It's the little things...

This past week the little things for me included cows, a shower, a familiar voice, and trust.

Cow cuddling is actually a thing! I love cows. Just seeing them makes me smile. So when I learned that the Sunset View Creamery in Odessa, NY, where we would be staying offered cow cuddling I knew we had to do it! Our animal lover Kate was all in, Ben was a little more cautious. Mallory opted for sleeping in that morning. She is allergic to hay and animal hair, so we'll give her a pass. It was a great experience with the "kid cows" (10 weeks - 2 years) nuzzling into the kids, licking their shirts and following them as they moved about their pen.

Harvest Hosts (boon dock camping experiences) have made traveling cross-country very easy and each offer a unique experience. No set-up or tear down, easy pull in spots and other fellow RVers to get advice from. In fact, we did five of them back-to-back...

• Boxcar Brew Works in DuBois, PA

• Sunset View Creamery in Odessa, NY

• Bowman Orchards in Rexford, NY

• Bragg Farm Sugarhouse in East Montpelier, VT

• Sandy River Alpaca Farm in Starks, ME

This biggest drawback with boon docking is that we have no shower. If you are counting that was five days without a shower!

We had decided storage was a higher need than a shower and put shelves in our shower stall in the RV. This was the right decision, but a shower was much needed by all Andersons when we finally arrived at our campground in Acadia, Maine. It was the best four quarters I have ever spent! Each brought me 5 minutes of a refreshing, hot shower!

It had only been about two weeks on the road, but I quickly came to understand the wisdom our friends the Johnson's had shared with us about being anonymous while on the road.

They had done a similar adventure 12 years ago with their family. When we had dinner with them this summer I came prepared to take notes, mark up the map and get traveling tips. What stood out most to me after hours of conversation was that every where you go you are a stranger. This is a stark contrast to our life in the Brainerd Lakes Area. It isn't small town, but you rarely go to the grocery store or run an errand without seeing someone you know.

The reality of how much I missed the familiarity of seeing and talking to people from home hit me on Wednesday afternoon as I was working in our RV in a Walmart parking lot. I needed to call my dear friend, coworker, and network administrator Karly. As soon as I heard her voice there were instant tears running down my cheeks and a lump in my throat. I missed hearing her voice! We would talk nearly every day at home.

I was quick to tell her everything was good, actually really good. We had left Vermont earlier that day. It was a place with natural beauty everywhere you looked and architecture that reflected the past in most of the homes, buildings and covered bridges. We had taken a 4.5 mile walk to the only remaining covered bridge in East Montpelier that dated back to 1851.

While I was working, Chuck and the kids were shopping in Walmart restocking our supplies and playing a game of "Where's Waldo" changed to "Where's the Amish" who belonged to the horse and buggy in the parking lot. Ben won as he spotted the family first.

I just missed her voice and talking to people I know and who know me. Marco Polo, texts and Facebook have been great for staying connected. But there is something different about conversation with a familiar friend.

The final little thing that struck me happened while we were traveling the last leg of the journey to Acadia. I was sharing with Chuck about a campground I found near Boston for us to stay at in October and he casually responded "I trust ya."

It hit me in that moment how much trust we have in each other on this adventure. I trust him with our safety as he drives the big rig up and down the hills (some of them quite steep). He is trusting me with the planning and navigation. I am thankful we have a marriage that has a strong foundation on faith and trust in God.

We have been at Acadia National Park for a few days and it is breathtaking. Next post will be all about this place. But for now you can see our updated list of People, Places and Adventures that were a part of the journey here.

Hoping you find joy, peace and appreciation in the little things your life holds.