We've been here at Four Paws Kingdom Campground in Rutherfordton, North Carolina for a week now and tomorrow it will be time to move on to new things. We were seasonal campers here for 8 months last year - mostly so Doris could have agility training and develop some self-confidence. Of course, we enjoyed it too. We left for the winter and spent almost 4 months on various beautiful beaches - it was an amazing time and definitely fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine. Stopping back here at Four Paws has closed the circle of our winter travels. I'm anxious to move north and see more new sights.

I realized a few days ago that we've mostly been in the south since October 2011, with a couple of short treks north. I've enjoyed it a lot but don't anticipate ever spending that much time down here again. We'll spend next winter in Austin, TX (not the south!) and there are a few other places I'd return to for brief visits but I'm a California girl - I don't do humidity and bugs very well. So I'll grab my years supply of Duke's mayonnaise and hit the road north on Monday.

Back before we hit the road full-time in our little fiberglass egg, we were pretty conventional about celebrating anniversaries and birthdays - you know, flowers, cards, chocolate, wine, a nice dinner, a present or two. Now, that we live in less than 136 square feet, we spend a lot of time figuring out how to avoid STUFF - like cards and gifts (but not the chocolate or wine). Last night, during our anniversary dinner, we took a few minutes to speak to each other from our hearts. Of course, then the tears started. But I think it was better than any card or love letter we've ever given each other. And the only cost was the ability to be vulnerable with the one you love.

When you're living full-time in a tiny little trailer it's important to stay organized. Rainy days provide a great opportunity to turn the little messes we sometimes make in here back to the organized chaos that is our lives. We went to Lowes the other day and replaced our worn out closet organizer. Today, because it was raining, we tackled the chore of unloading and reorganizing the closet! From our tiny closet we came up with a bag for Good Will, a bag for the trash dumpster, and a bag to leave in storage in Omaha. I love that the commitment we made to unclutter our lives is still in place more than 3 years later.

Many people have asked if I'm blogging about our journey on the road. Up until now I've said, no, I don't have time. But lately I've been thinking about all the things I do have time for and decided to add blogging to them. I will make a grand attempt to record my musings about the remainder of our journey, however long that may be.