Oh, yes we are!
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| The Happy Campers - Teddi & Roger |
Rog grew up in California and I hail from Pennsylvania. We both joined the army in our late teens and were stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington state. Rog was in the Airborne Rangers and I was in the Military Police. In August, 1980 we met in Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare class - how romantic is that??!!
We were pretty much inseparable (and insufferable) from the time we met and married in January 1981. We settled in Washington state when our army stints were over. I got a job in Seattle working at the Juvenile Court/Detention Center and Rog got on with the Tacoma Fire Department. We bought a small cedar log house on an acre in Kent midway between Seattle and Tacoma and there we've stayed. Fast forward 30 some years and we have had fulfilling careers, two lovely daughters, and a menagerie of cats, dogs, lizards, birds and bunnies.
We've been incredibly lucky to stay relatively healthy and married to our best friend. We started saving and planning many years ago with the goal of retiring in our 50's. With our finances in order, the book, "How to Retire Happy Wild and Free" by Ernie Zelinsky helped us realize we could really do this. So in March, 2015 we joined the ranks of the gainfully unemployed. Oh man, has it been great!!
Absent the 40 hour work week, we've been able to concentrate on being more active and eating healthy. We stay plenty busy, that's for sure. Our shared hobby is competitive pistol shooting and we both like to hike, bike, and RV. So far, our longest RV trip was a month spent in Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks in August 2015. But we have been intrigued by the lifestyles of full-time RV'ers and confess to being "blog stalkers". We follow several blogs (Wheeling It, Box Canyon Blog, RV Dreams, etc.) and decided to plan for a year on the road. Friends and family professed interest in our travels (they probably thought it was the polite thing to do) so I've committed to keeping a blog during our journey. We'll see...
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| Heading out on the Highline Trail in Glacier NP. (8/15) |
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| Artist's Point in Yellowstone NP. (8/15) |
Great photos. Just read your Padre Island post, we were there around the same time: https://viewfindersweb.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/big-birds/
ReplyDeleteYeah - recycling, I feel the same way....
Thanks! Just read your post, very informative - we missed the ranger talk. Loved your photos of the birds - just gorgeous! We enjoyed Padre Island and are now in Big Bend Ranch State Park, certainly a different environment. Enjoy your travels.
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ReplyDeleteHello Teddi and Roger,
ReplyDeleteWonderful blog. My wife and I are wanna-bees and hope to join you in a few years out on the road when we retire. Our intent is to spend at least 2 weeks in every state. In the meantime I surf the web looking for folks like yourself to learn from. Not sure we'll be quite as adventuresome as you two are, climbing mountains and such, but your blog and pictures make us want it even more. Great job.
Johnnie and Pattie Donnelly
Hi Johnnie and Pattie,
DeleteThank you so much for the kind words. We got so much information and inspiration from the blogs we read, I'd be thrilled to continue that legacy in even a small way. We are absolutely loving this trip and are so glad we decided to do it. Gotta say, both retirement and touring the country in an RV are highly recommended. :) I'd be willing to bet you'll want to spend far longer than 2 weeks in many states! There is just so much to see and do. We do live in an amazing country and the national parks are the crown jewels (at least in my opinion). You will have an awesome time and meet some wonderful people on the road, we certainly have. Take care and here's wishing you safe travels (soon!). :)
I know I didn't subscribe & now you are back...but amazing photos!!!
DeleteThanks!!
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