It's Martin Luther King day and the traffic is light in New Jersey– this state of endless tolls. Laurie is driving (in slippers!) and we have just passed our first gun shop sighting. It's still cold and we will have to head further south than anticipated before we can de-winterize the camper. This second winter "arctic blast" will effect even the Florida panhandle for the rest of the week. For us, this means a few extra days without running water in the camper. But we will happily
make do with simpler meals, pit stops for bottles of water, and bed head. So far we have learned that we really don't want is to arrive at a campground in the dark again, and that we have to do a better job remembering in which of the many cupboards and cubby holes we have stowed away such items as our socks, garbage bags, a pen, phone charger, vitamins, hot sauce, a hat.

It took 2 days to pack the camper and I took great pride in discerning what our essential needs would be and which small luxuries would make our journey easier and more fun. As much as possible, every item has dual utility. But of course, there are plenty of things we packed for pleasure/amusement/fun/comfort.

– short break to pay another toll–

And then there are the many gifts from friends to "trick out" our little home. Such as the busty cowgirl sitting on a swing that now hangs from the rear view mirror, word magnets for the fridge, a rusty can of "emergency water," and various other wonderful items.

So here we are, traveling a slow 55 mile hour, like a turtle with it's home on its back. It's a far cry from my childhood when travel was a loaded and lonely experience. If I was not making the complicated trek once a year to see my father for the summer vacation, I was traveling alone for three hours early Monday morning from home on Formentera to school on Ibiza and then back again on Friday afternoon. During the week, I lived with one of ten families over the nine years in Spain, and always packed my own bag for the week ahead. Unlike to today, I had to make do with whatever I had remembered, or failed, to pack. I had only enough money for the boat, bus and taxi fare each way, plus enough for a delicious sandwich from the bakery half way between Ibiza port and the bus to Santa Eulalia in the northern Morna Valley. I miss those fresh, hot bread rolls with jamon cerano! That was the treat that made lugging my two heavy, scratchy baskets worth it. Here's a photo of those baskets (newer editions, of course).

– short break to pay another toll. At least here in Delaware it's one dollar instead of the ten in New Jersey.

Our next stop in an hour or so, is a state park in Delaware to take ourselves and Marley for a nice long walk. We should be in Norfolk, Virginia after about three and a half hours of driving. I now feel confident saying that because we have switched from navigating with iMap to Google maps. Last night iMap had us getting on and off the Garden State Parkway every 15 minutes, in search of our campground (and paying tolls each time). Even Marley is feeling more confident. She's actually lying down between us instead of sitting up panting over my lap. She doesn't like the sounds of things moving around in the cupboards. We will have to use more of that bubble wrap we bought to tighten up the storage spaces and reduce the sounds for her sake.

I promise that when we get to the park, in the sunlight, I will take a few photos of the camper to share. That is, after I spend some time trying to figure out how to make SIRIUS work on the radio/disk player. Priorities, right?