Year Three Status Report
Somewhere, in this past year, we changed...hopefully for the better. We have lost the urge to press on, almost entirely. We no longer check the weather for optimal conditions. We know we want to be far south for the South American summer, somehow we are ambling in that direction to make it so. The distances overwhelm us a little, but we shrug. Right now, right here, that is all that matters. The breeze, the birds, the trees, the ease. Without this moment there will not be the next. Our present is our past, our future. One day is too far, yesterday too distant, an instant too short to realize. Now is not a matter in time, a matter of mind frame.
Happiness is only real when shared. -Christopher McCandless
Some Basic Stats
Total Miles Driven: 39,157 (63,017 Kilometers)
Gallons of Diesel: 2,701 (10,224 Liters)
Average MPG: 14.5 (16.2 Liters per 100 Kilometers)
Best MPG: 18.22
Worst MPG: 10.09
Average Cost Per Gallon of Diesel: $3.04
# Nights Spent in the Van: 736 (67%)
# Nights Spent Elsewhere: 360 (22 afloat, 11 house sitting, 102 mooching off of friends and family, 225 in a hotel/apartment/rental home)
What We've Learned
Driving is Hard on the Body (and Mind)
Initially we thought living on the road would make us healthier. The carefree lifestyle would automatically have us shedding pounds and shredding up. Unfortunately, we were eating extremely clean and getting in almost an hour of full body workouts 6 days a week before we set off. While our lack of everyday movement is entirely our fault, we find the lack of a large enough inside space to exercise to be something we miss. Couple that with long driving days and we can feel our bodies seizing up. It's something we definitely need to work on, the altitude just makes it a wee bit harder ; )
What's That on the Towel
Those that have been on the road for a while can relate. The regular switch from hot and cold climates, or extended exposure to sun or humidity, makes us molt more often than living in a climate controlled environment. Nothing too gross, just dead skin we failed to rub off while in the shower.
Socks Aren't Just for Feet
When we started our trip we carried just a couple glass jars and tried to keep everything in plastic containers in fear of having broken glass everywhere. Now we have a fair amount of glass jars and put each one in a sock to protect them and contain the shards if it suffers a disaster. The only broken jars have been the ones we've dropped and not from the 39k miles of driving.
The Majority of What You Carry is Your Trip
This should be obvious but some of us are dense. If one were to sit on our sofa and calculate the highest percentage of associated items within reach, food and cooking would easily be deduced at over 60%. If you have ever read our expense reports you would say 'duh, you bitches are always spending a lot on food'. Which we do. Looking into friends' vehicles we can easily guess what their trip, or priority, is about. 10 surf boards...no brainer, no room to sleep due to backpacking gear...nice tent.
Touristy Places are Not All Bad
Many moan about the touristy places, many of those times while they are parked next to us in a touristy town (we scratch our heads at that too). The truth is they are usually not that bad, Banos being the exception. We have been on the road long enough to appreciate the raw appeal of the remote parks and the conveniences of the touristy towns. Seriously, if you don't like the touristy places be sure to keep your damn hands off our imported cheese.
Friends are Better Than Experiences
We are long past the point of just going to places. It is not uncommon for us to reach out to nearby friends and then chart out our route. Our friends are our family and experiencing things together, even just sitting around in camp, is usually way better than staring at another wonder in the world. The world is wondrous, our friends even more so.
Eric
Viajes seguros, nuestros amigos.
'Keep on keepin on' is one of our mottos. Not to just trudge, but to keep working toward what it is we are wanting to gain or achieve. Double the miles in half the time has to definitely leave a mark. We would have fallen apart long ago if we covered twice the distance over the same three years. Sometimes a break, or pause, is the best thing. We have done it on a few occasions and cannot recommend it enough. We prefer long stints, at least a couple months, but even a week or two can really make a big difference.
This is our last year on the PanAm, assuming all goes well, so hopefully we'll see you on the road. If not, there's a good chance we'll kick around the US a little before we have to settle back down.
The vast majority of our road miles were accumulated in the US and Canada (and Alaska) before we crossed into Mexico so we have slowed WAY down and are entering our 6th month in Mexico now that a month stop here in the Yucatán before we enter Belize. We, too, see the benefit of slowing down. And we will heed your wise advice!
Enjoy Belize, it's one of our favorites. It'll be hot and probably buggy. When you can't take it any more the Mountain Pine Ridge area is a welcomed reprieve, and free. Please have a cup (or twenty) of Gallon Jug coffee for us...and about 10 fry jacks...and Indian Tacos...and Stew Chicken...Ixcacao chocolate (Juan and Abelina are phenomenal)...I guess we miss it a little.
We might be a wee bit crazy, or at minimum, off kilter. It's never too late to get in a vehicle and start driving! We have a friend in an FJ Cruiser with her dog, no cooking or sleeping facilities in it, renting places along the way. An old Class C or similar is perfect for the US, which could take a lifetime on its own to explore. If you have the itch, scratch it...just sayin ; )
The road is calling and we must answer. We hope to see you "out there" somewhere, and share a beer and campfire.
Congrats on your upcoming departure. Slowing down was one of the hardest parts. Most of us take off like a rocket, eventually petering out and settling into a pace. We don’t expect the PanAm to be our only big trip and have been toying with the idea of another continent one day or even a longer US tour. Who knows, we’ll see. Regardless, we’ll share a fire somewhere!
Where are we now
Look Rock, TN
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