How great is this weather in Oklahoma? From the looks of things, a lot of you worked this weekend, but working in weather like this is far better than working during the weather we saw in February, eh!
Many of you know that my youngest of 2 sons graduated high school last year leaving me as an empty nester with my wife of 26 years. I will tell you that the first few weeks of that change was odd. Most of you that are irregular-route professional truck drivers are used to being away from your families for weeks on end, so maybe it is easier when your kids leave the nest. For my wife & I, we found ‘alone-time’ that we had not seen for 20+ years. Sure, I do some business travel, we aren’t together all the time, but in the days of COVID, we were together a lot & there weren’t kids to distract us. I think my wife was interested in me getting out on the road like you all!
A month into our empty nesting, we decided to do something we had always dreamed of, but kids & their activities had prevented us from making the investment. One weekend, we drove over to OKC & bought a camper trailer! From talking to several of you, many of you have a lot of experience in this area. Well, it took 6 months, but we made our maiden voyage this weekend, all the way to a KOA at Lake Eufaula!
I have pulled many a trailer with my pickups over the years, but I’m no professional driver! A 27’ foot travel trailer down Highway 69 caused me some anxiety. The road construction is atrocious & as my wife warned me about every curve, bump, & 4-wheeler within 100’ of us, I got to thinking about what you guys face each day! Twenty-seven feet is just over half as long as what you guys are pulling up & down America’s highways every day. Wind, weather, construction, & most dangerous of all, the general driving public, are not only difficult to manage, but it also must cause extreme anxiety & frustration!
Professional truck driving is a skill! Like welding, HVAC, dentistry, engineering, or any other trade, it requires supreme confidence, continuous training, & unending patience!
Back to camping, we did alright. I discovered that 27’ feels like a long trailer until you get inside & share the space with your wife. I also learned that a shower in an RV is not a leisure activity! Most importantly, I learned that ‘black’ water & ‘gray’ water are very different! We had fun and we learned a lot; I think we will do it again!
Have a great week & watch out for the rookie campers and new RV owners! We don’t know what we are doing on the highways we share with you either!
Be Safe!
Jay C. 04/12/2021
