I’m on a road­trip with my friends Barb and Paul. We’re winding around the mid-​​west with their new RV as our focus. We’re proving to be persis­tent hunters. It’s proving to be a bit elusive! There have been prob­lems to solve, but we’re going to the source.

This has been a wonderful journey for a newly wed and a wedding priestess. Here they are with all these very real obsta­cles: you can’t ride in a motor home in your wheel chair if you can’t lock in; it’s hot; hand­i­capped acces­sible rooms that aren’t; they’re both tired from a lot of trav­eling, barb’s pain-​​level hovers constantly near intol­er­able, and obtw, this camping thing is some­thing they’re excited about, but will have lots of chal­lenges. All of their skills are being tested. And you know what? They’re thriving.

They get nervous, they find a solu­tion. So far, I haven’t seen those solu­tions include flare-​​ups between them. They have different skill sets, different levels of curi­ousity about different things. And they’re coping. They’re holding on to the dream of how exciting it is and making it all work. And when we get back into the car to go to the next place they’re laughing and affectionate.

Now I know them, I know they’re human. I’m sure there are gripes and snipes that they’re not sharing with me (another learning point!) But this project has been by starts and turns exciting, disap­pointing, worrying, over­whelming. And they’re having an adven­ture. And they’re doing it all with me there.

It’s a priv­i­lege. and it’s funner than lots of things I’ve done recently!

Tip: there’s no reason to take your stress out on one another. Solving prob­lems can make you happy and better connected. And going off on adven­tures is a great way to build and polish your skill set — and have a great time! This is marriage building! Try it, you’ll like it!