notes from the Journey

There are many stories from our trip. Here is one from July.

There needs to be a book enclosed in every motor home that’s titled “How to Stow your Belongings So You Won’t Get Killed by a Projectile.” Just like a boat on the water, motor homes jostle on the road. Every dip and wobble sends something flying unless you have put it away or tied it down to something. Our motor home is deceiving, however, because it neither looks nor feels like a vehicle. It feels like a small apartment and just as you would in an apartment, we put things away. We don’t “stow.” Big mistake.

The Alaska Canada Highway (the Alcan) is a waving ripple of a roadway. Frost heaves and the perpetual freezing and contraction of the tundra cause the road to peak and bow in a continuous wave. We were celebrating our seatbelts, when there was a crash in the back of the bus. Over my shoulder I saw milk spilled and splashed, on the floor and up the walls.

It was then we figured out we needed to secure the refrigerator door before the first bounce of the road or there was going to be trouble. We needed the “double click”. Without the double click sound of the refrigerator door lock, your food isn’t safe and neither are you.

After several days of mopping salsa, wiping cat food from tipped bowls, and repositioning the cat litter box so it didn’t…well you can imagine…. I am good at securing doors and drawers and stowing coffee pots and sharp knives. God bless bungee chords.