free ice water”” they have 50 billboards on the road to prove it
38. Wrote 23 blogs since I left home
39. A Bar of “Dr. Brommers Magic Soap” lasts 22 showers
40. One blanket can be a “house sled” for 2 kids
41. A retired Cowboy can be your sushi chef in Cody, Wyoming
42. Washington and Oregon do have sunshine!
43. Trailie traveled on one Ferry
44. Met a convicted felon who says he’s innocent from terrorist threats to the mall (“um, ok. Bye”)
45. Flat tires= 0 (knocking on wood)
46. Costs $2 for a shower in Yellowstone
47. $10 to see Mt. Rushmore for the entire year (I will send pass to anyone planning on going)
48. Favorite Campsite = Vermillion in South Dakota
49. Favorite National Park = Yellowstone
50. Being thankful that I can live my dream = everyday