A podcast inspired a sweet trip down memory lane

There’s a popular pastime on social media that goes like this: You post pics of “how it started” and then “how’s it going.” Aww, weren’t we cute back then, but we’re so much smarter now.

That kind of nostalgic flashback was recently triggered when Leslie appeared on a podcast hosted by Kate Jones, her former features editor at The Spokesman-Review. Talk about going full circle in the best possible way.

It happened a few weeks ago when John was in the Pacific Northwest getting his much-appreciated time on the ski hill. (Thanks Mother Nature for that final day of powder face shots on Mount Baker!) Kate – who was Kathy Delong during her Spokane days – reached out and floated the idea of doing an interview about life on the road. Absolutely, Leslie said.

Here’s a recap of our hour-long conversation, which you can listen to online . (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1883679/12120011)

How it started: Regular readers already know this story, but it still comes as a bit of a shock to our systems when it’s told again. We were living the dream in Seattle, loving our view of the Space Needle from our Queen Anne Hill home, walking or biking to work.

And then, boom! Leslie was laid off in late 2017 and after spending nearly a year trying to get another gig, we decided to sell our townhome and jump on the roving home game. What could go wrong?

Plenty.

We spent that first year simultaneously struggling to find our footing – repairs, petty fights over personal space in tight quarters – while being constantly blown away by the beautiful places we visited. When Kate asked for highlights of that first chapter of the trip, Leslie gushed about seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time and our good luck at finding ourselves at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion near Austin. It was the best of times and the worst of times and we were – still are – mighty grateful we chose this path.

How it’s going: As we continue our fifth year of the RV lifestyle, we’re trying not to sound too cocky when we declare… we’ve got this!

And just as soon as those words come out of our loose lips … well, you know. There are the usual bumps in the road. Take this, road warriors, the universe seems to be saying. The latch on the freezer needs fixing and the stovetop needs tightening and how are we going to mend the ripped window shade? Yes, definitely First World problems.

Bottom line, we love the lifestyle. We’re happy travelers, looking forward to our next adventure. Which brings us to a brief look ahead, and, hey, did you ever book that campsite at the Grand Canyon or did we just talk about it?

After a long stretch in Palm Springs, we’re looking forward to a little bit of Mariners spring training followed by a week in Sedona, then Grand Canyon National Park and a stay in Death Valley as we make our way north. There’s even a stop on the Oregon Coast. So, it’s going pretty well, thanks.

Vintage trailer show

We were fortunate to find ourselves in Palm Springs during Modernism Week . That meant we could finally go to the world famous vintage trailer show which is part of Palm Springs’ celebration of 1960s style.

It exceeded our lofty expectations, with dozens of beautiful trailers arranged in a large outdoor setting. Proud owners welcomed strangers into the meticulously updated rigs that were mostly built in the late 1950s to the early ‘60s. Those were the days, my friend. We were blown away by the rare appearance of a stunning Spartan trailer, made by a company started by J. Paul Getty in the 1940s. Bravo!

You can find photos from the event on Our Grand Tour’s Instagram .