In November, 2023, we landed in Hawaii after 14 months outside of North America. Last month, a year later, we left Hawaii after a solid year of travel in North America. During that year, we covered a lot of ground – both literally and figuratively. Literally, we traveled through 17 American states and throughout Ontario in Canada. We crossed iconic bodies of water such as 4 of the 5 Great Lakes (Michigan, Ontario, Huron, and Superior), the Mighty Mississippi River, the Ohio River, the Colorado River, and the Great Salt Lake. We saw mountains, deserts, canyons, valleys, and National Parks. We wrote about those experiences in previous blogs (Texas). Also here(New Mexico) here(Colorado) here(Arizona) here (Utah & Las Vegas) here(Yellowstone & Salt Lake) here(40 year road trip) here(Stratford) here(Toronto), here(Up North) here(wedding), here(Louisville) & here(home for Christmas).
Figuratively we covered a lot of ground, too. We helped plan and actualize a wedding and all the related events, such as a shower, a bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, and post-wedding breakfast. We caught up with a lot of family and friends in different parts of the country. We bought and sold a car – a trusty Subaru Forester that held a good value and served us well. We spent two months in Toronto and saw several plays in Stratford in Ontario. We celebrated our 40th anniversary, and shared our long road trip with family & friends. We dramatically downsized our storage unit, purging many household items, furniture, clothes and a few of Paul’s tools.
During our final month in our home base, Lansing, we visited family & friends and spent almost every day downsizing our storage unit. We had packed the 10 X 25 sq. ft. unit full to the brim just before embarking on our nomadic journey in January, 2022. Every time we returned to home base, it was increasingly difficult to maneuver things in and out because it was so packed. After almost three years, we couldn't remember what was there and had no access to most of it. Paul had the brilliant idea of renting a slightly smaller size unit across the hall. We got a 10 X 20 sq.ft. unit and slowly but surely began to unpack the boxes we had left behind. It is incredible how time grants perspective. It was easy to discard most of the furniture, a lot of our clothes, and many household items. I had read on a nomad FB post that one rule was if it cost more to store than to buy a new one, toss it. We got creative with some things: cookbooks we had been hanging onto, we photographed recipes then donated the books to charity. That way, we have them in digital form.
That left items of sentimental value, a lot of Paul's tools, pictures that were formerly hanging on our walls (including many framed enlarged photos of previous journeys), and a few things we knew we would trade out during our stopovers between journeys. We took 9 carloads of items to the Goodwill, and rented a truck and delivered large furniture, a TV, an air compressor, two wine cooler units, and some other big items to Volunteers of America.
We uncovered some items that we were able to give family & friends. I found some Japanese fans my mother-in-law brought from Japan in 1957 & 1988, and gave one each to our nieces and Kate, keeping one for myself.
Kate & Ben took some bookshelves that my mom had commissioned for my dad for a gift years ago, some camping gear, and a few other items.
Our good friends, Julie & Pat, took a cherry wood Shaker cabinet made in 1821 in Kentucky, that had belonged to my Aunt Doll.
Although one of the least fun things we've done in a while, we feel satisfied. Due to the time of year and dynamic pricing, we are paying less than a third for the slightly smaller, but still climate-controlled, unit (just over $80/month instead of over $200/month). We now remember what we have, and have room to walk around in the unit. It will be much easier to get to the things we want to use when landing again in home base.
We stayed in a nice, compact two-bedroom apartment near Sparrow Hospital (OK, now U of M Hospital) in Lansing, and enjoyed a radiant autumn. We enjoyed the Grand River, the Capitol, and Halloween. It was fun to once again see Michigan black squirrels.
We got a little stir-crazy after all that time driving around from place to place, yearning for more overseas travel to distant destinations. We battled the stress of an unresponsive health insurance company and another divisive American election.
As has become our habit when traveling to Asia, we flew to San Francisco to spend time with our son and daughter-in-law, amongst the redwoods in Rio Nido & Guerneville. When we told James & Maggie we were getting over a pretty nasty bronchial cough/cold, they reminded us that we had bad colds when we arrived the prior November from Japan. Hmm-hopefully not allergic to the U.S.?
And, as has also become our habit, we flew to Honolulu to soften the length of the flights from the U.S. to our destination, Kuala Lumpur, where we're hoping to find affordable health care for Paul.
On balance, it was a good year. We found joy in spending time with family & friends we had missed. We felt delight in celebrating our daughter and son-in-law’s wedding. We were satisfied to downsize our storage. And, we were relieved the election ended, although not with the result we had hoped for. We are now happily settled, for the next few months, in a spacious apartment in the Chow Kit area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where Paul will get quality medical treatment denied by our insurance in the U.S. – here at an affordable cost. We are back to our routines – music, this blog, sewing, reading fiction, and editing Gen Jones interviews for me. Financial modeling and careful reading and analysis of the news takes up most of Paul’s time these days. We enjoy sampling local cuisine, exploring local venues, and chatting with local people. We’re happy to be out of the cold.
To celebrate our year in North America, I recorded my slightly altered version of Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere”. It was extremely fun to sing, and I hope you enjoy it.
Kim's lyrics
I've Been Everywhere
Johnny Cash (modified lyrics by Kim)
We were totin’ our bags along the dusty Route 2 road,
When along came a Subaru with a road-trip for its mode,
"If you're goin' to Montana, says Paul, with me you can ride"
And so I climbed into the car, and then I settled down inside
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand
And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land"
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere
I’ve been to Kula, Kahalui, Waikiki, Honolulu,
Rio Nido, Santa Rosa, Russian River, & Sonoma,
Detroit, Lansing, Toledo, Ann Arbor,
Fort Wayne, Anderson, Shapiro’s, what flavor
Greenwood, Columbus, Scottsburg, J-town
Clarksville, Louisville, Lynnville, E-town
Chorus
I've been to 2424 on 5-2424
Chicago for a drag show, back to Louisville,
St Johns Shepardsville, Alma, Grayling,
St. Ignace, Mackinaw, the Mighty Mac, water swirling,
Lakes Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior,
Toronto, Escanaba, Missisauga, Stratford,
Chorus
I’ve been to Iron River, Deer River, Duluth & Superior
Williston, Havre, Great Falls Montana,
East Glacier, West Glacier, Coram & Bozeman
Yellowstone, Arches, Zion, Grand Canyon,
Salt Lake, Vegas, the Hoover Dam, Flagstaff
Four Corners, White Rock, Tuba City, Cortez
Chorus
I've been to Santa Fe, Denver, Aspen, Colorado
Four Corners, White Rock, Los Alamos, Albuquerque
Amarillo, Dallas, Texarkana, Plano,
Arkadelphia, Hot Springs, Little Rock, Memphis
Cincinatti, Dayton, Lima, Bowling Green
The River Mississippi, Toledo, & Kettering
Chorus
I’ve been everywhere
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