Michigan

It has been over a year now since we left San Francisco in our house on wheels. There have been plenty of skeptics who did not believe we would last a year on the road that we have just proved wrong. But that was not the main reason we have been traveling for so long.

One actual reason is that the country is so huge that we were unable to visit everything that we want in one year even if we stay everywhere just for a day or two. A second reason is that during the travel period we have been successful at avoiding the "mom at home and dad at work" scenario. Nowadays it has become normal for both parents to take care of the children with everyone working from home. But when we started our journey, this was not the case and our initial goal was to survive the early stage childhood with both parents fully involved. The final reason is that I do not know how to stop anymore.

I wonder sometimes what would be different if we settled in one place. The main comforts would be a reliable internet connection, more cabinets for Vėjas to play with and a permanent place for a mixer, a toaster and a laundry machine. Also, we would save the time we spend unhooking and hooking up the trailer each time we relocate. But the same amount of time would be consumed by fixing something around the house or gardening.

And the main drawbacks I see is that I could not change my neighbors so frequently if I do not like them and, if I do travel somewhere, I would have to spend time coming back to my permanent house.

I would definitely not want to go back and forth in Michigan. The state is huge and we have spent enough time here to say we are "quarantined in Michigan" and we were moving almost every day. We have seen every side of Lake Michigan and there is a huge difference in the quality of water between crystal clear to algae infused dead fish soup.

Michigan has a bad rap, in my opinion, because of Detroit. While Detroit is the first city I was even less comfortable in than the birthplace of my son, Oakland, California, the rest of the state is an absolutely relaxing place with plenty of forests, lake access, huge sand dunes and beautiful wineries. If I wanted to run away from everything and just unwind, I would not hesitate visiting Michigan.

Detroit, on the other hand, is a real party of ruins and abandoned buildings. All the good days are in the past for sure, but the grand legacy stands there to remind us that America has history and you can still witness it not only through the pages of a history book.