I will keep this post short. We have just arrived in Austin after cutting our trip short by two days. The heat at Big Bend National Park was so unbearable that we were confined to the shade of our campsite making us realize that we are done with the wild. We crave the comforts of civilization. We crave the comforts of our home. We crave the company of our family and friends. Luckily, Scott and Sebastien have received us with open arms and we are now enjoying their magnificent home. I will make sure to share some pictures in a future post. The pool! The view! Incredible! Now we just need to wrap up our affairs before we can fly homewards. Just a couple more days!
Week 28 – Sand Sledding!
We made some good progress on wrapping up our affairs in the US (see to do list below). I believe that I have now also fully understood what we need to do to get Gonki ready for storage. Winterization is comprised of three key components…
Week 27 – Getting ready for our return home…
As we come to the end of our trip we are preparing for our return home. This summizes a twofold to do list. One focused on rapping up our affairs in the US and one to ensure our return home allows us to pick up where we left of 6 months ago. Given our limited connectivity this is a rather tedious process, but we are continuously chipping away and are making steady progress. Below please find the action items we have compiled so far. Some these are rather trivial, but documenting these lists has been quite helpful to ensuring we don’t forget anything!
Continue reading Week 27 – Getting ready for our return home…
Week 26 – Gonki will stay part of the family!
It’s decided. After confirming that the resale price of Gonki will remain fairly stable over the next four years we have decided to keep our camper. We have been able to secure an enclosed storage unit close to Austin and have already started brainstorming our next trip (summer 2020). We would like to use this opportunity to let you all know that you are happily invited to use the camper. Please reach out to us in case you are interested! (@Daniel – your interest has already been pencilled in. Let’s discuss when we are back!).
Continue reading Week 26 – Gonki will stay part of the family!
Week 25 – Home sweet home!
This past week was an emotional rollercoaster. Being allowed to share our nomad life with Susanne was a privilege that specifically Benni and Alex made sure to enjoy. It was, however, also a reminder of the home and friends we so dearly miss and saying goodbye to both Susanne and Gabriel was hence a painful exercise. In only seven weeks we will return home and by now we couldn’t be happier that we are approaching the end of our adventure. Being a nomad has been the experience of a life time. Knowing that we have a home and loving family and friends to come back too, however, is the true blessing in our lives.
Week 24 – I simply hate Vegas
Vegas is a city of waste. It’s a city where the rotten nature of humanity is celebrated. It’s a city that appalls me, but that attracts people like mosquitos drawn in by its neon lights. It’s a place where anything can be bought and no one seems to be true. It’s the abyss of western society. It’s a city that I truly loathe from the bottom of my heart.
– Tim-Hendrik Meyer (29.08.2018)
Week 23 – Great National Parks of the West
We have now commenced the part of our trip that once upon a time made Mieke and myself fall in love with the raw natural beauty of the United States. We were awed by Yosemite National Park, which easily catapulted itself to the top of our list of favourite parks and which is an absolute must do for anyone visiting California! We are now dozing away at Kings Canyon National Park, making sure to enjoy one of the most beautiful campsites that we have thus far been lucky enough to have been assigned. Campfire, marshmallows, BBQ and cold beer. To quote an older gentlemen sitting by the river in Yosemite Valley: “It doesn’t get any better than this, my friend.” How right he is!
Week 22 – Burning Land
California is burning. Wildfires are raging across the state, as 2018 is forecasted to be the most destructive wildfire season in California history. The increasingly intense blazes seen in recent years, are attributed to decades of fire suppression that have broken the cycle of fires that are inherent to forests, creating an unnatural build-up of tinder. Looking at precipitation statistics, I would personally add that global warming is also to blame, however, since global warming is considered “Fake News” in this country, I am not surprised that the media has decided to focus on other potential causes. What are the fires to us? Yosemite National Park was evacuated and closed temporarily, forcing us to alter our route and suffer the heat of southern California. What a shame!
Week 21 – Taking a Break
The last week we took a break and spent six days at Benbow KOA and Manchester Beach KOA. The boys and I enjoyed the water splash park, swimming pool and playground, while Mieke finished her last university paper. We went to dinner at the historic Benbow Inn and stoped at the Trees of Mystery to be awed by the sheer size of the redwood trees towering up to 100 meter above us. Other than that we used the week to recuperate and prepare for the awesome weeks ahead of us. We are now in San Francisco and Gabriel is due to arrive today. Let the journey continue!
Week 20 – To Family and Friends and the Fortune when they are both!
This toast, given by Laurel (Abby’s mother) on our last night in Portland, is a perfect reflection of our stay with the Kaufman family. Seldom have we felt so welcome. Seldom have we felt so relaxed and at home.
Continue reading Week 20 – To Family and Friends and the Fortune when they are both!