Meet the Gypsetters

Where do I begin....???
Well... I guess some backstory....
I have moved around since the day I was born... Never lived under the same roof more than 4 years at a time, except for one time in Arleta California... That was real close to five years - give or take a couple o' months.
The proverbial Wandering Jew (yes, I have a drop or two).
Have wheels, will travel.
I've put as much rubber on I-10 as a trucker!
Lived in 10 different states, and no - my Daddy was not military! Been thru twice as many, just getting from one place to the other.
In my adult life, I've tried to put down roots and the roots just won't take. After 51 trips around the sun, I think I'm detecting a pattern..... (?)  Why fight it.... I've chosen to embrace it.
I've dreamed of just having an RV for most of my life - I mean, how much more perfect could it get!? I'm always home, no leases, no deposits, no rules, yes I DO own my own home, and my animals could not be taxed or discriminated against.
In the past 4/5 years, I've explored Tiny Houses, campers, tents, eco communities, sustainable communities, and of course RVs. I've discovered and joined a bunch of camping, RV & TH groups on facebook. I've learned SO MUCH! People around me are probably sick of hearing me talk about living in an RV! LOL
One of the greatest things I've learned is what an amazing community RVers are! It feels like home.....
So..... One Saturday/Sunday(?) morning I'm going back and forth between Craigslist (looking for my RV) and fb (catching up on the feeds), I actually "ran into" a lady in one of the groups who was the owner of one of the RVs I'd been looking at on Craigslist! When all of a sudden, as I was bouncing between group conversations, "this guy" posts this long-ass advertisement-type post about a nomadic community of RVs traveling the countryside helping people start sustainable communities and a TV show and a hearty 'come on out and join us!'
My first thought was SPAM! Somebody get this guy outta here....
But there was more to it than that. I read the post several times to make sure I wasn't imagining things that weren't actually written. I mean, it was as if this guy had been reading my journals! Too good to be true..... But there was something more to it than that. I was intrigued. I was captivated! Could there really be other real people who had this idea!?
So I commented on the post. Something about how amazing or how I'd be there in a heartbeat.... except I didn't have an RV. Much less a vintage RV as he mentioned in the post that these Gypsies will be traveling in.
He told me to send him my email in a private message and that he'd have someone contact me to see if they might be able to help me out with that. Done!
I guess it was a couple or few days later I get an email from Mike.
Long story short, Mike said they'd probably be able to work something out but that they'd like to meet me. They were having an intro rally in Titusville Florida - about 2 hours from where I live now. AWESOME! I can do that! The catch was.... This happened the first week in February. The rally wasn't until the third week in APRIL!!!!
So I waited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Almost time! About a week or so before the date of the Rally, the guy who posted the original post I had seen in the group (David) finally started the countdown posts! Along with all events and contact info and address........... The address.............
Was NOT in Titusville.
It had been changed to Mary Esther Florida. SEVEN hours from where I live now. Wow. Oh no...
My daughter had gotten (luckily!) one additional day off from work in order to go to this event. That was plenty since it was only 2 hours away! Hell we could've gone back and forth each day if it was that close! But now..... What the hell were we gonna do now?
Well, David apologized and I said I've not waited this long to let this get in my way! We wouldn't be able to stay but one day, but this had to happen! So we drove.... Seven + hours, went straight to day one of the three day rally to meet these magical people, stayed one night in a hotel (at seasonal rates!), went back the next day (day 2) to discuss a possible plan for getting me and family into one of their RVs, and then drove back that day - another seven + hours.
Some things I will not elaborate on in this blog:

• The unexpected expenses
• Getting someone to care for our special-needs dog
• The "less-than-perfect" condition of my 4Runner for such a long trip
• My Autistic daughter who doesn't deal well with unplanned situations [Another reason having an RV will be so so so beneficial for us!]
• My self-diagnosed (yet dangerously obvious) "Vehicular Narcolepsy"
• The absolute perfection of almost every aspect of this trip

So how'd it go...???

Well let me just say WOW for starters.

