S4 Day 43: Not Working is Better Than Working

Dan and Janice are home again, the trip is over, and usually that's very sad. But this time it feels different: everyone's energized and excited to do new things here at home. 

It's the final night in Evangeline, and the whole family is here to look back on the whole trip. It's been a long and good one, there's a lot to remember.

It's the second-to-last overnight and Dan and Janice are back in Iowa City. And being back on the same path that the trip started on gives some perspective on where they were and where they are now.

The heat wave that had been plaguing Nebraska the last few days has finally broken. And it turns out, this whole summer has been about just missing dramatic weather events.

Look. Dan shouldn't have said that maybe Nebraska wouldn't be a problem. Because it was absolutely a problem when, in attempting to unhitch in Ogallala, Nebraska, the tongue jack stopped working. Anyone got a good number for a mobile RV repair.

It's the final night in Colorado, and Evangeline is parked back at St Vrain State Park today, which means they're once again parked next to the Great Gas Price War of Greater Longmont. Plus:Dan probably jinxes the next couple days in Nebraska by saying that nothing will go wrong. 

This is it, it's really happening now: It's the final night in Lyons and the second-to-last night in Colorado. And while everyone feels OK about heading home, nobody feels great about leaving Lyons.

It's one week before Evangeline is parked and Janice and Dan and the family get home. And it's definitely hard to keep from thinking about what it will be like getting home. This time, it doesn't feel as sad for the trip to come to a close. Not because it was too much, but because everyone feels content.

It's Janice's Birthday! And it was a beautiful day, so most of it was spent outside. From eating every meal outside to hitting the river in the tube, to hiking around Boulder's beautiful Chautauqua park, it was a great birthday in the perfect weather.

It was the final move to Lyons Colorado, which also means it's the last week in Colorado before the road home. It also marks Dan's return to work, which is a little stressful but also a reminder of how lucky we are to do this.