It’s been a rollercoaster of a week as we waited for our paperwork to come through. Since we purchased our camper from a Canadian manufacturer, there was a customs form that needed to be filed before we could register our trailer. The manufacturer let us know that it could take up to 10 business days to clear, but let us know that he had just filed one for another customer and it had only taken two days. We hoped we would have it in our hands before the holiday weekend approached, so we hung around the Buffalo area anxiously awaiting it.
We mostly spent that time running errands, buying things we needed to add to our setup like a spare tire and some electrical items. The weather was pretty lousy and we didn’t have many places to retreat to escape the rain and the wind. We camped for the night at Native Pride Truck Stop Thursday night where gas was cheap and the WiFi was free. We really didn’t mind it, and there was also a dog run there that was beautifully manicured.
We didn’t think we could take much more of Buffalo.
As Sam worked on greasing the the wheel bearings of our camper Friday afternoon, we came to the realization that getting on the road before the weekend was not going to be likely. Also, the other lock had jammed, so we were officially locked out of our camper at this point. After a quick visit to a local locksmith to get us new keys and access to the inside of our camper, we decided to head back to the Syracuse area where we knew there would always be a bed, a hot shower, a washer/dryer, and a freezer for our ice packs (thanks Mom and Dad). With the weekend forecast looking wet and grey, we didn’t think we could take much more of Buffalo.
On the plus side of things, we got to spend even more time with our loved ones than we originally planned. It was so nice to have extra meals, extra cocktails, extra hikes, and extra visits with everyone. It helped us get through these feelings of being lost, and frustrated. Plus, the leaves were just beginning to peak during our stay which was such a treat!
Finally, on Tuesday night the paperwork we had been waiting on came through. We excitedly zipped to the DMV this morning to get her registered but were told we were still missing paperwork. After an afternoon of angry phone calls and 3 visits to the DMV, Sam walked out with a defeated look on his face.
“Let me ask you something,” he said. My heart sank into my stomach. “DO YOU WANNA GO ON A ROAD TRIP?!?!”
His sullen face quickly turned into a bright smile as he whipped out a shiny new license plate. I screamed with excitement. He hopped in the car, and off we went.
“Do we just drive on 90 for a long time?” he asked.
“Just keep following the sun,” I told him.
Going Over There 