Countdown to Departure

This photo was taken by Sarah in 2013 at an outdoor market located in Ishka, Italy.

Our Countdown to Departure post will be changing just a little from here on out. Turns out that we will not be putting wheels to the road until around January 2016. One of the reasons being is that my weekend job gave me a pretty sizable Christmas bonus, so we want to wait for the bonus next year to put toward our funding toward our adventure. We've also been unable, due to some unforeseen expenses, to save money as quickly as we thought and need to take a little more time. We will still continue to post on Friday sharing with you what we've done to prepare for that week.

Sarah and I are still really pumped about hitting the road, but just want to begin our adventure the right way. We can't wait to get out there next year and see all the amazing things that are waiting for us. There hasn't been a whole lot happening in the last couple of weeks due to Christmas and New Years, but we have been getting our plans together for a two week trip to Europe around June. Along with our progress on our RV adventure we will be also keeping you up to date on our Europe trip.

We plan on flying from New York into Sweden, and then from Sweden taking a train through Germany into Italy where we will be spending most of our trip. You can expect a lot of social media and blog post during those two weeks for sure. Sarah has family that lives over there so we will be spending a good deal of time with them. I haven't gotten to meet them yet so I'm really looking forward to that. We'll be hitting on the main hot spots like Rome and Naples, and maybe even Venice if we have the time. Either way, this will be a trip to remember for us.

Well, that's it for this week. Hope you all have had a good one, and hope you have a great weekend as well. Please feel free to leave any comments below, especially if you have any recommendations for what we should do while in Europe. Thanks for reading and talk to you soon!

This is another pic taken by Sarah during her 2013 trip of Gesualdo, Italy where her relatives live.

This pic was taken on a very narrow street in Gesualdo. Each door you see in this pic leads into a different home.

Countdown to Departure: Week 45

Better late than never, I always say. It's a common phrase for me because I am an intense procrastinator. Oh well... Rory asked me to write the countdown post this week because I am in love. *Cue tweeting birds and little hearts above my head.* I'm in love with my new Nikon D7100.

This photo was clearly NOT shot with the Nikon D7100.

Why am I totally excited about this? Because the upgrade from a Nikon 3100 to a D7100 is huge. It will be so much easier to take awesome photos. The D7100 has in internal focusing motor, two SD card slots, better ISO performance, better image quality and many more focus points. It is weather sealed so I don't have to freak out over a little drizzling rain. The D7100 was the best choice for me within my price range. It is on sale now at B & H Photo for $896.

Honest moment: I really wanted the Nikon D810 but it's $3000. I haven't quite made enough money through my photography to justify that expense and the Nikon D7100 is good enough to last me a really long time.

Why should you be totally excited about this too? My photography game has just been upped, so this will mean better and more photos for you to enjoy. Many of the photos on our Instagram account, @youmeandanrv, were shot with an iPhone 5s, but I am going to start sharing more of my DSLR photos now. They will all be #latergram, but you don't mind as long as they are pretty, right?

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P.S. This post is completely un-sponsored. I am just in love and wanted to share. 

Countdown to Departure: Week 46

We picked these up at Barnes and Nobles, but I'm sure you can find them where most books are sold.

This week Sarah and I have added a couple of books to our traveling arsenal for when we put wheels to the road, National Geographic's Guide to State Parks of the United States and Canadian Province Parks and Guide to Scenic Highways & Byways. When we're out on the road we intend on seeing all we can. Scenic routes intrigue the both of us. Seeing the country side and scenic America is something that is important to us, and I think National Geographic are just the folks to help us do that.

Guide to State Parks of the United States and Canadian Province Parks is a great addition to our travel library. One reason being that it includes Canadian parks which will be very helpful once we cross the border. Canada has a beautiful landscape, and I have some great friends that live there that I'm really looking forward to seeing. They'll be joining us on some of our experiences while visiting.

Scenic Highways & Byways features 275 of the best drives in the U.S. that offer amazing views and some great americana experiences. I really want to get to know the country in which I was lucky enough to be born. I can't wait to see the places in person that I've always been mesmerized by in photos and on tv. The Statue of Liberty, the Seattle Space Needle, and Mount Rushmore are just some of the places that I want to visit while on the road.

If you're looking for some great material for when your out on the road, than I highly recommend these two titles. You can follow National Geographic on twitter by clicking here, and on Instagram by clicking here. Hope you'll check these books out at some point and maybe add them to your travel gear.

Thanksgiving Week, What a Week!

So last week was Thanksgiving week, and with Thanksgiving comes the infamous Black Friday. If you read Sarah's post from the 20th, RORY AND SARAH VS. BLACK FRIDAY, then you know that Sarah and I were gearing up for the shopping madness of that day. However, Black Friday threw the first punch and unfortunately, it was at Sarah. Earlier that week, Sarah started to feel under the weather which, almost over night, turned into a severe cold. You probably noticed that we didn't post last week after Tuesday. It was because of Sarah's condition and me taking care of her.

What can I say about Sarah that would give her proper credit? She is tenacious! Not only did she help cook Thanksgiving dinner, but she was ready to hit the shopping scene at 6:00 PM sharp. Cold or no cold, if Sarah has her mind made up on something she will execute. Now, we didn't get to go to all the places that we originally planned but we did hit Kohls and Target. We both got ourselves a nice down jacket at Kohls for when we put wheels to the road next year and go to any cold places. They were both priced at about $100.00 and we got them for just $30.00. Sarah will be giving you details and pics on her post this Thursday.

