HOME IS WHERE THE TRUCK IS: 365+ days later.

Really? A year has passed already since I got on this truck. It went so fast, and so slow at the same time.

When I quit my job to take on this journey with Mark, my boss told me I was being a"stupid woman" and to " use my head, for once" because I was following my husband around. He told me I would not be able to handle it and that I would come back after a few weeks. That stung so badly at the time and I vowed to prove him wrong. Every time I thought I wanted to get off this truck or didn't think I could do it I remembered his words and would NOT allow him to be right about me.

And let me tell you, there were times, A LOT of times I thought I wanted off this truck or felt like I could not handle the OTR (over the road) life. I took a little time off here and there but each time could not wait to get back on the truck. Even looking down the road two months to when we hopefully have our apartment in Ohio, I am wondering how much I will miss the truck, oh and Mark too. ;)

Here are a few of my observations from the past year,

1. I have seen more of this country when I ever thought I would. 40 of the 48 contiguous United States. My very favorite state is New Mexico. The mountains and deserts there are just so gorgeous, Utah, the Salt Lake Area, and Wyoming are very close seconds. I have said it here before, and I will say it again. If you have not ever seen the western part of this country, you NEED TO GO. Start planning your vacation right away. Even if you think you have seen mountains in the East, they are NOTHING like the ones in the Southwest and Northwest.

2. To be totally honest, this is not as fun as I thought it would be, but in some ways its more fun. LOL. I do not get to see as much as I had hoped we would because we are out here working. Well, he is anyway. They keep us pretty busy and when we do have waiting time, we are usually in a place where there is nothing to go see anyway! We did get to go to Six Flags over Georgia yesterday so that was a fun afternoon off. I do enjoy being out here with Mark, for the most part, so that part has been fun.

3. I have learned A LOT about myself, here are a few things.

I can now go potty just about anywhere. I will not however use a porta-potty or a compost toilet. Sometimes its just good to have my pee bucket.
I can live without a lot of 'stuff" but not my nail polish and tons of notebooks. All the things I had in my home that are now sitting in storage that I thought I had to have, turns out I don't. I think I could even be a minimalist.
I am no longer afraid of bridges, mostly. I find if i concentrate on taking pics, I can handle it. EXCEPT the one in Texas on Hwy 90, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Those are no gos.
I can exist on WAY less sleep than I thought. Being tired is just part of the job.
It is very hard to paint my nails on a moving truck, but I have gotten much better at it. This is an important skill to have.

4. The sun rises and sets a lot faster than you may realize. I love to take pics of the process and it only takes about 15 minutes.

5. Truck stop showers are not scary like I thought they'd be. Most of them have been very clean and nice. I totally enjoy the alone time away from Mark and sometimes stay in there longer than necessary.

6. Mail. Blue mailboxes are hard to find, stamps hard to find and postcards are very difficult to write out. I have taken to a routine when writing them. Mom and sister get riddles, Andrew gets odd state laws, Adam gets a local recipe, Dax gets a note and a joke, and Theo gets state facts.

7. Facebook Messenger video calls are LIFE. I get to see the boys and my sister often and that really helps with the loneliness. Wish I could get mom on the bandwagon. I'm almost always available so feel free to call me! Mark likes when I get phone calls, it gives him a break from my singing and chatter.

8. I love crocheting. I didn't even know how to do it when I started this ride a year ago. To date I have made three baby afghans (and have another in progress) for friends and two full size (50 x 60) afghans for gifts. Last Christmas I also made 24 snowman ornaments for gifts. It's so relaxing to me and I am always looking for the next ones to make. I do have to get Adam's made. Yikes!

Too many things to mention really. It's been fun for the most part and I so glad I am here (for the most part). I am looking forward to establishing a home in Ohio in the next couple months, but am also glad I will still have the freedom to get back on the truck when I want to.

And finally, thank you. Thank you to each one of you who read all my rambling blog posts, looked at my bajillion pictures and encourages and prays for us. It really means more to me than you will ever know. Love you all bunches!