THE BIG TRIP

After 6 adventure-filled months, 30something states, 24 National Parks, and over 24,000 combined miles driven in the motorhome and Jeep, we are HOME! We arrived to a clean, warm, and perfectly preserved house, thanks to Mary and Frank. The house, of course, seemed cavernous to all of us, though while we were traveling, the motorhome never really felt too small. Lev spent the first few hours turning things back on and plugging things back in. It didn't take long for us to fill the clean, empty house with dozens of boxes and cartons from the motorhome. We decided to unload everything, inside and out, so that we can start with a clean motorhome in the Spring. It will be weeks, I am sure, before we can organize everything in the basement and dining room, our "holding" areas for "stuff".

Our friends and neighbors welcomed us back warmly as well. Both Mary and Kerrie arrived with cookies and goodies and the Squalters called immediately to invite the kids over to play. Ben and Lauren spent time over the weekend with Abe, Isaac, and Sadie, and went back to school for the last few days before winter break. They were beyond happy to get back in touch with their friends, and their friends with them, which is so heartwarming as a parent to see. Adam also visited his new Kindergarten class, meeting his teacher and classmates, and received a warm reception.

As we began resuming "normal" activities like shopping at Wegmans, getting haircuts, driving to school, etc. it began to sink in that we were really done with this big adventure. Even though the trip was amazing in all respects, I am no longer sad that it has come to an end. I actually feel quite content and happy, and incredibly blessed to have had this experience. I know that this trip has changed us all for the better and enriched our lives and family with priceless experiences and memories that can never be lost. Lev and I have every reason to feel so proud of ourselves. We worked and planned and made this amazing trip happen for ourselves and our kids. I know the memories from this trip will stay with us for the rest of their lives and impact the kids in positive ways I can't even imagine right now. The Big Trip was a huge milestone, and though it has come to an end, the Koss family adventures will continue (with more RVing to come).... and we can't wait for the next chapter to begin!

We made record time driving from Orlando to Reading - less than 24 hours, which included a rest stop for a few hours of sleep in Fredericksburg, VA. We left Fredericksburg at 5:00 am so that we could get through DC area traffic well before rush hour. Amazingly, there were more cars on the road at 5:30 am on the DC Beltway than in the worst Syracuse traffic. Though it was busy, we sailed through both DC and Baltimore without delay, arriving in Reading by around 8 am on Thursday, Dec. 17, and were able to spend the day with Bubbe and Pop-Pop. Bubbe cooked up a batch of her awesome latkes and some fresh salmon for dinner and the kids were thrilled to see them, play with Zac, and get another night of presents! Pop-Pop showed us the book he has been working on throughout our trip - a collection of all the blog entries and photos!! He did an amazing job putting together a hard copy of our memories and it is something we will cherish for the rest of our lives! Thanks so much, Dad!!!!

Our time was cut short because of a coming storm, so by Friday afternoon we had to head home. We are looking forward to seeing Bubbe and Pop-Pop again in January!!

We've been in Orlando for several weeks, and as we prepare to leave tomorrow, we figured it was time to update the blog... Just a few photos here, with more to come:

The best part of Florida, besides BEAUTIFUL weather, was having the chance to catch up with family and friends that we haven't seen in a long time. We spent a wonderful weekend with Elissa, Talia, and Jared, and really missed Moshe, who was in Australia, but we'll catch you next time, Moshe! Elissa rented a huge, gorgeous home in Orlando for the weekend and we all settled in. Our kids, who have been sharing their tiny room for the past 5 months, had a field day when they got to the house and had to choose from among the six different bedrooms! Lauren and Talia bunked together, and Adam, Jared, and Ben each got a private room. Elissa also brought Shabbat dinner Friday night and we had a very relaxing evening catching up. We went to Downtown Disney for a little shopping and then enjoyed a late night at the Magic Kingdom, which was open until after midnight! The kids had so much fun together, riding on Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain multiple times. We also enjoyed the light parade and fireworks.