Thanksgiving was really great despite Sarah getting sick. We had a very healthy paleo dinner with a delicious turkey and fantastic sausage dressing. We watched A Charlie Brown Christmas while we ate dinner, and I had a nice nap. It was just me, Sarah, and her mom, but that's my family here and it was nice. What did you do for Thanksgiving? We would love to hear from you, and know some of your traditions or where you got to spend your Thanksgiving. Please leave a comment below and share with us your experiences and time spent with family and friends.

Rory and Sarah vs. Black Friday

Five years ago, my friend begged me to go shopping with her on Black Friday, a day I had avoided like the plague. The savings intrigued me, but I was not about to get elbowed in the ribs for a $10 discount. No, thank you. Plus, the stores opened at 4am that year, which is only two hours after my weekend bedtime and just try waking me up at 3am. It's more dangerous than Black Friday. Ugh.

She talked me into it. Rory was working all weekend and, like I mentioned before, Black Friday intrigued me. I literally stayed up all night and then off we went. Our first stop was Walmart where I wanted to get a camera for my brother and she wanted to get a TV for her mom and Tomtom for her step-dad. We split up. The camera was super easy to get and I went over to the Tomtom's for her next. Can you believe a guy shoved me? Or atleast he tried. I stood firm and he got an elbow to his gut and backed off real quickly. It was an adrenaline rush and I have been hooked on Black Friday ever since.

That's my only Black Friday incident. I have since created two hard-fast rules.

1. No standing in line for more than 45 minutes.
2. I absolutely refuse to fight someone over a material possession. They can have it. 

This year, the sales start on Thanksgiving which I find to be ridiculous. You know there will be people that completely miss Thanksgiving with their family in order to be first person in the door at Target. Then there is me that will wander in an hour after it opened and get almost all the same deals. 

Our Thanksgiving plans look like this:

• 9am - Wake up and immediately turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. 
• 10am - Start cooking. This year we are going with a completely Paleo Thanksgiving meal (because of that whole trying to lose weight thing that you can read about here.). Emeals.com is giving away a free menu complete with shopping list. I was stressing over what to make besides Turkey and they solved my problem. 
• 1pm - Eat with the family. Actually it will just be me, Rory, and my mom because that's all the family that lives in our area. 
• 2pm - NAP TIME while Mom watches football.
• 4pm - Hit the stores and drag the family along with me. My mom had never been to "Black Friday" sales until last year. 
• Midnight - Come home, crash, and sleep all day on Friday. Yay!

Sounds like the perfect day to me, although I know many people who would protest.

Since Rory and I are moving into an RV next year and our living space will go from 1400 sq ft. to probably 200 sq ft., we are being careful about what and how much we buy. We probably need a new TV (our current one only turns on when it wants to). So our Black Friday focus this year will be on gifts for others and items we need/want for the road. Additionally, photography items are on the list because I am a photographer and want my photos to be stunning for you all to enjoy. Here is our wishlist:

1. Fitbit Charge Wireless Activity Wristband - Numbers, stats, data, analyzing... yes, yes, yes! Sorry, geeking out over here. Why have I waited so long to have this in my life? This version even displays Caller ID. The one I am most excited about comes out in early 2015 and has a heartrate monitor.
2. BOOM Swimmer Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Honesty moment: I sing in the shower, so this is perfect for me. Plus, it will be great for our adventures in hiking, canoeing, etc.
3. Eagles Next Outfitters Double Nest Hammock - Rory has always wanted a hammock and this one is can be rolled up into a nice little sack. 
4. Slim-Fold Director's Chair with side table - Perfect for sitting outside on a nice day.
5. Sun Dolphin Canoe, 15.6 feet - There is some debate on whether or not to get a canoe. Rory really wants to buy one and store it on top of the motorhome. I vote that it's too much of a hassle and we rent one when we get to our destination. Regardless, this one is only 97 lbs and would be great for us. (How do you weigh in?)
6. Wildgame Innovations Blade 6 LightsOut Game Camera - Rory loves wildlife and animals. He wants to capture pictures of all the wildlife sneaking up on us at night. 
7. GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper Cookware Set - Cooking outside excites Rory plus it's a good way to keep the heat of cooking out of the motorhome. Heck, I'll buy whatever gets him to cook more (not because he doesn't cook, but because he's a great one).
8. Eyefi 16GB Pro X2 SDHC Class 10 Wireless Memory Card - This card will allow me share my beautiful DSLR photos with you on Instagram immediately. No waiting until I get home, transferring photos to my computer and then putting them on my cloud in order to have them on my phone. No #latergram needed! 
9. Bokeh Masters Kit - I want to turn pretty lights into hearts and stars and maybe even little motorhomes!
10. Joby UltraFit Sling Strap for Women (there's one for men, too.) - This strap is probably my ultimate want. My current strap rubs on my neck and my "girls" get in the way. A strap for women? Yes, please!
11. "I've Been Known to Flash People" T-Shirt - Just because I like it.
12. Joby GP3 GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod - Expect lots of pictures of Rory and me. This tripod is going to allow me to be able to step out from behind the camera and trust that my camera is safe. It's stable on uneven surfaces and can even wrap around poles.

Wish us luck finding great deals! What's on your wish list?

*This post contains links to Amazon in case you don't want to face the Black Friday crowds. These are affiliate links so you will be paying the same amount but we will get a small commission. Thank you for your support!