With A Little Help From My Friends
My new rig. We're at an RV park for a couple weeks before heading to BlogHer '11 in San Diego. (There are better pics but they're stuck in my camera, and the cord is still packed. Somewhere.
I got my RV!
My dream of traveling the country in an RV wouldn’t have been possible without help from my friends and family.
This includes you. Yes, you, reading this right now.
The following people helped sponsor this dream, either financially or supplied valuable information on purchasing an RV. Please visit their websites and businesses if you have a need for their services. While their financial support helped make my dream come true, their emotional support and willingness to help another follow her dream – no matter how crazy it may seem to a few others – means the world to me.
These people believe, and made me believe in magic….
Networker, Inc. The Human Resource Specialists. Networker, Inc. provides consulting and personnel services to clients throughout the U.S. As a full-service human resources consulting firm, they offer personal attention to their clients. Working with public and private sector clients they enhance individual as well as organizational excellence and effectiveness. Marilynn C. Mathews, President of Networker, Inc., is author of Strategic Intervention in Organizations, a classic management book, and numerous journal articles. Her organizational research has been cited in academic journals and media such as Newsweek, BusinessWeek, and the Wall Street Journal.
Alyne Hazard, Award-winning Belly Dancer and Instructor. I had the pleasure of learning to belly dance from Alyne. But more than that, I consider her family. She is a fantastic and creative belly dance instructor. She teaches classes in San Jose, CA. However, knowing there are many dancers who live in other areas, she also sells instructional DVDs on her website. Her original “Double Veil” routine is not to be missed. (She donates fifteen percent of all net proceeds to animal and environmental organizations.)
Chris Canevaro of Bikram Yoga San Jose was of immense help. Without his generous guidance and immeasurable knowledge of RVs, I would’ve been blindly making my purchase all alone. He was there for me every step of the way. While he’s no longer in the RV business, he manages and excellent Bikram Yoga studio in San Jose. Go get your hot yoga on! Let him know I sent you.
A huge Thank You to Ohelmina, Chickenbone, Stephen, and Jim for helping me move my stuff all over town. And to Malyne for storing my furniture. (Which is still for sale, everyone, so make an offer!)
There are countless others who offered their emotional support, and continue to do so. This is where YOU come in. You may have just said you’d be happy to meet me on the road, or agreed offered to go along for a leg of the trip (read: would let me kidnap you). Others recounted happy stories of friends who had successfully followed a very similar dream, giving me both hope and encouragement for a successful adventure of my own.
And several of you called me brave. Brave?! Not stupid, but brave. Wow. ((love))
Your encouragement, no matter how small it may have seemed to you, means everything to me.
*sniff*
Ok, enough of the teary stuff. I hope you’re all still here. Please do support the folks above if you are able.
I head out for BlogHer ’11 on August 3rd for a three-week test run. I’ll be stopping in Santa Barbara to visit a fellow blogger. Then on to, hopefully, see some of you all at BlogHer! After the convention, I plan to take my time heading back up to the Bay Area. If all goes as desired, I’ll be back on the road the first week of September. The general itinerary is to head to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, etc.
If you are a fellow blogger and commenter, and would like to meet up if I’m in your town please let me know where you’re at in the comments. Also, let me know of any cheezy or goofy roadside attractions in your area! And keep an eye out for An All-American Gal’s All-American RV Adventure! (or The Great Roll-about. I can’t decide. What title do you guys like best? Suggestions?)
That is so awesome that you got it finally.
Now, I just have to pull off actually *taking* it somewhere. 🙂
And she’s off!!!! Hey Phoenix, is where the Tuna’s live. Love to meet a fellow blogger.
Yay, Phoenix! I’ll definitely hit you up when I get out that way!
Yes, magic does happen every single day. And for those that are involved in the creative process, the things foremost in your heart always come the fastest. As those things come the others are free to move forward and have their chance. Well done in reaching for your dreams. I’m very proud of you for knowing what you wanted and following through.
Thank you! 🙂 Next, I do the test run to San Diego and back. I should be on the road for the real run by early September. I’ll make it up your way, but it might be a while before I’m back on the west coast!
Zaki and I will be waiting for you and Checkers in Saint George!
Yay! Maybe we could get some camouflage tarps to cover the RV and hide it from your neighbors!
Happy adventures to you! You are going to make such great memories…I am so happy for you! I hope we can cross paths somewhere in your travels!
Thank you! I’m getting more nervous as the test-run date approaches. Yes, I hope we can meet up on the road, too!
Wow. that’s Nice Idea. and it is helpful to those person who wants to go to the other places and also you can help them to achieve they dreams. I really like Adventures 🙂 in any places.