Big Adventure Leads To Little Patience

Maryland State Flag.

At this point in the journey . . .

I'm behind on blog entries, short on words, frustrated by the awful Internet speed and connectivity in RV parks, wishing I didn't have to hand wash all the dishes, needing some alone time, desperate for freezer space that doesn't require me taking everything out of its packaging in order to fit it in, weary from trying to find veterinarians and pediatric dentists that are accepting new patients and that can work us in to their schedule within the 72 hours we'll be in their area, and generally grumpy. 

I feel so sorry for my husband, who patiently puts up with me.  I have no patience left, and I'm borderline hateful.

While I have loved this adventure, and I would do it again in a minute . . . there are days when it would be really easy to just throw in the towel and be done. 

Lately, I'm noticing silence.  Not like the "I'm mad and giving you the silent treatment silence," but more like the "we've lived every single second together in 300 square feet for nearly a year and there is simply nothing left to talk about" silence.  You know the kind, right?

That's why it was a super good time to visit with family.  My sister's family lives in the Baltimore area, so we parked the RV and packed our bags for a visit to their home.  Imagine our excitement -- new people to have new conversation with, and a dishwasher, oh my!

We toured their area a bit, went hiking, visited the Clara Barton house, and even did some "normal people" stuff like go to a school play, sports practices, shopping for couches, and the like.

God knows just when I'm about to crack, and delivered a respite precisely when I needed it.

We studied Clara Barton and Harriet Tubman.  We visited the Clara Barton house in Maryland.

We arrived in Washington, DC just in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  I had never done the walking tour of all the monuments before, so doing it with the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom was a treat.

We made it to the WHITE HOUSE!

Washington Monument undergoing renovation.

Washington, DC -- Cherry Blossoms in full bloom around the Tidal Basin.

Jefferson Memorial -- Washington, DC.

Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool -- Washington DC

Lincoln Memorial -- Washington, DC.

While in DC, we also toured the Spy Museum with my sister's family.  The Spy Museum totally opened my kid's eyes to the underground world of espionage.  They are now obsessed with it.  They are constantly looking for hidden messages, bugs, cameras, and dead drops.  It's a regular part of their play, too.  They are always spying on people, and hiding behind things.  We can't walk down the sidewalk without them proudly pointing out suspicious activity.  If they see someone on their cell phone, they assume they are relaying messages to another spy, coordinating locations for treasonous activities, and they instantly begin trying to locate that person's counterpart within the crowd.  When I'm cooking dinner, I can tell they're covertly observing my every move, and wondering if my spatula is really a recording device. 

My sister's family also went with us to tour our United States Capitol Building. 

The RV park in Maryland was a dream for my kids.  They loved going by there to pick up things -- mainly because they had a great fishing pond and a jumping pillow.  They met an older gentleman who fished with them and let them use his bait.  But the jumping pillow -- now that was an RV park first.  We've never stayed anywhere with a jumping pillow.  They jumped, and jumped, and jumped, and jumped.  I thought they might collapse after a few hours, but the jumping continued.  They even had a "playground director", of sorts, who would play games with all the kids -- she was the neatest bundle of energy. 

All in all, our stay in Maryland was a restful one for us.  Although, I feel sure our family needs a rest after we came, ransacked their home for a week, and then hit the road.  Personally, the stay was a timely one for me.  After a week with my sis, I was refreshed.  And able to be, once again, appreciative of my crowded 300 square foot home on wheels. 

Let's roll.