Begin at the beginning

I don't know when the idea first fermented or when the decision was finally made but once it was made there was no turning back.  We put the house on the market,  downsized from a 2400 square foot house to a 5x15 foot storage container and what we could fit in a minivan and hit the road.  Actually our first stop was not very far, about half a mile away actually, to a friends house where we could catch our breath and re-evaluate all the "stuff" we had decided we "needed."   Further downsizing is definitely required.  We also wanted to be able to relax after all the stress and disruptions of packing, estate sales, negotiating the house sale and closing accounts.

There are things you don't realize are important until you don't have them.   Having an address, for example, is extremely important.  It is very difficult to receive mail, order something online, sign up for health insurance, etc. etc. with no address.   Other obstacles are where to sign up for health care,  what State do you use to renew your driver's license and register the car, telephone service and many other things that we have to work out.

But we do have some plans in place.  We have already taken a trip to Big Bear in California, driven a pontoon boat around the lake and zip lined down the mountain.  We are heading up the California coast, walking on the beach, tasting wines and renewing relationships with our friends in Northern California.  Ohio, Chicago, New Mexico, Texas, New Orleans, Florida, England and Thailand are all in our future, but we will cover those as we experience them.

We are very lucky to have the most important thing available to us, good and supportive friends.  Life's turning points, such as this is, definitely underscore the value of our friends who have become family and are incredible.  Who knows where we will finish up, but these people are too important to not be in our lives