David's family (the Pikes) are so.... genuine, they're almost surreal. (guess that's an oxymoron... *wink*) 

And polite. 

And friendly. 

Even writing this I shake my head in amazement. No, it wasn't just 'Southern hospitality'. I'm FROM the South!  Actually about 3 hours from Mary Esther! And it ain't like that there! Everybody in Mary Esther/Ft Walton Beach was SO FRIGGIN POLITE!!! 

At that point, my girls & I realized we had been in Clearwater way too long without a road trip!

These people really were magical. 

I met "email Mike", and he is so kind and so wise.

I met David and he has such amazing energy!

I met Becky, David's wife, who greeted me with a warm hug just like I was family. We had spoken on the phone and she gave me some info about hotels. Such a genuine, beautiful soul.

I met Dave (jr) and his wife Ana - whom I had also spoken with on the phone.

I didn't get to meet the other daughters as they got in really late from other states where they live.

And of course several others who were friends and extended family.

There were lots of children there... And it was so amazing! They were well behaved!!! Their parents were attentive!!! There was no yelling or threatening. No disgruntled fit-throwers. One little fella loved the Jazz band. One little fella didn't feel well and was kinda fussy, but still did what his Mama asked him to do with no back-talk. These kids were happy, not harshly disciplined. (We were amazed!)

I learned how to change a rear tire on a coach without a jack, (and YES, I remember most of it!).

I learned how to correctly set the steering on a GMC coach, although the last part of that one I'd have to see again as it was a little more complicated.
I learned that motorhomes have bogies and airbags, and unless you know about motorhomes - they're not what you think!
I learned that a coach doesn't move without the airbags.

I learned the significance of the GMC brand of motorhome.

We walked thru a mock nomadic city consisting of GMC motorhomes of various sizes, shapes and colors. One for schooling the kids, one for growing food, one for retail goods and many more...  A literal self contained mobile city! That travels from place to place educating, and developing and building communities with sustainable practices and methods.

I learned that I share David's awareness of the importance of passing real mastery and genuine wisdom down to the next generation so that it will not be lost. Schools cannot do this!

I heard a lot about family, and how family is more than blood. Family is divine synchronicity. I heard more than once that you recognize some people that come into your life as special from the moment you meet them.
So much to learn.  So many questions I didn't get to ask.
We missed a lotta live music!!!

We missed meeting a lotta people who weren't able to be there until after it was time for us to leave, and a potluck dinner that I'm sure will be amazing.

We didn't get to meet any of the dogs... (Dogs & Cats are our people!)

Ab did speak with a couple of beautiful chickens and a rooster though.

No, we did not come home with a coach. This meeting, this touching bases, was not about that. This was about meeting friends and having conversations. This was about feeling the energy to see if we were really what we seemed to be and really on the same frequency. And I believe we are! Turns out they are gonna help us get into an RV, because that's what these people do - help others. There just wasn't time for us to do more on this trip. So it continues via long distance for now.

Me nor my girls wanted to leave! But Jessi had to be back to work at 830am the day after that seven hour return trip and getting in at 11pm. And Ab wasn't feeling well.

But.... I came away so excited about the potential. I feel their dream of going out there and making the world a better place! THAT'S what attracted me to David's post that day.

I know that I am destined to travel in an RV and help people. Just so happens this group of very knowledgeable and experienced people have offered to help get me into a good, sound vehicle that I won't have to wonder and worry about. These guys tear these things apart and rebuild them! Some of these guys wrote the book on these RVs! You don't find people like this - the Universe sets appointments for shit like this!
SO glad I made it to my appointment!

I can't wait to roll with these Gypsetters. 

#TRIBE

People want to do good, people want to give, and give back.

But most people are so lost in programming and fear....

If we who are able will just go out there and start doing it.... Others WILL be inspired and encouraged and will join in. 

They don't need any more sermons, seminars or self help books.

They don't need money making schemes, because money is not the answer.

They need demonstrations! 

The need to see that it's real and not just stories people talk about on facebook.

For reference, please see my entry on the day after my birthday here:  Now - This Is Where I'm Going