So after buying an RV on a whim, we stuck around San Diego an extra week while the sales guys inspected and cleaned it up for pickup. Friday after we bought it, we went to the yard and got our initial walk through, to get acquainted with our new new moving house. Turns out it’s pretty complicated. And definitely overwhelming. “Let me show you all 40 ways you could accidentally destroy this RV…. here are the keys, have fun!”

We were both struck by the intensity of the feelings that came up once we officially signed the papers. We’re worried it’s too big. We’re worried it’s too expensive. We’re worried about whether we’re getting the right kind of extended warranty and insurance. We’re feeling the weight of this whole thing… this is BIG. The RV is big, the decision is big, the trip is big. Is this how people feel when they buy houses? It feels like there’s no turning back, and the future is unknown and unknowable, and that’s scary and exciting at the same time.

We drove it back up to my parents’ house, and felt really conflicted. Do we drive it home to San Francisco? Do we leave it in San Diego for now? Do we try to drive it up to the total eclipse? Do we get home to SF and then find another way to go to the eclipse? We’re hemming and hawing, but one thing we DO know is that we need to familiarize ourselves with this large machine, and quickly.

We decide to at least stay in San Diego for the rest of Friday, and spend the evening reading as much of the manuals as we can. If we decide to go to the eclipse, we would have the weekend to do it. Ready or not… we have an RV.