Last winter was our longest trip yet at over four months from start to end. A little over a month later, and we’re off again. It’s been a whirlwind, but it always feels good to finally transition from getting ready to leave to actually being on the road. Whether we’re ready or not, the preparations are done.

Our first day was long. We got up early, but it always takes us several hours to get the animals set, get the last stuff packed, do some final cleaning and close up the house. Then we hit the road for a 6.5 hour drive to Iowa and the Winnebago dealer, plus an additional half hour side trip to our daughter’s to drop off something we didn’t intend to bring. Add in a quick lunch stop and a couple of fuel stops, mix with being worn out from all the activity of the last week or so getting ready, and both we and the animals were pretty beat when we finally arrived.