Dream of Travel

by J.R. Swaim

The dream of travel began stirring many years ago in my youth, as I watched the Walt Disney nature films, "Wagon Train," and other old television westerns and frontier shows. I wondered what it was like out there in the wilderness just beyond my grasp and realized it was no further away than my imagination.

Time passed, as did high school, college, and a career. I met and married my lovely wife, Beth, and then came our children to complete our family. We spent busy years raising three rowdy daughters, including taking the normal short family trips. But, the urge to see more than what the average two week vacation offered never went away.

Suddenly, I awoke one day and it was a new century. My hair was gray and much of it had left my head. The rowdies were making their own lives far from our loving arms, and my wife and I found ourselves wandering around in a large and very empty home. My job was no longer a challenge; it had become the daily grind and unrewarding. I resolved it was to be a century of change.

With the turning of the calendar came opportunity for our dream of travel. We both qualified for retirement from our respective positions, so we took the money and ran. The ol' stationary homestead was sold and a powerful blue travel steed and a new-fangled 32-foot fifth wheel rolling home were purchased. It was our combination prairie schooner, freight wagon, and party mobile. My lifelong dream was to become a reality.

Now everyone can again hop into the backseat of Blue, our resourceful, diesel motored steed, and join the adventure as we re-discover our country finding those hidden places and seeing all there is to see. We lift the curtain on conventional American history, and learn it's maybe a little different than was taught in the school text books that I recall.

You're invited along with us; just find a comfy spot by the pot bellied stove, curl up by the fireplace, stretch-out on the sofa or relax on the front porch swing. You don't need to go very far to take the trip of a lifetime; just sit back and enjoy the ride. Maybe it'll bring a fond memory, smile, giggle, snicker, belly laugh, or a "we did that too!"

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J.R. Swaim is a full-time RVer, living his dream of travel. He and his wife visit the places other RVers tend to miss. He is writing a series of books about their full-time RVing life and travels, that he calls, As the 5th Wheel Turns. Visit the Swaim's webpage.

Go to the RV Life and Travel blog.