Almost time to move on

I think we can all officially say that we've had our belly full of rv parks and resorts. I can see why everybody at these places hole themselves up and watch satellite tv all day. There is nothing else to do and if you do go outside you are so close to your neighbors that you worry that you will disturb them, not to mention your lack of privacy. Even Ellery thought it was curious that most people in the nicest coaches don't even have their awnings out around here. It's because they don't go outside!

It wasn't our intention to stay at these places but like I've said before they are typically cheaper than the state parks where we are from and the way we have had to go to get out west. If we had to "camp" this way all the time I think we would be tired of the lifestyle real quick. I saw that the state parks in New Mexico are like $10-15 a night. Now that's more our speed and half of what they usually are around here....not to mention the boondocking opportunities that are right around the corner...and no, I'm not talking about parking at a Walmart.

The weariness of being laid up for two weeks with nothing to do has reminded me of why we are on this trip after all. We are looking for those beautiful landscapes you see on the rv commercials, the national park experiences, seeing deserts, mountains, and nature in general that looks exotic compared to where we are from. I've been joking about how I can leave the rv now, look around, and if nobody told me any better I would still think I was in Florida. I want to go somewhere that definitely doesn't look like Florida for a change, haha. Otherwise, what's the point of the trip?

So I have to tell myself that if the trip is getting a bit weary it is because we haven't reached any of our destinations yet. This part of the journey has been a means to an end or beginning or however you want to look at it I suppose. I am also realizing that after two weeks of being in one spot I get restless and think too much, just like being in a stick house....so a month is definitely dragging me down in addition to the foot injury. It always seems like as soon as you hit the road with empty highway ahead that all of those problems melt away from your mind for awhile with the anticipation of something new. It is when you stop for too long that they begin to drag you down again.

We are hoping to get to Carlsbad as quickly as possible, which may not be so quick after all with gas expenses. I'm sure hoping we have passed some of the highest camping costs for awhile as we slowly make our way into more boondocking territory. We had initially thought we might go northwest through Texas and then pass the New Mexico border to visit Santa Fe/Taos...but we've since decided the most direct route out of Texas and into New Mexico would be more favorable to us. Just visiting a national park would be pretty darn exciting to us!

We may shoot for Boulder after that because there is a doula conference there and I would like to finally begin my certification process to become a doula. After all, we are going to settle down eventually. We don't have unlimited resources or work on the road like many families who do this indefinitely. I've got to start thinking about transitioning into some kind of income. I haven't worked since Ellery was born eight years ago which is pretty scary but now that Riki's job prospects seem to be zero anywhere we go I've got to scramble up something. My previous work background was all ob/gyn related so being steeped in that so long would make becoming a doula a pretty practical idea.

We feel like such boondock newbs. Riki is frantically searching for BLM maps for Texas and freaking out, asking if there is a phone number he should call to make reservations. I'm thinking that would be a no myself if these are public lands, lol.  I told him we should just stop at a visitor center or call a state park if we can't find the place but I know that leaves him feeling very nervous. I mean, how in the heck does he enter it into the GPS on his phone, lol?