King & I

In 2018, after 42 years of marriage, we embarked on an extraordinary adventure—traveling together full-time as nomads. Our journey began with packing up our lives and storing the essentials in nine boxes. These boxes hold not just mementos but also some of those quirky home gadgets we couldn’t part with. They remind us of the time when we will eventually transition away from our nomad lifestyle, retiring to a more stationary existence.

The Quirks and Charms of Traveling Companionship

Traveling together, we’ve discovered delightful idiosyncrasies about each other. For instance, King has this peculiar habit of not drinking his beverage until I finish mine. It’s amusing, albeit somewhat irritating, but it’s all part of our journey together. As we drive, I often observe him through my peripheral vision, anticipating his moves and playing little games. But amidst these playful moments, there are some challenges too.

The Driving Dilemmas: A Back-seat Driver and a Directionally Challenged Navigator

I must admit, I’m not the one behind the wheel when we’re on the road. Why, you ask? Two reasons: Firstly, King is a back-seat driver, and for the sake of harmony, I let him take the wheel. Admittedly, his driving sometimes terrifies me, but I’ve learned to keep my eyes closed and trust the element of surprise. Secondly, navigation is not his strong suit. Turning logic puzzles him; if we turn right into a parking lot, he believes we must turn right again when leaving. Convincing him otherwise is an exercise in futility, so I’ve adopted a simple solution—direct him to the correct lane when needed.

The Challenge of Communication on the Road

To add to our little quirks, communication can be a bit of a shouting match, thanks to our respective hearing issues. A viral infection in King’s inner ear has left him unable to hear out of his right ear. So, when I give directions, I often have to raise my voice, especially over the road noise and King’s mumbling with a cigar in his mouth. In an ironic twist, I wear hearing aids too, but King refuses to consider them. Our contrasting hearing abilities make for an interesting dynamic traveling together on our nomadic journey.

Embracing Compromises: Navigating a 192-Square-Foot Living Space

As the miles roll by, we’ve learned that marriage and traveling together demand compromises. Spending the day in a pickup and retiring to a 192-square-foot living space necessitates a few extra agreements.

Harmonious Parking Solutions: The Dog-Walking Strategy

Avoiding the infamous “Sorry for what I said when you were parking the trailer” moments requires finesse. We’ve devised a simple solution: King drops me off at the campground entrance or a suitable spot near our boondocking site and tasks me with walking the dog while he handles parking the trailer. It’s a win-win; I don’t have to watch, and our neighbors don’t have to hear any colorful language.

Join us traveling together on our nomadic journey as we embrace the ups and downs of traveling together, cherishing every observation and adapting through mutual compromises. It’s an adventure like no other, and we’re still learning and growing along the way.