WHAT A DIFFERENCE 500 POSTS MAKE

What does May 9, 2006 mean to you? Nothing special? Don't remember? That date was 500 posts ago for me. It was my very first post. It was sent from Dunn Bros. coffee shop where I was sitting with our daughter, Kari , learning how to blog. Wow! Life has certainly changed for me in that time. Permit me to bore you with a rehash of those 499 posts.

In the words of our oldest son, Kevin, on that date my husband and I were homeless and jobless. We had just retired from jobs we had held for many, many years. We had sold the home where we had raised our seven kids, and we had given away the majority of our possessions, keeping only a few favorite pieces of furniture and some family heirlooms. We had purchased a big white truck and a 35 foot fifth wheel trailer, and we were off on the adventure of a lifetime. And that is what we had for twenty wonderful months!

Our first destination was Alaska. Then we headed for Florida. Last summer was New Foundland, and last winter was California. Count all the states and provinces we crossed in traveling to the actual destinations and you'll see that we covered a majority of the Northern Hemisphere! WhooHoo! It was awesome, wonderful, exciting, amazing, and any other superlative that you can think of. We saw great stuff and met super people.

And I cried lonely tears in each and every state and province. I was having a wonderful time, but I missed my family. Still we traveled on down the highways and byways, and when the loneliness became unbearable, we flew or drove back to Minnesota. One of those trips back to Minnesota became the turning point of our adventure.

Last November we flew home from Las Vegas for our godson's wedding and found my mom looking tired and confused. We chalked it up to the fact that she was 85 and went back out west. In December we flew home again, for Christmas. Mom was definitely more tired and more confused and we started to question our plans for travel. In the middle of January from our spot in San Diego, California, we made the decision to give up full time RVing and go home to Minnesota.

And we are so glad we did. We were only permitted six more months with mom. Jesus came to take her home on July 15. Those last six months with mom were so precious, and we will never regret changing our lives to come back to Minnesota.

Now we've come full circle! We sold the big trailer and bought a tiny camper. We live in a nice home that we are renting, and we've again filled it with furniture and treasures. And Ernie has gone back to work part time. We're back to the life we were leading in May of 2006.

The last 499 posts have come from scores of locations: Seldovia, Alaska, Yukon Territory, the land of Lincoln, the Amish country of Indiana, the white sands of Florida's gulf coast, the battlefields of Gettysburg and Antietam. From Anne of Green Gables' home on Prince Edward Island, from the Viking's landing spot in New Foundland, from the cowboy towns of the West, from ski towns of the mountains, and from the beaches of San Diego, California. We've been there, done that, and bought way too many t-shirts!

Oh what memories we have. And it's all been recorded in word and picture here on Roadsage as we traveled down eight lane highways and narrow mountain trails. I'm so glad I have this record of those wonderful times. And it has been so much fun sharing it all with you.

So, now we venture down a different road and wonder where it will lead us. We plan to keep recording our travels and posting photos so you can travel with us. The next big trips? Florida in January and Alaska in July, with a few local trails in between. Stay tuned.