Even after a late night, the kids were still eager for more Disney on Sunday, so we headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Another AWESOME time, even though the kids were dragging a little from being out so late the night before. Jared worked it out so that Elissa and I got to sit in the front of the Rock-n-Rollercoaster - which went from 0-60 mph in about 2 seconds!!!! We were so sad to say goodbye at the end of the day... but looking forward to catching up with the Vessals again next September when they come to PA.

Hanukkah was spent in the condo we won at last year's SHDS auction. We spent 10 days there while we were in Orlando. The kids made some decorative crafts and enjoyed lighting the menorah and, of course, getting their gifts. We also got to spend the second night of Hanukkah with cousins Aaron, Kim, Adam, Nathan, and Owen in Tampa. They cooked us an awesome steak dinner and we had a great time catching up. It had been 5 years since we saw them in Hilton Head and we were amazed at how our kids have all grown so much! (The adults, of course, haven't aged a day

And, of course, we got to see Ron and Mav, who blew in and out of Tampa for the weekend, and had a great time at Busch Gardens with Lev, Ben, and Lauren, while Adam and I went bowling.

Orlando was mostly all about play, but we did have some work to take care of: the motorhome's windshield. It had gotten cracked on the highway back in Wyoming. Our insurance company knew of a great mobile windshield service in Orlando and agreed to let us wait, so we finally got it replaced. It was cool to see them lift the huge piece of glass off the motorhome and install the new one. They used giant suction cups to help them hold the glass steady.

As the week drew to a close, we enjoyed the last days of sunshine and warm temperatures, one last hurrah at the Magic Kingdom on our last day, and, with mixed emotions, finally headed home.

Like a rocket sent from NASA, we sped through Houston staying just long enough to visit the Johnson Space Center, where we spent a day learning about NASA and our nation's space program. We took a tram tour of the facility which included the space shuttle mock up, where they build a full-scale duplicate of the space shuttle for the astronauts to train in. We were all amazed by how HUGE the shuttle is up close. The most moving part of the tour was a visit to the Mission Control Room, the real control center for all shuttle missions. Our guide was a retired Air Force pilot who has been with NASA long enough to have personal memories of some of the greatest of NASA's achievements and most profound tragedies. He was a personal friend to several of the astronauts on board the Columbia shuttle that exploded just an hour from its scheduled landing. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room when he finished speaking.

There was a ton for the kids to enjoy. They participated in a show that demonstrated how the astronauts live, eat, sleep and even go to the bathroom in space. There was a play area that Adam really enjoyed and lots of hands on exhibits and stations for them all to explore. It was a great day!

We left Space Center Houston around 4:30 pm, intending to drive until we got tired and stop somewhere in Louisiana for the night. Instead, we drove until we were stopped on the highway, which closed for almost 4 hours while they cleared a terrible accident a few miles ahead of us. We were caught between exits, and so we just had to sit and be patient. Luckily, our motorhome is equipped with all the comforts of home - the kids went to sleep in their room, and Lev and I were entertained by listening to the truckers on the CB. By the time we got going, we decided to just push through the deep south and straight to Florida. The weather prediction for the upcoming days was for stormy weather around the gulf anyway, so it didn't seem to make sense to try and camp in it. We actually got ahead of the storm and weren't really affected by it at all. So, the decision was made: Mickey, here comes the Koss family!!!

The Gershen side of the family reunion continued for another few days at Michelle's house in The Colony, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. We were joined by Michelle's dad, Uncle Rick, and his wife Sandi, cousin Carl and his wife Robyn, and best of all - Uncle Ari!

Michelle was joined by Aunt Malca, my mom, Robyn, and I in cooking up a feast that included turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, kugel, mashed potatoes, meatballs and hotdogs, and about 4 different kinds of pie.

Again the kids had a great time hanging out with the family, sleeping in a "real" house, and playing with Michelle and Eric's two dogs, Maverick and Jack. We had a very relaxing weekend and on Sunday, headed back down south to Houston, our last Texas destination.