A Shower Without Flip-Flops

I'm about to reach a milestone - one month on the road! I've spent every night - except one - sleeping in the Bandwagon in state parks from North Carolina to Pennsylvania.

Last weekend, I had the immense pleasure of a night with Atlanta friends, Sam and Heather Kennedy, who now live in Pittsburgh. They treated me like a queen - a delicious home-cooked meal, stimulating adult conversation, Olympics on the TV, charming children, and a comfy bed. Talk about spoiled!

It's funny how you get used to living in a 5' by 10' bus. The Bandwagon features are pretty nice. I sleep on an Ikea futon, which is actually comfortable. From one chair, I can reach the cereal box, bowl, and spoon, coffee pot, milk in the fridge, microwave, computer, printer, and filing drawers. Now that's efficient design!

The one missing element in the Bandwagon is running water. I'm talking no flushing toilet, no sink, and no shower. Ninety-eight percent of my bathroom needs in the last month have been met by the state parks of NC, VA, and PA.

I am pleased to report that state parks have high standards. Bathrooms are cleaned daily! Yeah! Despite my faith in their sanitizing, I wear flip-flops into the shower. This seems sensible and brings back not-so-fond memories of college dorm days.

During my visit with Sam and Heather, I was in awe of the big stuff - sofas, chairs, large rooms, and definitely the queen bed. But without a second thought, I jumped into the shower sans flops. As my toes touched the tile, they knew instinctively there was no need to recoil in fear of unseen micro-organisms. I call that a taste of home sweet home.