Lost in Space

In November and December, we took a brief hiatus from travelling by occupying the spare rooms of assorted family members.

That is still a form of traveling, I guess, drifting from one home to another over a month and a half. It was certainly entertaining.

But after spending time with our children and grandchildren, my siblings and their spouses, and then having a final bash thrown at me unexpectedly for an early birthday celebration, finally the last month of the year is almost over and it’s time to skedaddle south again.

We crossed the border on a sunny, cold day, munching on leftover chocolates from my party, and promptly met snow in the New York/Pennsylvania mountains. This was not a surprise. We hit the same winter storm system in the same place last year. It’s a good reason to leave earlier in the fall.

Whenever we cross the border, we get into the routine of changing over the cards and cash from our wallets, changing the SIM cards in our phones, and changing the habits of a Canadian tongue. We now have to remember to use the southern lingo: miles not kilometers, Fahrenheit not Celsius, napkins instead of serviettes, and restroom in place of bathroom or washroom. Now I know why travel is so good for the mind.

Although, I can’t say it has helped me all that much.

My mind must have been so busy trying to keep up with the nuances of being south of the border that it forgot basics. After many years of travel experience, we have developed a “final check” routine. This happens whether we are leaving a campground, a hotel room, or a family home. Last one out the door does a visual sweep of the area to make sure nothing gets left behind. In the last 4 years of constant travel, our record has been almost immaculate. On this one trip down to Georgia, it was totally destroyed. When we left North Carolina and the second hotel we stayed in, our SPOT GPS got forgotten on the window sill. We didn’t realize it until the next night in Georgia.  Housekeeping promised to mail it on to us.  There was a third night in a hotel while we were in Georgia, near where the trailer was stored.  In leaving the next morning, I managed to not only miss collecting a charging cord, but also left behind my all important cell phone. Literally, the head that is not attached to my shoulders.

Luckily, we now had the trailer out of storage and into a campsite merely around the block from that hotel. So going back, twice, for forgotten items was merely embarrassing, and not expensive. Thank goodness we are now in our own home, where anything that is lost can be no more than 34 feet away.

Except maybe my mind.  Seems that I can leave that just anywhere.

W