First Week of Retirement

I have now been retired for a full week. So far, it has involved a lot of manual labor. Kelly and I moved two beds and a dresser out of the basement and into the storage unit in New London. Then I bought some concrete blocks and stuck them under the mattresses in case the garage leaks in the Spring. Not sure this is a better deal. But then I was able to spend two days in rural New London with my sister, cousin and aunt. That was fun! I kept slipping under the table though during the photo shoot.

I have made reservations for the trip all the way up to the Great Smoky Mountains the end of March. I spent some time perusing the national park website yesterday, but the park is too big and there are too many camping site choices. I need some advice. Have any of you ever camped in the Smoky Mountains National Park? Does the Appalachian Trail go thru the park? Which campground is closest to the trail?

The camper is ready. I have brought all the boxes I want to the storage unit in New London. The old room-mate has moved out. The new room-mate has keys and can move in whenever she wants. Hopefully it will be soon. Am in the process of writing out mailing labels for post cards. Let me know if you want to receive post cards (also let me know your address). Now I just need to pack up. That will be hard. I am going to try to take just one carry-on bag for the whole 4 month trip. Let's see if I can manage that. The hard part is the coat I will need to get out of Minnesota is probably going to be excess baggage for the rest of the trip. I am thinking layers.

Friday is launch day. My friends are having a launch party dinner for me before I leave. I am both very excited and a little scared about the unknown that lies before me.