11/30 November Summary

November has been a strange month for me, so I thought I would summarize it.

• First, I drove 3,486 miles, which is way too many.  This was even though I spent several days visiting relatives and being parked. 
• Second, I drove from north of San Antonio, TX, through Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky to Michigan and Ohio, and then down to southeastern Georgia.  That means I went from summer to winter and back to summer, all in one month.  That is one huge circle!!
• I started November out in 85 degree temperatures, went to lows of 27 in Michigan and Ohio, back to current temps today of 69.  Very weird and a big adjustment!
• Also, I have been adjusting to seeing Christmas decorations in very warm places.  Other than the two weeks in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, my “great adventure” so far has felt like an endless summer.  (Do you remember the 60s movie where they traveled the world surfing?)

I should have taken much longer to make this journey, but I had hard dates on each end and some in the middle. 

• I wanted to spend time with other women who drive and/or live in RVs like I do.  There was a get-together with 25 women attending in a Corp of Engineering campground north of San Antonio, so I could not leave until November 3.
• I had several doctor and a dentist appointment in Michigan on November 15-16, and those would have been hard to reschedule. 
• I had my first campground reservation in Florida, starting December 1.  Many state parks in Florida book up 11 months in advance, so I did not want to give that up. 
• In between those things, I had warranty work scheduled at the Fleetwood Customer Service facility in Decatur, IN.  I also wanted to spent some time with my grandchildren in Ohio. 

I had been a lot more relaxed in September and October when I was spending almost a week in almost every place I visited.  I also drove fewer days in a row. In November, there were several times when I was really exhausted from too much driving, even though I usually drove only 200-240 miles each day.  Lesson learned is to slow down and spend more time in each place. 

Tomorrow, I arrive in Florida for the entire winter.  I have never spent so much time there, but I am looking forward to the state parks and the Everglades National Park where I will be staying.  I am also looking forward to the citrus fruit and the fresh fruits and vegetables I hope I can get there.