Have you ever noticed those warning signs on the freeway that state a 55 MPH speed limit for trucks and vehicles towing trailers? When I first started Airstreaming a couple of years ago, I often forgot to stay within the speed limit. It was easy to speed because the Airstream design originated from aircraft carriers.

We drove from Grants Pass, Oregon to Roseville, California yesterday. The driving time is supposed to be 5.5 hours (that’s if you’re going the normal speed limit posted.) But after experiencing a handful of incidents when things came tumbling out of the Airstream cabinets, I eventually made the connection that I should stay within the posted speed limit.

The drive from Grants Pass to Roseville – under normal speeding conditions – should take 5.5 hours. But towing a 4,000+ pound trailer while driving under the speed limit took 6.5 hours. There was a lot of time to think about what I left behind in the state of Washington. As we descended through the curves of I-5 South, I felt like we were gaining a sense of momentum and the journey began in that moment.

6.5 hours later, I entered a place where the sun usually shines.

There was a smell in the air… the same smell I remember from summers in the Sacramento area when I would visit my aunts. I can’t quite describe the scent, but all I can say is I’ve been here before. Sacramento was the first place my family spent the night in when we immigrated to the United States. We had a couple of suitcases packed with essentials. I left most of my toys and all of my friends behind. We were jet-lagged and exhausted and couldn’t see anything because it was nighttime. All I remember is feeling a sense of newness… of excitement.

Yesterday, as we headed into the Roseville area to visit my Mom and my relatives, the emotions I had long forgotten about resurfaced.

I felt excited. I felt at home and I felt like I never left.