We are nearing our big road trip! We’re set to depart after work Friday. In the days leading up to the travels, we are extremely busy with laundry, car maintenance, dog arrangements, and more. I bought a couple smart electrical outlets for $25 on Amazon, then plugged lamps into them. This way, I can control the lighting in the house remotely from my phone. In the security biz, I know that’s a good way to make it appear that we’re home. Of course now that I posted about what I did, everyone will know it’s all an elaborate ruse. I also bought a new dashboard cam for the van (the old one crapped out after years of extreme heat exposure) so I can document any hazards from the road.

It’s actually really nice doing a road trip for once. We’re always flying and having to be on tight schedules, packing light, waking up at odd hours. It feels very refreshing to be in control of our own schedule for once. We will just leave when we are ready, pack whatever the hell we want, not worry about losing a bag, not having to rent a car when we get where we’re going, etc. It has a very different feel from normal travels.

With my nerve woes continuing, it will be interesting to see how I do on the road sitting upright in a driver’s seat for many hours. The other day I got some big-time pain meds from the doctor to hold me over until I actually go under the knife on June 14. The combo of Tramadol and gabiprentin did not go well. It may have helped the nerve pain, but I spent the majority of the first four days in and out of a fog, with frequent anxiety. It was way worse than just dealing with the nerve pain! So I scrapped the pills, which were also making me drowsy. But that date is official—June 14! It’s going to cost us big-time, but I’d rather go another $5k in debt than be in constant physical pain.