The Open Road Opens Up a New Life

Excerpt from a blog post by Maureen Hovenkotter, BA in Communication '88, on OregonLive.com, February 6, 2008.

Losing my husband when he was 55 and my mother at the age of 69 was a grim reminder that life is unpredictable and precious: The only time we can be sure of having is now. So in the spring of 2007, when I qualified for early retirement, I chose to change my path.

I needed to go on the road.

Throughout life I've recognized that something in me yearns to be on the move; there's a searching or seeking part of me that surfaces. At times, the wanderlust is almost overwhelming, and I have to escape to someplace different for a while, even if it's just a drive to the coast.

My late husband and I had always talked about traveling across our country, and I decided that even as a single woman I could still pursue that dream. I bought a used 2002 Monaco motor home, liquidated a lifetime of accumulations, sold my house and hit the road in 2007.

Over the summer and fall I traveled more than 15,000 miles, visited 24 states, several national parks and some of America's most beautiful and historic places, both natural and man-made. I created a blog so my friends could follow along.

My travels have been life-changing in many ways. I have unquestionably grown in knowledge of both my nation and myself. I have learned so much about this country and its people: where they live, what they eat, how they play and what is important to them. I have learned that we have so much more in common than divides us.

Join me on my journey of discovery.

Read the Full Article on OregonLive.com

Maureen, along with a friend, returned to the road in February 2008.
Follow Maureen's blog: www.travelinwithcharlie.com