Day 28 HOMEWARD BOUND

Day 28

Homeward Bound

July 5, 2015

Today is a bittersweet day for us. This was the last leg of our journey. We were HOMEWARD BOUND! Josh and I decided to let Chandler get some student driving in because the reason we needed to get home was due to his student driving course set to start on Tuesday for the month of July. What better time than the present to put in a 3 hour drive home. It was time to leave the reunion and we made it back to Ramsey after an hours drive from my parents just as family was departing the reunion. We were able to get in our goodbyes and sent our love to all as they drove off to their next adventure. Many people asked about our travels and we spent much of the reunion laughing and reminiscing about our trip. The younger college age cousins were very inquisitive and I presume there will be travel in their future. It was a successful reunion. There were just over 82 people there. It was so wonderful to visit with everyone. There never is enough time to sit and converse with each person but there is certainly something very special about seeing their beautiful face and watching them interact with their loved ones. The power of presence.

We shoved off at 12pm. Josh took Colin, Charlie and co-pilot Carmen in his vessel while I shot gunned in my car with Chandler, our student driver, behind the wheel. Chandler did an amazing job. I only fought back an explosive scream once (hehe), impressive if I do say so. He will do great with his driving instructor.

On the quiet ride home, I was able to reflect and soak up all the joy I felt in my heart. We have covered over 4000 miles in 28 days and visited 14 states. I got to see parts of this beautiful USA I never thought I would see in my lifetime. There was bonding and laughter and memories abundant. This was indeed the trip of a lifetime. It ended so very bittersweet with family to help us relive the adventure. We covered so much ground and saw so many things. The photos and notes taken along  the way is what's going to keep this last month alive. I hope in the many many years to come my children will look back and be able to tell their children and grand children that it was a trip they will never forget and they too should pack a bag and head out on this very adventure. There is no time to get caught up in planning, just tell the world you' re on your way, pack a bag and go.
That's what the Voss Family did.

"On the Road Again"-Willie Nelson

6/17/15
Day 9

My dad promised all four kids fifty dollars if we all woke up early and had the RV packed up and ready to leave by 7a.m. with no help from him. Chandler and I got up at 5 a.m. to start doing some of the harder stuff outside that the boys couldn't help with and they could sleep in a little longer. We used our team work skills and managed to get everything done correctly, unfortunately we finished getting it all done at 7:28 a.m. Dad gave it to us anyways, but only because we came across some issues that even he hadn't came across while prepping the RV before. For example, one of the pop-outs got stuck, so we had to reset and one of the jacks got jammed so we had to olive oil them. The rest of the day was long, but smooth. Dad made Chandler and I clean the windshield while he filled the tank, but cleaning a huge windshield in the hot sun is a job that seems impossible to do well. We spent 12 hours and 30 minutes in the RV until we arrived in Fillmore, Utah. The boys went swimming for a little while when we got there and then Mom and I made grilled cheese on the barbecue. Fillmore was only a one night stay, we were heading for Las Vegas in the morning.

Adios South Dakota

6/13/15

Day 6

"We have to wake up really early, like 4 a.m. We have a long drive tomorrow and we need to get to Montana early tomorrow!" -Dad 6/12/15

"EVERYBODY GET YOUR BUTTS UP! WE ARE SO LATE!" -Dad 8:00 a.m. 6/13/15

Like I mentioned in my first post, we Voss' tend to not leave on time. We all bustled around trying to clean up our beds and get on the road as fast as possible. Thirty minutes, called it record time for a family of six to all get ready, I really helped with this- by not getting ready until we were on the road. Let's just say I am now a pro at getting ready in a moving vehicle. May I remind you we were driving through the mountains, so I was falling all over the place trying to get ready. We were driving for hours and hours with beautiful scenery, but with nothing to do but stare at each other, which after spending the previous five days doing everything together isn't as pleasant as one may think, especially in such a confined area. Wyoming was gorgeous; there were beautiful hills and the Rocky Mountains in the distance. When we crossed to boarder into Montana, my dad saw the sign for The Battle of Little Bighorn battlefield. We made a quick stop and got to see a bit of the battlefield, as well as the graves of many soldiers, wives, civilians, and children that died in there and in other wars. There were about 4,950 graves with 50 more reserved for still living veterans. It was a very touching memorial. We ended up making it to the Rocky Mountain RV Park on time and after setting up the RV, us kids went mini golfing while Mom and Dad got dinner ready (but mainly Mom). The people at this camp are very friendly, which has made this place enjoyable so far.

-Carmen