Never Too Old! (60 is the new 40): Getting ready for the serendipity of 'what's next'?

The amount of preparation it takes to leave for a major trip is almost enough to make me stay home.

Almost.

Sacramento is the first stop for our lil' Red Writer

But the idea of not taking this slow trek across America in our Little Red Writer teardrop trailer would probably be heresy for Captain Miguel. It was clear that there would be no wavering on this next adventure.

So here we are. Ready to roll, almost literally,

I probably wouldn't even consider making this little 16-foot trailer my home for the next month if Michael and I weren't so in sync with when to go, when to slow, when to stop.

When anxiety was escalating last week, I suggested maybe spending our first night just an hour or two down the road with our Sacramento friends, Pam and Steve. A sigh of relief, a drop in anxiety. A good plan!

The point of this adventure, as I understand it, is to be able to go where we want, when we want. Stay longer. Leave earlier. Pick a new direction. This new mode of transportation is a direct result of staying in hotels during our recent cross country trips and having to check out by 11, dissuading us from taking the time to explore some fascinating and out-of-the-way locations we had stumbled upon. We cruised our 48-foot sailboat for many years and so the much of the joy came the serendipity of 'what's next'.

A family send-off – Michael, Sami, Kami and Anne

But before we really launched into this road trip, I needed the familiarity of friends and a family at our Sacramento home-away-from-home. Last night we had a sweet reunion and barbecue as we sat out by the pool on a hot summer evening as the Delta breeze kicked up and cooled us off.

The best dentists in Sacramento! DiTomasso Dental on J Street

This morning I had a quick dental check up to discover I had a small cavity that needed to be fixed before the trip. Ten minutes later, fixed and done. Then a walk down J-Street for a quick stop by our dermatologist's office for high-end sunscreen. We're preparing for some serious sun country along the way –– Utah and New Mexico –– as we head east to our final destination, Seneca Lake and the Fourth of July.

By that time I was getting the rhythm of this vacation thing and decided I needed an afternoon to explore some of the changes in downtown Sacramento, especially the new Kings arena. So off I went again, by foot, to see what I could see. Five miles later it was obvious we weren't leaving today to go anywhere.

So I guess this trip is already a success.

Tomorrow morning we'll sort, arrange, repack, and get ready for lift off.

Or maybe not. Stay tuned. You know as much as we do.