May 8-14, 2019 — The definition of “vacation” is taking a break from your regular work or routine to relax. This time away helps one rejuvenate and ward off burnout As full-time RVers our regular “work and routine” is traveling and exploring and we require time off as well to prevent burnout. Interestingly though, our “vacation” usually involves some type of work instead of a traditional vacation spent on a relaxing activity.
Last summer our “vacation” from traveling involved spending several weeks helping our son remodel a house and readying it for sale. This year we spent our down time helping our other son with house projects including packing and moving to a new home, selling items online, holding a garage sale, and assisting with drywalling/painting a garage.
We are grateful for our full-time RV lifestyle that allows us to have the opportunity to help our family with house projects like we have the past two years. Not only does it help them out but it also gives us the needed time away from traveling to refresh our minds and get us excited to be out exploring and discovering again.
We did take some time for fun this week as well with a trip to the zoo and neighborhood walks as the weather allowed. Follow along below for a glimpse of both work and play that occurred this week.
All nights this week were free stays at the home of family.
The photo below was taken halfway through the first day of the garage sale. At the start of the day these tables were packed with items and we had more in boxes waiting for a spot to place them. Even with the miserably cold and rainy weather people were out shopping in droves. We sold a tremendous amount of items, way more than we anticipated with the poor weather. By the middle of the second day we closed up the sale as there was so little left. Success!
In addition to the garage sale we utilized online Facebook garage sale groups to sell multiple pieces of furniture and baby items for the kids. Interestingly the recliners pictured below used to be in our house many years ago. We gifted them to the kids when they bought their first house and were in dire need of furnishings. Now the chairs are beginning a new chapter of life with another family.
There’s always time for a trip to the zoo, especially when it’s the Como Park Zoo in Saint Paul, MN. It’s the perfect size zoo that can be seen in just a few hours and has a wide variety of animals. Admission is free with donations accepted. Parking is also free but spots are at a premium on busy days.
It’s interesting how different areas of the country handle recycling and yard waste. In Woodbury, MN a refuge site is available to residents with a charge of $1.50 per 30 gallon container. Many residents prefer to use the paper lawn/leaf bags from stores such as Home Depot and Costco as the entire bag can be dropped off to compost vs a plastic bag or garbage can that needs to be emptied. Each paper bag costs around $0.50 to purchase.
Mama eagle is in the nest keeping an eye on her two little ones while Dad is seen nearby soaring over a pond looking for supper. This nest is located in a subdivision in Woodbury, MN along a biking/walking trail. The state is home to more eagles than any of the other lower 48 with many residing in the twin cities metro area.
Time for some Kia Soul love. First up was an oil change and new windshield wiper blades (yay for Groupon deals!). Then we replaced both engine and cabin air filters as they contained lots of dirt and dust from the desert southwest. Filters were purchased from Amazon and they took about five minutes to swap out. Now we need to spend time researching new tires and getting them installed in the next 2-3 weeks. Once completed the Soul will be set for another few months of traveling and exploring.
Our house projects are nearing the end but we still have a few more items to finish up before heading back on the road. Stay tuned for next week to see where we’re headed to once we leave Minnesota. See you then!