Joy On The Road

Home is where I stop to plug in my MacBook Pro

In the late 1990s, I started a new chapter of my life.  I’d taught English and journalism for 24 years (in Indiana, Kentucky, and Texas), worked as a software educational consultant (in Texas, Georgia, and Kentucky) in a second career, and finally delved into several aspects of book publishing (Indianapolis, Indiana) as a third career. During this time I also raised two daughters who are married and hold professional positions in advertising and marketing.

For this new chapter in my life, I gave up my residence in Orlando, bought a laptop computer so I could continue to earn a living as a freelance indexer/copy editor, and decided to start living without a permanent home.

Since I began this vagabond lifestyle, I have racked up 570,000 miles on the odometers of two cars (both Hondas). I’ve crisscrossed the country many times performing house/pet-sitting tasks, visiting family, reconnecting with friends and former students I hadn’t seen in decades, and making many new friends along the way. 

Only eight states remain before I will have traveled to all 50 states…and I will visit two of those this summer! Travels outside the U.S. include trips to Canada (2), Ireland (2), France (2), and England (1).

I’ve had the freedom to be a caregiver when friends or family needed me and to attend special events without worrying about how much vacation time I was using.  Rarely do I take a trip without working along the way, and yet I’m always on vacation!

A new vocation evolved in addition to my freelance editorial work: house/pet-sitting. I began this new sideline for only family and close friends, but as word spread about this new venture, I received more and more requests from friends of friends asking me to please come stay with their beloved pets. Most of the time I have my schedule booked with house/pet-sitting gigs from coast-to-coast as well as with my freelance indexing assignments. Click the House/Pet-Sitting tab for more information.

I am “on the road” either literally or figuratively all the time.