Maude the RV in Homestead, Florida

For the next few weeks, The Roamans will be in Homestead, Florida with Maude the RV, gearing up to hit the road. My family has property that we're staying on, which is a huge help. The thing about Homestead, Florida is that it is very far south. We're talking right-before-the-Keys-south. Kinda-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-south...which is a departure from Fort Lauderdale living. Vanessa and I were used to being in the mix of things while living in our little bungalow (blog post to come) by the beach where we had everything at our fingertips. You take for granted how close you are to a grocery store when it's just a quick trip away. In Homestead, the closest grocery is about 20 minutes away.

But.....there really are some huge perks of staying down here:

1. The scenery is amazing. Farmlands and fruit trees and horses galloping on the streets. Vanessa has been running and taking gorgeous pictures of our neighborhood.

2. It's quiet. We are on a few acres of land and our closest neighbors are a ways away. It's nice to be secluded and in our own world. This is going to be a great way to gear up for full time RV living.

3. FRUIT. There are fruit stands EVERYWHERE. It's glorious. Fresh fruit stands all along the main road. We bought some lychees (2lbs for $5!) from a man named Phillip, who was kind enough to take the time and bless us on our journey.

4. Fresh coconuts. This gets a separate number primarily because young coconuts have been falling from the trees around the property. For the first time, I chopped it up, drank the coconut juice, and turned the meat into a vegan coconut ceviche. The feeling of self-sufficiency is unparalleled.

5. Close friends and family. We're using these next few weeks down here to say goodbye to those closest to us. Yesterday for the Fourth of July, we had a small (very small) gathering where we played board games, ate veggie burgers, and played with sparklers in front of Maude the RV.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone.