24 months ago, I towed a 4,000 pound piece of machinery out of a parking lot. I had no experience towing anything and certainly not an Airstream Trailer. This dream of mine…roaming around the country in a travel trailer started one Christmas when I got an RV for my Barbie dolls. The RV symbolized freedom and adventure. These two concepts have haunted me throughout my life.
It wasn’t until decades later, sitting by my Dad’s side at the hospital, I learned that he and I shared the same dream. We had a sense of wanderlust: to drive across the United States in a self-contained vehicle complete with a bed, shower, stove, dinette. The destination was unimportant. The possibility of exploring the states and having your home right behind you was all that mattered.
Learning about my Dad’s dream gave me the courage to pursue my own. Within a few weeks of our conversation, I purchased a tow vehicle and found a used 2008 Airstream trailer. I picked up Bambi from Airstream Los Angeles, not knowing anything about towing, camping, RV-ing, trailer-ing. I didn’t know what was ahead of me…I just knew this was something I had to do.
For the first couple of months of owning Bambi, I conducted a series of bootcamps for myself so I could proficiently tow, set up, break down and back up. And once I felt comfortable, I asked my parents to join me on a trip to Mt. Shasta.
We had one more trip together to Lake Tahoe but toward the end of that year, I lost my Dad because his heart had failed him.
The day I drove off the Airstream dealership lot and through the streets of San Gabriel, California, I listened to the well articulated voice of the GPS system and eased onto the highway. I took a sharp turn onto the ramp and eventually gained speed. I looked into the rearview mirror but couldn’t see what was behind me. And in that moment, I didn’t care what was behind me. I was grateful about moving forward.
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