Week 1 - And we're off...

It always amazes me how slowly a first week goes when a new adventure begins. It seems like a month since I landed at JFK, yet it really has only been seven days.
 
So, what has happened to give this sense of time going slowly? America. Basically, everything American.
 
One forgets living in Europe, the difference between the US & the rest of the world in terms of scale (although Australia is to me a 3/4 sized America). Before Meg & I left for the States, we looked at a number of campervans/holiday homes/etc in the UK. We even paid our £6 and joined all the OAPs at the Caravaning show in Birmingham (the pace of life definitely slowed down that day), but this research, in hindsight, didn't prepare us for the 'size' of everything here in the great United States. 
 
As soon as we landed, we had a couple of RV dealerships to look at on our way from NYC to Virginia. Even though it was a Sunday & MLK jr day, we still managed to walk around some RV companies, and get a sense of what was available, costs, and so forth. But, that's when *gulp* sunk it. These vehicles were nothing like what there was in the UK. Even though the equivalent camper vans (think classic white Mercedes Sprinter van) might have been just as tall, the width, length and general 'American'ness' just put the fear of God into me. I was too scared to even ask for a test drive - for fear of ripping down the entrance awning, inflatable flappy man things (see Family Guy), or the 18ft American flag pole. These things were built for giants, on giant roads, in giant campsites, or in giant Walmart car parks. Fine for North America, but as soon as we hit the cobbled streets of Central America, there will be no mistaking that the US tourists are coming through (insert Dukes of Hazzard car horn noise - even the orange of the General Lee wouldn't be too far off how much we're gonna stick out like a sore thumb).
 
But, that being said, we managed to find a few 'normal' sized vans. How cramped they were made us realise that ok, 'when in Rome' - we need space to live in, and, as long as we stick to something between 19' to 23' in length, then that should do us fine. So, we hit craigslist, and every available RV seller within a 100 mile radius.
 
I don't want to tempt fate in any way, but I sense we might be close to finding our 'Milton' (at least I hope so). We have a good idea of what we can, a) afford, b) isn't stupidly massive and c) has a rear parking camera installed.
 
For all reading this, please keep your finger's crossed, please....
 
(all finger crossing support gratefully received via our twitter, instagram, facebook, etc @hairventures)