We traveled back to Green Mountain Park to clear off our site. In January, we planned to head out on a long adventure and needed to decide what we were hauling with us and what we were storing or selling. Our plan was to be there for 33 days.
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.
We knew Olivia was selling her house in Lenoir and planning to build in Ashe County once it sold. They ran into several bumps in the road and ultimately decided not to build on the land they had purchased. Instead, they chose to buy a house in Ashe County. That decision came around the end of November.
The process was long and drawn out, filled with negotiations, but we finally had a closing date—December 23rd. Remember, plans are just suggestions. An appraisal issue caused a hiccup and moved the date. We told them the house had to close before January 7th, the first day of our 2026 trip. January 6th was set, adding two more weeks to the wait.
We had finished clearing the site at GMP, and Olivia was moved into a rental house in Ashe County. It was time for us to hit the road as well. Moody Bluff, here we come.
Our plan was to arrive the Sunday before Christmas, visit family in Tennessee, spend Christmas Eve with Beth’s mom and family, drive to Ashe County for the Hardy family Christmas, and then spend the remaining time at Moody Bluff before leaving on our largest adventure to date. We were excited.
Once we arrived at Moody Bluff and got settled, we received news that Beth’s mom—who hadn’t been feeling well—had COVID and would be in isolation until January 2nd. Oh well, plans. We visited Beth’s brother, who also wasn’t feeling well, and spent some time with them. The next day, he ended up in the hospital with Influenza A. Oh well, plans.
Beth’s family home is being rented by our nephew Wesley and his family. The house needs a lot of work, and as a young family with three children, the repairs are out of reach for them. With Olivia moving into a new home and our future plans still evolving, we began talking about possibly working out a deal with Wesley—maintaining the house while fixing it up for our future. Very exciting for all of us. The next week would be filled with more planning.
We spent time with Angie and Patrick, walking through the Christmas tree display in Johnson City, TN—very nice. We also visited the Christmas lights at Appalachian Grounds in Gray, TN, again. Shadrack’s does the lights at the fairgrounds, and it was a very good show.
Beth and I mostly stayed in during the week of Christmas. On Christmas Day, we drove to Ashe County for the Hardy family Christmas that afternoon—a good trip and a good visit. The following week, we found things to do, rested, managed boredom, and made plans for our future house.
Eight days into the quarantine, Beth decided to visit her mom. It was a good day for both of them. The next day, we returned together and finally celebrated Christmas with her and Beverly on January 2nd. Progress in the plan.
Since we needed to be in Ashe County on January 6th for Olivia’s closing, we went over Sunday afternoon and parked in Kevin’s parents’ driveway. Another change in the plan. They have a 30-amp connection and water, which made sense and gave us time to help Olivia and Nate pack and move.
The closing was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on the 6th. That part was over, but we waited for the recording of the documents so we could help them move in. After three hours, we called to find out that the new electronic closing process had been delayed due to an issue involving the previous owners and the tax office. Plans.
Eventually, we decided to head over since the issue was being addressed. At 3:30, we arrived and began unloading. Dinner was one of our favorites—Mom’s lasagna at 6:30 (best lasagna ever, Beth says!) The tight timeline made some of us hangry, but all was well. The food was great. One final load, and everything was in place by 8:30. Exhausted, we headed back to the camper and crashed.
January 7th arrived. We packed up in very high winds, filled the propane tanks, and headed out on our biggest adventure yet.
Looking back, almost nothing unfolded the way we originally planned—and yet everything landed exactly where it needed to. Dates shifted, paths changed, illnesses slowed us down, and patience was tested more than once. But each detour brought clarity, connection, and unexpected opportunities. We learned again that plans are useful, but flexibility is essential, and sometimes the best moments come from what wasn’t on the schedule at all. With the camper packed and the road ahead of us, we left not with a perfectly executed plan, but with full hearts, grateful for where we’d been and open to whatever comes next.