People are Good

After eight months of full-time RV living, we have seen so many beautiful things that this country has to offer. We’ve been from the Rio Grande Valley in far south Texas to the northeast corner of Maine. We’ve been to the Teton Mountains of Wyoming and the plains of Nebraska. We’ve eaten fresh corn in Indiana and picked apples in Vermont. We’ve experienced the beauty of the Lake Superior shoreline in Michigan, the 1,000 Islands in New York on Lake Ontario and the Atlantic beaches of New England. This truly is a beautiful country, however it’s not the beauty that defines our country, it’s the people.

We don’t watch much television these days, and, for the most part, have avoided the big cities. Instead we are experiencing first hand what, and who, this country is. We’ve seen kind and thoughtfulness. We’ve seen generosity and compassion. We’ve seen hard working Americans with proper morals and standards enjoying life and taking care of their fellow man. The people we have met (and we’ve met a lot along our journey) aren’t concerned about the color of your skin, your religious preferences or how much money you have. Instead, they are genuine, down to earth people interested in who you really are and are willing to share their passions of life with you. Some of the people we’ve met have been casual acquaintances along a hike and others have materialized into (what will be) lasting friendships.

A perfect example of this can be expressed through our recent trip to Cape Cod. We met a couple from the Cape a few months back through a common RV Facebook group. I think it was just a couple brief interactions and a short phone call, but they wanted to connect when we got in the area, so we did. They opened up their hearts and island to us. Over the course of two days, as our personal tour guides, they showed us their beautify island, shared its history and experienced some amazing local restaurants with them. Peter and Linda, we are forever grateful.

Although Peter and Linda may have been a little extra special, these types of encounters have become very common in our travels. This is what America is, and it’s so rewarding and confirming that we live in a wonderful country “because of” the people not in spite of them.

So, shut off the TV, get away from the big city and out of your comfort zone and meet some fellow Americans, because people are good. Heck, they’re downright amazing!