Escapees March-April 2023

By THERESÉ JULO #139199, Hangouts Director

A Time of New Beginnings

students and eventually bought a travel trailer. In 2006 we took a giant leap and sold most of every thing we owned in New Jersey, intending to move to North Carolina in 2007. We traveled for a year cruising the perimeter of the US, traveling 26,000 miles. It’s hard to believe all those miles were made with maps, no GPS. Ten years later, we joined Escapees for the education that the club offered. As seasoned road warriors, we longed for education and more. In 2017, we planned on leaving our professional careers and hitting the road as full-time RVers. All of you know what a big deal that is and how long it takes to prepare. Between 2007 and 2017, A LOT changed in the RV world. Technology and YouTube were the most signi fi cant changes. Lessening Our Learning Curve We needed to lessen our learning curve. Escapees magazine became our bible. We hit the road full time in 2019, with our fi rst stop being the Tucson Escapade. I can’t even begin to describe the excitement and fear we felt. We had a brand-new behemoth fi fth-wheel trailer and dually truck. We were 53-feet long—the same size as the box on a tractor-trailer. When we arrived at the Escapade gates, I started to cry. I’m not kidding. I was so happy we made the 2,400-mile journey in one piece. We were so excited to make new RV friends. And, we did. Since 2017, I have been falling in love with all Escap ees events, programs and people again and again. I bet you feel the same way! Escapees members have become our family on and off the road. When I saw the job posting for the Hangouts director position, I had to apply. I wanted to be part of carrying the Hangouts torch forward. But there’s more. Body, Mind & Spirits Hangout Last April, in Sedona, Arizona, I co-hosted a di ff erent type of Hangout. It was called Body, Mind & Spirits (B, M & S) and themed around health, wellness and exploring.

Spring is a time of new beginnings. Flowers are blooming and leaves are budding as a result of a long winter’s nap. Seeds sowed in the fall toil sight unseen under ground through the winter. The fragile plant breaks through the surface in spring and grows toward the shining sun. I feel much the same way and let me explain why. As the incoming Hangouts director, this has been my journey as well. David and Cheryl Goldstein planted the seeds last fall as they began planning to retire as Hangout directors. Retirement would not come easy for them. There was a lot of work in preparing someone to take over the program. Planting the seed The Goldsteins have cared for the Hangouts program since its origin in 2019. A replacement director would need to be hired and trained. Like planting fall seeds, work would be done under ground or behind the scenes. Both eager and nervous, I stepped into the incoming Hangout director position on 12/18/22. I had two sets of big shoes to fi ll. I started as a conscious incompetent. I knew how much there was to learn since I had hosted a few Hangouts. But hosting is only one side of the Hangouts equation. Growing Into the Role Now, I’m the seedling popping out of the soil and looking up at the sun. I’m growing into the role. I wish I had a name badge that said “Trainee.” Many of you know me as The Tripping Yogi. I’m a traveling yoga teacher. I had a job, a business. Why did I want to take on another role? That’s a great question with a simple answer. I love Escapees. Peter (my better half) and I had been campers for a long time. We started tent camping as poor college

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ESCAPEES Magazine March/April 2023