RV Life Week One - Williamsburg, VA

Well here we go again - the Gilbarte Gang has departed for another 

extended trek around the States in a motorhome!  

Today marks week one of our potentially 4 month excursion.  We left after church on Sunday, June, 4th and traveled four hours north to Williamsburg, Virginia for the week. 

Monday, our first full day in the RV, was spent in the campsite organizing and beginning to adjust to life in a motorhome.
Tuesday and Wednesday were long days spent exploring various state and national parks, Yorktown and Jamestown.  From museums to replica exploration to videos and various other hands on activities, our days brimmed full of historical fun.

York River State Park 

 Bethany, our little bluebird, found her own trail!

 Kaden is infatuated with policemen, FBI, firemen and the works, so finding a park ranger vehicle was quite the treat!

Historic Jamestown and Yorktown

Area Photography 

Becoming Jr. Rangers

Jamestown and Yorktown Con't

Thursday morning gifted us with a surprise. We woke up to a phone call from our cousins saying that they were headed to Busch Gardens and inviting us to come along. 

Two hours later we were on the road to an amazing day with our family - life couldn't have been better! 

Friday morning we took some time to rest after our busy week, and then set out for some final sight seeing in the afternoon.  Finally, our week in Williamsburg was was drawing to a close.  

So how has it gone so far?

Quite honestly, it's taking quite a lot of getting used to.  For the past two years, my life has been wrapped up in life at Trinity as I have grown and thrived there.  Prior to leaving, I had a significant amount of premonition centered around leaving the life I had grown to absolutely love.  The life of constant business that comes with young adulthood to the complete pause of RV life presents quite the contrast.  Brandon, our family analyzer, made an interesting point when he divided out the RV square footage (36 square feet) among our seven family members.  

"It comes out to less than six feet a person," he said.  "I'm literally more than six feet myself."

Thus, the days and weeks before leaving found me soaking up every minute I had with my closest school friends.  Graduation came and went, and saying goodbye to some of them, knowing that I was likely saying goodbye until Christmas as most of them would be leaving for college by fall, was a like a slap in the face.  Ironically, there was even a sense that I was being left behind, though I was the one doing to leaving. 

Sunday rolled around and I tried to put on a brave face as we said goodbye to our closest church friends in preparation for really, truly leaving.

  As of yet, our first day on the road has been the one to present the most challenges  All of us were trying to figure out how our new life was going to look and what we needed to adjust to live it well. Tuesday was must better as we set out to various activities and began to settle into more of a routine.

Looking back a week later, we have had challenges and rough places, as it to be expected.  But honestly I feel quite at peace that this is exactly where God has me.  It is a gift to have this time with my family before I really step out into my own life, and I am quite grateful for it and for the amazing family God has given me.  

Four more months on the road?  That's really hard to image right now, but there's to this week, and living it to the glory of God!