Went RV shopping at the Peoria Civic Center with the Grandparents yesterday. I think we looked through 50 RV's and had a blast. The kids, of course, fell in love with a giant $100,000 Class A that was twice the size of the Partridge Family bus. They had bunk beds with curtains and TV/DVD players for each bunk.
Two words...not happening. If you haven't looked at an RV lately, by the way, you have no idea how much like a home they are.
My father grew up on the farm and, as I watched him sit behind the wheel of a nice RV yesterday, I could see him thinking about selling their house and parking an RV by different lakes across the country, living near nature. His parents had a camper on a lake that we used to stay at for a week when I was a kid. We'd fish during the day and play cards with the complete strangers we met in the evening...falling asleep appreciating the moon's reflection on the lake.
I inherited some of that. I can look at the beauty of a lake, or mountain, or valley, or most of creation and find a peace unknown to the hustle and bustle we typically live in. It's good.
But we realized we needed to decide what kind of trip we're taking. A trip in an RV is not a city trip, it's a country trip. It's a more relaxed trip. A year around the USA in hotels, however, is more comprehensive, and probably a bit more hectic.
We decided with our goal of promoting organ donation, working with the media, and seeing all the important sites, this trip needs to be a city trip. We need to be highly mobile and able to park anywhere. It's a hotel trip.
Unless, of course, one of our corporate sponsors decides otherwise.
We will do a nature trip someday, though, where we get to park by a mountain and a lake. We have to. The mom hears the lapping of the ocean waves in her dreams, and I "need" the mountains. Maybe after the kids are off to college, who knows, but we'll get there. In fact, we just might look over and see the grandparents in a nearby RV, looking for someone to play cards with.
-the dad
(The only reason I can have these dreams is because my hero, Annie, was an organ donor. Click HERE so you can be a hero to someone too.)
On the lighter side...
ReplyDeleteI vote with the grandkids...Love the $100K RV idea.... sure beats the little camper we had when The Mom was a youngster.... didn't even have indoor plumbing.... in the camper, not the house -- we're not that old... haha!
Have say I do like the hotel route.... having someone else clean, wash, and cook for you sounds like a plan. ;)
On the serious side...
We are blessed by Annie's tremendous gift... an awesome gift of love that keeps on giving. Can't imagine what our family would be like without The Dad.
Hi Mike! I am so excited to hear about your incredible journey. I lost my kidneys 31 yrs ago, and have had 2 transplants, and am trying to find a live donor for my last attempt. My PRA level has been too high for the last 7 years, and I lost my donor. Now, John Hopkin's has a non-compatible program where all I need is a healthy live donor, and will apheris (sp) 2 weeks before and after the transplant in order to take care of the antibody problem. My donor does not have to match, as I would go int a pool of other candidates. Otherwise, the docs don't feel that I would have much success. Wish me luck:)
ReplyDeleteI hope that you and your family have the most wonderful time of your lives. I have done outreach work for donations myself, and was always amused at young people's attitudes toward even 'thinking' about their mortality. I enjoyed your son's posts, as well as your own. I will check you guys out often, and show all my friends what you are doing, as they understand all too well just how important donation is for those who need a gift of life! Namaste' Harriett Stevens hstevens4@nc.rr.com
We've met some neat people already and and we haven't even left. We'll definitely pray you get your kidney!
ReplyDeleteYou are right about so many people's lack of thinking on mortality. I want so much to communicate to them what I've learned having had to face death.
They would find it ironic that we (anyone having had to consider their death), for the most part, feel kind of sorry for them because they don't understand how fleeting life is, how important family and friends can be, and how frivolous some things are that we spend our time on.
I did promise my donor's mother a book on this so I will certainly need to follow through and at least try to explain life.
Hello Greiner family - I wish you the best on your trip. Come and visit us in Santa Cruz California (the other and some people say "The Original Surf City USA". We have a great amusement park called Beach Boardwalk and some of the greatest surf and beaches in the world. I am a bone marrow donor, one of my sons received a donated heart, another son's tissues were donated after he died in a car accident. I volunteered for 10 years with California Transplant Donor Network (CTDN) and I am now employed as a Community Development Coordinator with CTDN. Hope you guys can swing by Santa Cruz. Best travels, Gil Warren
ReplyDeleteWe HAVE to drop by Santa Cruz - don't all the literary agents live there? As I mentioned, I promised my donor's mother a book...and I have these screenplays...
ReplyDeleteDrop us a line at info@bestplacesintheusa.com if your organization would want to work on something together to promote donor registration while we're there. Thanks!
Your trips sounds fantastic! Thanks for bringing awareness to organ donation...it's saved our two kids, Gage and Quinn, who both have Polycystic Kidney Disease and received kidneys at age 8. Our daughter's surgery, just over 5 months ago on her 8th birthday!
ReplyDeleteThanks to TWO generous, lovely friends, we're able to celebrate with our kids. We're so grateful for their gift!
Have a great trip!
Julia
www.kidneysandeyes.com
I wish you the best of luck on your travels, I am quite jealous,what a terrific idea.I am so glad that you are taking your resources to the road for organ donation. My daughter received a life saving liver transplant September 23, 2009 after 5 years on the list, she is 21 years old. The more educated people are to donation the more lives you will help save, thank you.I see you will be visiting Ohio in November, that is a beautiful time of year here. Hope you can avoid the snow. Have a wonderful time exploring our beautiful country.Lisa
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteYour trip brings back such fond memories for us. 18 years ago my wife, myself and our two kids, Jesse 12 and Heidi 7, took a six month tour of the US. Best family experience of our life. We did the camper mode. Bought a conversion van with 4 captains chairs and towed a pop up camper. It was more than adequate. We did do motels occassionally.
There are some states (Cal, Utah) that you will need more than a week and some (Iowa, Nebraska) that you don't need a week. Try and build some freedom into your plans as there are going to be many spontaneous opportunities.
We are happily jealous.
If you want some specifics, give us an email (noyfba@aol.com) and we'd be glad to go into particulars.
Carpe Diem,
Spike and Susan