Well, I have just a few days left in Spain and then I’ll be flying home and back to my sweet little van. I’ll tell you - I cannot wait!
I’ve been living in hostels and albergues for the last five or six weeks and though all the spaces are small, it’s funny to hear myself say it, but they’re not small enough. I miss my little cocoon.
I am not sure yet what my plan will be when I get home. I know that there’s a meet up in Tillamook along the coast. I do need to check on my mother. I need to have a big yard sale and get rid of a garage full of stuff I’ve accumulated. At some point I need to decide where I will spend the rest of the summer. I’m hoping to hook up with Merle or Vern or some of my other van friends before hitting south for the winter again.
I let my friend Joe borrow my van while I was in Spain so he could take a trip to the coast. But he turned around and drove it back home after the traction light went on three times. This seems to be a major issue with Toyota sienna van and after doing some research online I think it could be a matter of having the rack and pinion replaced. If that’s the case it could be anywhere from $200-$1000. But it will make the van much safer to drive. Right now, I’m worried about the van putting its own brakes on, which it has done twice. And I could see how that could cause a major accident if it happened on the freeway and I was rear ended. I was surprised to hear people say that Toyota won’t accept responsibility for this issue even though there are hundreds of complaints online for the exact same issue. I suppose if someone is killed as a result it in there could be a big lawsuit and at that point maybe they will accept responsibility. Anyway, I know that I will have a van repair expense upon returning and I’m happy that I have some energency cash set aside.
There are two things that I would love to do this year. One is to drive old route 66 as much as possible. The other is to take the LDS tour of Mormon sites. When I get done will depend on my mother’s health more than anything else and whether or not I need to stay with her.
So that’s it for now. I’m looking forward to being home and back in the van and will catch up when I get there.
Happy trails!
Annie
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