5/14/06 (Sunday): Happy Mother’s Day to all my friends who are mothers and grandmothers! A special Mother’s Day wish to Kristin, who’s expecting my third granddaughter in July. I’m so glad you’re feeling better!

It was cold and rainy today (again). We decided to leave the campground in Madison, CT, where we were camped last night and head up to Mystic Seaport. It was a short trip, but sort of stressful in the rain. I worry about having to make an emergency stop hauling almost 9,000 pounds behind me!

We had picked out a campground just south of Mystic Seaport. We had a hard time finding it (turned the wrong way off I-95), and then were kind of dismayed at the muddy roads. But we took a chance on it anyhow. After navigating through the mud and potholes, the first site they assigned us was already occupied! So we trekked back to the office and were assigned a second site. The turn onto the road to that site was at such a sharp angle that we couldn’t make it. Back to the office we went, and this time I asked for a refund. They were very gracious about it.

We came up the road another 15 miles or so to another (much more expensive) campground in the town of Mystic. It’s very soggy, too, but at least it has paved roads! There’s a Prowler 5^th wheel a few sites down that looks almost exactly like ours—I can’t wait to see who’s in it. I’d love to talk to them about how they like theirs. We’re very happy with ours so far. I especially like the arrangement of lights—there’s one available everywhere I need it, including one each for reading in bed. There are also lots of windows, so it feels bright and airy (even on rainy days).

Tonight we did some laundry, watched news on cable TV, and heated up leftovers for dinner. Wiley spent some time planning our day in Mystic Seaport tomorrow. We’re definitely going to do the museum and shops (not to buy anything, but because the shops are in really old houses). If we have time, we’d also like to do the Pemaquid Indian museum nearby.

Tuesday we’ll head through Rhode Island and on into MA. We’ll spend several days on Cape Cod. Sure wish this rain would stop!

I spoke with both my sons today (thanks, guys), and also to my friend, Lucie. Lucie has been inspired by this blog to start one of her own. I’ve been amazed to find that journaling my experience has been one of the best parts of the trip for me. We are having an adventure, in the true sense of the word. We’re taking chances and making discoveries about ourselves and our country. It’s a real growth experience. For me, the hardest part has been overcoming my fears (some rational, some not). I’ve worried a lot about safety, money, missing my family and friends, giving up my home and possessions, starting a new job, and myriad other real and imaginary possibilities.

I feel so empowered to be not only accomplishing our goals, but for the most part enjoying it! It’s involved a lot of planning and organization, and it’s very satisfying to see our plans being implemented and our organizational efforts making our lives easier every day. I feel freed from the daily urgency of working life and more able to concentrate on what’s truly important. The journaling has been a way to track our progress geographically and record what we’ve seen and done, but it’s also been a way to capture fleeting thoughts and feelings. So I say: “Go for it, Lucie—you’re gonna love it!”

It’s also been very good for us to be recording all our expenses. I’ve always been frugal, but I’ve never kept a detailed expense report before. It’s very enlightening! We expected gasoline to be a major expense, but have been surprised that campground fees are so high (on average, $30/night—almost as much as a motel). We could stay at state parks more cheaply, but they haven’t been located on our route.

We’ve got 10 days left until we get to our campground in Maine. So far, out of our $2100 budget we’ve spent:

Gas - $523.78
Groceries - $100.12
Tolls, Parking, Public Transportation - $61.75
Snacks - $14.29
Camping Fees - $363.45
Admission Fees - $52.00
Camper/Vehicle Repairs and Improvements - $174.46
Laundry - $14.75
Entertainment/Gifts - $36.87
Restaurant Meals - $98.15
Total Expenses - $1,515.22

That leaves about $585 ($58.50/day) for the rest of our trip. We’ve come 1782 miles, at an average of 9.9 mpg gas. We estimate that we have about another 400 miles to go. If gas continues to be about $3/gallon and we continue to average about 10 mpg, gas should cost $120 (we’ll say $200 to be safe). $585 less $200 is $385, or $38.50/day for everything other than gas. With campgrounds averaging $30 a night, it’s obvious that we’re going to have to cut back somewhere. Of course, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we may decide to break the budget, since we do have some other funds. We don’t want to miss going somewhere we might not get another chance to see.

That’s it for tonight—I’m ready to crawl into my warm, dry bed and let the sound of the rain on the roof lull me to sleep. Goodnight!