Well, we’re on our third and final“shake-out” trip. We’ve just pulled into the space at the Pechanga RV Resort in Temecula, California, about 2 hours from our home. Joe’s out hooking up the electrical and water systems. Before I undo my seatbelt, I see a woman walking towards us with a big smile on her face. I open the window, and she asks, “Are you Bonnie Price?” All I could think of is that I may have left something at the registration desk when we checked in, but that wasn’t it.
“I’m Ann Walker, Sue’s daughter in law!” she beams. “Sue’s been telling me about your planned tour, as we love the RV life, and she thought we might be interested. She’d sent me the website address, and I’d seen the picture of the decal on the side of your RV, and recognized it!” Ann lived in Monterey, and was just about to return home after two weeks of a great vacation.
Sue Walker is the General Manager of the Rio Hondo Symphony Association, on whose Board I served for five years, and we’d shared our contact information with the board through her. Her enthusiasm for the project was spreading the word not only through the community, but to her family hundreds of miles away.
In the planning stages for this tour of the country for Joe to sing the national anthem at minor league ball parks, we realized that we’d want to publicize because the adventure was too much fun to keep to ourselves. Joe developed a logo and had business cards and postcards printed up, and created his website (www.anthemtour.com), which coordinates with the Whittier College website (www.whittier.edu). Then he set up his blog, I set up mine, and we linked those to the website. Finally, he sent out email and postcards.
We have been happily flooded with responses cheering us on, and it’s been very motivating for us as we prepare for a lot of writing. Some friends in town are actually planning to visit a game as they vacation this summer. Friends who have moved away write with invitations for getting together when we’re near their town. Friends from other places we have lived mark their calendars to attend a game, and let us know.
I had been a little concerned about feeling isolated for the four months we’d be on the road. I had consoled myself with the notion that I still had email contact with friends, and had calendared a few visits around the country. I had not imagined that we’d make new friends before we ever left, but that’s what’s happening! Alumni we’ve never met have written to say they’ll attend the game near them.
But who would have imagined seeing a relative of a friend who recognized the vehicle on our first trip out of town after getting the signs up. Ann, thank you for greeting me! What a wonderful way to start the adventure- with all the warmth of connection to others who enjoy adventure, baseball games and the RV lifestyle.
Really, what are the chances?
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