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Can we come with you?
No.
When are you coming home?
When the money runs out. Ha! We will be home by Tuesday, November 16.
Are you getting tired of this? Aren't you homesick?
There are times when we would have enjoyed our own bed. But let's be realistic. Every night we sleep on a clean bed. Someone else makes our bed, cleans our bathroom, and cooks our meals. Would you be tired of this life?
How did you ever get so much time off work?
My company, Sybase, offers a wonderful benefit -- a sabbatical. After five years of service to the company they reward their employees with a six week paid leave. I added two weeks of vacation to my six week sabbatical. Ann's company, The Capital Group Companies, graciously gave her a six week leave of absence so that she could accompany me.
Don't you get tired of driving? How far have you driven?
Yes and No. We started our trip with a sixteen-hour drive. After that, everything else is easy. We stop every couple of hours for a break. We now look at three and four hour drives as a "walk in the park". Our van has 14,000 miles on it. It had a little over 5,000 when we purchased it. We put 1,000 miles on it going to Nags Head and back. I suppose it will have 18,000 on it by the time we get back home.
How expensive is your trip?
We're able to hold our expenses to $100 a day, including motel, gas, and food. Some motels, especially in bigger cities, have been expensive. Most places have rooms for $35-$55 a night. During the week when motel usage is lowest, most motels will give up their best rooms for their most inexpensive price. I've walked away from a few places because they wouldn't give me their best rate. Most motels provide nice breakfasts as part of their pricing structure. Of course, some of the money we're spending is money that we would have spent anyway on restaurants, groceries, and gas.
I notice that your schedule keeps changing. Why is that?
Just like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, we're "making this up" as we go along.
How do you occupy all those hours in the van?
We listen to Willie Nelson singing "On The Road Again" on Super Hits over and over and over … When we get tired of Willie we listen to Johnny Cash's Classic Cash Hall of Fame Series.
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