Life Modified. Life-style Unchained. Life Rearranged. Episode 2

Episode 2 — The Drawer and Door That Opened

Just a few months later, the “drawer of interesting ideas” reopened (I believed I had closed it fairly properly in Episode 1).

We had been tenting with six {couples}, having fun with a relaxed morning that started with breakfast and straightforward dialog, when LisaMarie wandered over to ‘take a look inside’ of a newly bought Class A motorcoach belonging to one among our pals. I stayed behind, had one other cup of espresso, and completed my breakfast, snug within the assumption that I already knew how this may play out. As time went on, I believed, “She sure has been gone a long time,” however chalked it as much as the ladies chatting about some closet organizer our buddy simply bought. A couple of minutes later, the coach door opened.

She stepped out, smiling, and stated, “Gary, we’ve got to get one of these; the amount of space is amazing.”

And there it was. In a break up second, that single phrase launched a redefinition of how our roving life-style was about to vary. And in that second, I knew precisely how the story would unfold, not due to what she stated, however due to how she stated it. Later that day, as we had been driving dwelling, she made all of the arguments for WHY we must always take into account a bigger RV, and I took the opposing standpoint, arguing why we shouldn’t, so we did the correct factor and compromised. We informed ourselves we had been going to ‘just look’.

I spent the subsequent 4 weeks combing the web, researching specs, devouring message boards, and narrowing our desires/wants. Ironically, we found that our good pals and touring buddies, the Flemings

(featured in a number of Cruising and Musing posts), had additionally been toying with the thought of promoting their LTV and transferring as much as one thing bigger. They had been guided (’steered’ might have been extra correct) by our mutual buddy, Sandy Johnson, who had a particular opinion about what SHE would purchase if SHE had been going to personal a Class A motorcoach.

Note: Over the previous 5 years of proudly owning our RV, it has been clear to me that Sandy is educated, knowledgeable, and flat-out sensible on the subject of RV methods; her opinion and recommendation are value their weight in gold!

With my analysis in hand and knowledgeable by Sandy’s steerage (the Flemings had been additionally within the hunt), LisaMarie and I had situated a motorcoach that may meet our specs. So we packed up Izzy on a Saturday morning and drove to the west coast of Florida to an enormous RV dealership in Fort Myers, pondering, ‘we were just going to look’, armed with logic, practicality, and a well-prepared argument for staying precisely the place we had been.

And then we walked into the rig.

What struck me was not solely the dimensions or the options, however the feeling of the area itself—the home windows, gentle, the openness, the flexibility to maneuver with out occupied with how. The toilet was strong and cozy, not one thing you tailored to, however one thing that labored. The king-size Sleep Number mattress was at all times there, not put away.

Features equivalent to heated ceramic flooring, washer/dryer (yay, no extra quarters for the laundromat), dishwasher, marble counter tops, two zones of A/C and warmth, dimmable LED lighting, and energy blinds/shades for all home windows. Complemented by raised grain, hardwood paneling, soft-close cupboard doorways, dovetailed drawers, large closet, and a fire.

The residing area allowed for each togetherness and independence. And there was a quietness to it, a peaceful that prolonged past the bodily. Honestly, we had been each speechless, possibly in awe, afraid to utter any phrases out loud for one another (or the salesperson to listen to). OMG.

LisaMarie wasn’t discovering one thing new; she was seeing one thing she had already imagined.

And for the primary time, I noticed it too.

[Arriving Tomorrow Morning-Episode 3]