Let's take a road trip ;)

Okay so I wanted to share a little adventure Steve & I are planning with you all.

When Steve & I got married we discussed wanting to do something very special for our year anniversary because of our circumstances.  Steve's original idea was we go to Italy, well at this point in our life that's not possible for a multitude of reasons---main one being financial.  So with our anniversary coming & the fact that the whole month of September we didn't leave the house much more than maybe 4 days of the month; between Steve getting sick/saving money/preparing for stem cell we were cooped up in the house.  So much so that going to the grocery store was as exciting to me as dressing up & having a night on the town.  Thankfully Steve has been feeling a lot better & has had a lot more energy so we are able to get out & about now, but we need a trip.

We have both talked so often about wanting to go out west & because we were donated an amazing handicapped accessible van we have decided to make a road trip to California & back.  Yes you read that right.  & before you stop reading I really want to explain why this trip is so important to Steve & I.

Besides everything I mentioned above about wanting to take a trip on our anniversary & us having cabin fever there are several other things that motivate this trip.  For starters, our whole mission (for lack of better words) since Steve's been diagnosed is to remind people to live their lives to the fullest.  A long time ago, when I was about 7 my mom's second husband Chuck one day said to us, okay let's pack up & drive out west.  I don't remember much from him but I remember him saying, 'all my life I've wanted to make a trip out west, but have always let life get in the way.'  For some reason that of all things has always resonated with me.  If you have an opportunity take it---want to do something (within limits obviously)---do it.  That trip we took was my first memory of traveling & from what little I can remember from it that's when I sorta became obsessed with wanting to see everything outside of our small town Pennsylvania.  Take a cross country road trip out west has been on my bucket list forever & as it turns out it's on Steve's also.  So because we want to live by example we decided to make it happen.  We have the time now with me being home & with this van & the lots of loved ones we have scattered across the country we can do this on a budget.

We also plan to make this a little spread some amazing awareness road trip as well! We are going to be making it a point along this trip to spread awareness to any & everyone we come in contact with.  We have some tricks up our sleeve as to how---but you'll have to stay tuned for that. :)

I will be documenting the whole trip.  Going to do videos & photos.  For the sake of everyone who will be worried or just curious I will be updating where we are probably each day on our Hopeforsteve facebook page, so if y'all haven't liked us yet---may be time. ;)  I plan to compile all the video into a little Hope for Steve documentary after the trip. I will be blogging throughout but most of it will be a big long blog at the end.  I will keep a journal like I did when we went to Belize & took our Florida road trip.  It's nice on those days we are stuck in the house to look back at photos & videos & read the journals to reminisce.

So we have MOST of the trip mapped out but not all of it.  Main thing is we aren't wanting to put a set schedule on it.  For 2 reasons really---if we see something awesome along the drive I want to be able to stop & see it & also if Steve is feeling tired or not well we will make sure to allow time for him to get rest.  I'll let y'all know some of our for sure plans we have, but first I want to address all the worried on lookers.  For starters, Steve & I have been planning this for a month & a half & still have the rest of this month to continue to plan.  With the help of Steve's dad we have done a lot of maintenance on the van to assure it is in top condition for the trip.  I have road side assistance with my insurance, so if we happen to have any random car problems we can't figure out all I have to do is make a call.  I am already a walking pharmacist so if we need any medication we will have that---I also already started packing a hefty first aid kit.  Something else that will make everyone feel better is the amount of people we plan to meet up with. (total side note if you are in any of the areas I mention & Steve & I haven't talked to you---message me and after sassing me for not contacting you yet please tell me if you'll be around the month of November).  In all but 1 state we have someone to meet up/stay with which adds even more excitement to the trip!!   We plan to enjoy the trip to the fullest & explore as much as we can but we've also learned this year for Steve not to push himself.  When he needs rest---we rest.

So the plans which will continue to become more 'solid' are as follows.  For the most part we do have people we will be staying with & the remainder of the time we plan to 'camp' out in our van. :) We will have a few nights of getting a hotel but few & far between.  Remember this isn't just a road trip, this is time of our lives, new adventure, awareness bringing, wanderlust living, ON A BUDGET road trip.  So this is why we have been planning this out so much---to make it cheap :)  So far the route is (subject to change): Biloxi, New Orleans, Austin, Albuquerque, Grand Canyon, Drive all through Cali, Big Sur---coastal highway, Yosemite, Redwood, Tahoe, then head to Salt Lake, & the mother load of people to visit in Colorado Vail & Denver, gonna go through Kansas & hit up Chicago, through Kentucky & stop to see my Nashville bff, & back home.  To those this exhausts don't worry about me, I've always had a little gypsy in me so it doesn't sound exhausting intimidating anything negative---it just sounds amazing!!

With all that--any suggestions are always welcomed as well as anyone have anything handy that will make the trip more awesome we can borrow let us know.  For starters---#1 need futon mattress & uh well that's all I think we don't already have---BUT if you think there are some MUST have items we make sure we have---let me know!

I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who encouraged us to go on with this idea & who support us in our good times & our bad.  Thanks for everyone reminding us that since we've been trying to encourage everyone to enjoy life that we need to as well!