Week 27 - Mrs. Mayor

The pace of life and routines can determine so much for different seasons of life. For us, our tempo and schedules are completely turned upside down every week we’re on the bus. The patterns of life are always different. So, what is this season defined by? The ability to constantly be okay with change.

I am going on this thought ramble because recently, we crossed a huge milestone: we’ve been on the bus for six months. It's our agreed-upon halfway mark, and we've had so many eventful weeks filled with memories and new relationships. It's hard to believe we pulled our bus away from Charleston just six short months ago.

Some weeks have flown by with excitement, while others have given us rest when we needed it. As these weeks in different places turn into months, this season of life is by far the fastest I've ever lived. Trying to define our pace of life and routine would be in vain because of the constant change. If you want to experience our lifestyle, just imagine starting a new job every week, never sleeping in the same place, and finding some Germans to tag along.

Fortunately for us, we had a very special guest join us this week: Mr. Lee, a Sixth Grade Math Teacher from Moultrie Middle School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Thanks to his teacher schedule, he was able to join us for spring break. Conversations with Mr. Lee about the speed of life and our time on the bus thus far were cherished, especially at the mark of this major milestone.

Cain was so excited to have Mr. Lee around. But Mr. Lee was so tired because of the time change.

Luckily, Mr. Lee has many skills so we took good advantage of our kitchen with our new in-house chef.

As we plan our weeks, people often reach out to us with requests of service. This one came from someone special. A person of high office, the mayor of South Lake Tahoe. Cristi Creegan, reached out to us after getting our contact information from Ed Bissonnette, whom we helped back in San Diego. We were grateful for her enthusiasm in bringing the bus to her town, and she even coordinated with local organizations to help us serve the community. Additionally, she secured a safe parking spot for us, which was a huge help.

This is one of our best photos with the mayor sadly. From left to right: Waitress (not sure her name), Nicole (friend of Cristi, helped start the homeless coalition), Jason (Nicole’s Husband, sat next to me at breakfast, great convos), Me (Davis), Cristi Creegan (MAYOR OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE), Josh (friend of Cain and I), Owner of Ernie’s Cafe, Cain (friend of Josh and I), Wendy (Former mayor of South Lake Tahoe), Mr. Lee (Sixth grade math teacher), Ludwig (german traveler)

Cristi allowed us to borrow some paddle boards to go paddle boarding on the lake and nearby river. I’ve never paddle boarded in a wetsuit before or walked on snow in booties so this was all around grand first time experience. Luckily we were guided by Lisa (Wife of Ed Bissonette’s nephew, Daniel - Great woman) and Cristi’s daughter.

Our host for the week was the American Legion Post 795, a community organization comprised of veterans in South Lake Tahoe. Other detachments, such as the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion, also operate out of the same building. I joined the Sons of the American Legion while in the company of these veterans due to my late grandfather's service in the Navy. This year, California experienced a significant amount of snowfall, and the South Lake Tahoe area was no exception. We helped the Legion by patching an area in their roof that had been damaged by the heavy snow. Additionally, we cleared snow piles from their emergency exit doors, replaced outlets, and fixed the swing of their doors. Spending time with the leaders of these groups, Tom and Wayne, was invaluable; we listened to their life stories and enjoyed chatting with them over drinks at their in-house bar.

Wayne (President of the Sons) giving my membership to the Sons of the American Legion.

President of the American Legion Auxiliary

Most of our week was spent at an old motel called the Bear Den Inn, which had been acquired by the South Lake Tahoe Homeless Coalition. The coalition has been working for the past eight years to provide housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness in the community. They have acquired several underused motels in the area, including the Bear Den Inn, which they are renovating to create more affordable housing options. During our time there, we were asked to demo (short for demolition) five of the units that would be refinished to offer housing for the unhoused in their area.

Speaking with Kimberly Peterson, the director of the coalition, we learned about their mission and the success they have had in providing housing and support for those in need. With their efforts, all but 20 homeless individuals in the community have been successfully housed. Their work is a true testament to the power of community-driven solutions to homelessness. Our efforts to strip back the units at the Bear Den Inn were a win-win situation. Josh, Cain, Mr. Lee, Ludwig (yes, he’s back), and myself lived out our greatest manly desires of destroying stuff, but with a purpose, as we helped the coalition in their efforts to provide housing for those in need.

A local news outlet did a piece on our time in South Lake Tahoe, if you are searching for some more toilet bowl material, Click Here.

As our time in California came to an end, Lake Tahoe was our final stop before heading north to Oregon. It was a week full of serving and learning, connecting with community members, and hearing their stories. From the American Legion to the Tahoe Homeless Coalition, we were able to contribute to meaningful causes and meet inspiring people. Of course, we can’t forget about the newest addition to our crew, Roland, friend of Ludwig. He joined in for a few days of driving this past weekend. As we hit the road once again, we're excited for the adventures that await us in Oregon and beyond. Stay tuned for our next update!

While we had a week apart Ludwig decided to go hiking by himself in the woods for three days. We asked him to take pictures, and he delivered.

We added a German this week with Roland, Ludwig’s travel buddy who has been slowing catching up to us. While in Reno, we took the germans to a good American baseball game. The picture is misleading, but they loved it!

If you made it this far you deserve a reward. So, here is a picture of Matthew in his spring suit.