Today was an interesting day. Extremes. I’m working in a dive for some instant cash setting appointments for insurance reps and computer techs. By lunch I hadn’t set any. Not too uncommon, but it meant more pressure on my afternoon.
I took my lunch break at the Busy Bee as usual and chatted with the D’s (my new friends Donna and Dale). We got to talking about motor homes again as I’d just seen one down the street at an RV lot that I wanted to check out. It seemed twice as long as the little old ones I wanted, but there was something charming about it.
What’s this motor home talk? Well, I want one. I’m feel transient living in Oregon, I always need to be in California, plus the impending West Coast book tour has me wanting to be traveling in one for awhile. The D’s have indulged me in my dream talk which is something I haven’t felt comfortable to do with anyone else.
So, they suggested we go look at it and came with me. I was shocked to find…
that this 1973 Chrysler luxury model was spotless on the inside! Oh my gosh, it felt bigger than the SkyCube even at 29feet, and I’ve never seen a car even only 8 years old in such good condition. It had a large bedroom convertible that was either two long bench seats and a table or a double bed. Wrap around windows of course. A toilet, shower, fridge and freezer, microwave, stovetop and oven. Then it had a table in the kitchen that also converted to a bed. The cushions were blue, the walls, with closet space were brown. And I’m not talking funky 70s decor. This had a nice vintage look that made me want to put on a dress and go swing dancing!
Have a lover? I can take you for a ride. The passenger seat was a cushy bench seat for two with seatbelts. I wanted to be in that AND the drivers seat at the same time. I was so excited about this that I ran from end to end saying, “Look at this! I can’t believe it has that!” while Dale and Donna did the parental things like check the mileage and the price tag.
I was actually starting to fall in love with a vehicle for the first time, when I caught myself. It was in such good shape that it’d be $10,000-$12,000 at least. 3-4 times what I was thinking of spending on a summer transport. Even if it would also serve as house.
Dale was talking to the sales rep and said he wanted $14,500. Whoa. The dreaming slowed to what this baby could do on a 6% grade incline. After checking the service papers on it, I went back inside for another drool.
Afterwards I happily went back to the phone bank with the new Leomobile heavy on my mind.
Two hours later I still didn’t have any appointments. It was already 3pm. I’d been there since 9am and hadn’t expected to stay this long. Feeling a bit defeated, I wrote “Don’t Give Up!” on a piece of paper that I could see while I dialed. Within a half an hour I had two appointments and cashed out for the day.
As I walked to the bus stop I thought about my day. I had just experienced two things that spoke for some of my core beliefs. Dream. Big or small, dream. And of course, don’t give up. I’m posting this here because many of you share a dream in becoming a travel writer. And that’s what Written Road is all about — letting you know it’s possible, and paving the way for you to get there.