The fog lays heavy on the eastern Ohio hills as the sun slowly rises upon another day here in Cambridge.  Lisa and I notice the smoky drift of clouds during our morning commute to her work at Southeastern Medical.  This morning on this first day of Autumn, we woke to temperatures in the mid forties and noticed for the first time, the change of seasons.  Many people say Autumn is their favorite time of year.  I agree.  But with every changing season comes a sad sense that life is passing far too quickly.  Traveling has served to heighten that sad awareness and being away from home as one season morphs into the next only magnifies the truth of how long we have been away.  It does not help that my birthday falls during the final days of summer and this morning I woke up to not only a new season but an added number to my age.  Lisa and I left home for Ohio in the spring and now it is nearing October.  Where did all our summers go?

Our pool is now covered and closed for the winter here at our campground and the lush trees surrounding us are just starting to turn colors.  The seasonal campers are beginning to close down their campsites and move back home or to some other (probably warmer) climate.  There remains a good possibility that we will be here through the winter and getting ready for that is on our minds as the temperatures begin their descent.  RV living is nice and comfortable for most of the year, but we have discovered managing during freezing temperatures and snow requires daily attention and a good deal of preparation.  It is comforting to know we have made friends here that can be relied upon for help if need arises.

Friends.  Something about the changing season makes me appreciate friends more than ever.  Perhaps there is some primal instinct that kicks in during the ‘Fall’ that urges us to gather with others – to connect into a community as we brace for the winter.  Maybe that is why communities all over America celebrate with fall festivals, apple festivals, harvest festivals, and other gatherings.  Winter is just not a time to be alone and without a community to depend upon.  We need each other and somebody needs us.  Two very important people in our lives visited us this past weekend and the bond we have established is all about that support and dependence.  When Lisa and I were discussing the possibility of traveling with her job and venturing into RV living, Steve and Michelle Luck had similar ideas.  Lisa and I knew Steve from my job at Owensboro Middle School and had just come to know his new wife, Michelle, when we learned of our common interest in purchasing an RV.  (We also share a common love of Disney World but that is another story for another day).  Taking the bold step to travel full-time is a scary proposition.  Lisa and I were scared – Steve and Michelle were scared.  After we learned of that commonality – we got scared together.  And scared together is far better than scared alone.  Over time we both hit the road but I’m not sure that would have been nearly as easy had we not known personally a couple of people doing the same thing.  I am sure they will echo that sentiment.  Many times I find myself calling them for advice about one thing or another and they will call us from time to time for the same reason.  We are glad to know there are people as crazy as we are.  Our travels have taken us in opposite directions most of the past two plus years – that is, until this past weekend when we finally came together at the same campground at the same time.  It was good to share our war stories of RV living.  It was good to be with our friends again.

So here comes a new season in all our lives and with it the anticipation of both good times and challenges.  Though, for me, season changes seem a little sad.  There is also great hope in what is to come.  How colorful will all the trees be?  How blue will be the sky?

And what friends will we have to share it with?

Love, Steve and Lisa