On the last day of January, an alarm reminds me that it’s five o’clock in the morning. I check the weather forecast because what started as a cold rainy Georgia morning was forecasted to be a cold snowy North Carolina morning. I didn’t know exactly what to expect but I was excited about the unknown. So, at six o’clock I headed out to Granite, North Carolina, after weeks of failed attempts and shady sellers, the plan is to travel five hours across three states to catch a “clipper”.

Half way through the uneventful five hour drive and a pit stop in South Carolina, I arrive in the snow dusted mountains of Granite, North Carolina. I jumped out of the truck to inspect the exterior and complete a walkthrough before finalizing the deal. With the title in hand and filled with excitement of finally purchasing a 2017 Coachmen Clipper 806LS Tent Camper, I was left feeling relief and excitement. A quick celebration of another mission accomplished.

After packing the tent camper for transport, I backed up the truck for the ceremonial first tow for the hitch and my beloved Ford Explorer. The lights, tow hitch, and tire pressure were inspected. A kind neighbor used the last bit of his compressed air to inflate the tires. While descending from the mountains, I quickly learned the value of the manual transmission paddles on my steering column. Down shifting while braking or traveling down hill or up shifting when climbing uphill released my anxiety of driving while towing a load. Nonetheless, after arriving in the town at the foot of the mountain, the tire pressure on the camper required a bit of adjustment to meet specification.

Georgia bound and thirteen hours later (seven o’clock in the evening), I arrived to a fog filled Georgia night and decided that I had enough adventure for a day. So, I pulled the into the driveway with the relief of making back to the bungalow safely but filled with excitement about the unknowns yet to be revealed in the days to come. The high I felt from the bliss of being a novice added to the reality of this being the first step of another exciting journey.