Do YOU Have The Restless Gene? And More Guano….
A few weeks ago a family member sent me the following article from National Geographic:
Restless Genes
The compulsion to see what lies beyond that far ridge or that ocean—or this planet—is a defining part of human identity and success. Link HERE.
It’s a fascinating view of why we (as humans) are the only mammals known to move far and wide across the earth and further, why some of us may be more prone to travel & explore than others. Is it possibly genetic? All wrapped up in the DRD4-7R gene variant? Could this be the very gene that all nomads, and by extention all fulltime RVers share?
Of course it’s not as simple as a single gene, but I found the article compelling nonetheless. I’ve always (personally) had the urge to explore. In fact it’s so ingrained in my bones that I’ll go off the beaten path even if I’m just out for a regular hike. Some how, some way I just have to see what’s over that next ridge. Even when I was in a regular (“fixed”) job, I thrived best in a changing environment where either my job position or location changed every few years, and the more unique (and unusual) the change, the more I liked it. Create a brand new position in a new country that’s never been done before…oh, I am SO all over that! I also believe it’s the very reason I felt so completely “at home” the first time I moved into an RV. From the start I knew this lifestyle was meant for me. So, DRD4-7R…I’d say you and I are definitely good ‘ol friends.
As for the next few days I’m afraid my restless gene will have to wait. There’s yet another big winter storm forecast today so we’ve ditched our boondocking plans (too bad…we had a great spot picked out) and extended our stay at the SKP Co-Op until Monday. Then we’ll mosey on down to Bisbee for our next adventure. The rest of March we’ll be jockeying around Bisbee & Patagonia area, hopefully doing a fair amount of boondocking and finishing up with a re-stock stop in Pheonix before we head towards Utah in April.
Oh, and for those of you avidly following the guano discussion a few days ago, Grant did a bit of inventive googling and found these “Guano Happens” T-shirts in up to 9 different colors on this website. You can even buy the shirt for your dog! Just goes to show that good ideas can’t be stopped and I’m not the only genius out there 🙂 So sadly I won’t be making millions on guano euphemisms, but I can now buy the T-shirt and still giggle myself silly with my own humor. And that’s the kind of guano that makes life worth living 🙂
So what about you? Do you have the restless gene? What are your thoughts on all this? Share below…
Holy gunao….I have got to get one of these shirts! Thanks for my TGIF laugh while I’ll work away at the 9-5. Cutting and pasting all these wonderful places I have got to see, while hoping not to get caught as I’d sure be in deep quano. This cozygirl sure has a quano-eating grin to carry me through this afternoon :O)
Go into Alamogordo and eat at the Hi-D-Ho and order the Tiger Burger. Be hungry. Tell them Timothy from Roswell sent you. If you have not been to Roswell and like aliens, we are about 100 miles away from White Sands. Then if you make it over here, the next stop has to be at Carlsbad Caverns. If you have not been there, they are caves the size of super domes. Have a great day.
We spent close to 3 months in NM in 2011. Loved the entire experience! Did see the caverns, and the aliens, and Alamogordo (the state park there is lovely) And so much other stuff. What a fabulous state! One day we’ll go back.
Nina
That darn weather really put a damper on our plans….flexibility seems to be key…..guano happens! Patagonia was in the plan but Mother Nature said otherwise – so I’ll have to rely on some great photos of your stay there. AND can’t wait to unload this house….we definitely have that gene. Happy trails 🙂
What a bummer! We’re headed to Patagonia later this month and hope the weather holds. It should be spring by now!
Nina
We so have that gene! Not sure how we are going to squelch that desire once we get to the midwest and settle for awhile. Looks like many mini-trips in our future in order to avoid going stark-raving mad! 🙂
I think you need to meet Jil&Tom. They love the Midwest (in fact it’s one of their fav places to camp). I think you’ll be able to find some interesting mini trips out there.
Nina
Good to know. We are going to need them. 🙂
Love your blog! Any suggestions for a nice campground in Utah? I’m in Paso Robles, CA and will be heading across UT toward CO in April. Ultimately to OH. Thanks! Lee
Sooooo many good places to camp in UT. Where are you going specifically? We loved the National Forest sites, and State Parks too. You can see where we’ve camped in the “RV park review” tab, under UT. That has everywhere we’ve been.
Nina
Yes!!!!I have the gene….and to Lee Hazell where in Utah? i
PS great t-shirt….
I forgot to mention on the guano post, There is another name for guano, scat. I have a paint mare. Her name is Holy Scat and she lives up to her name in every sense of the word. I too laugh each time I call her by her full name. I have always been one who MUST see over the next rise or around the next bend. So much so that I have trouble finding hiking buddies who want to go on this ‘little hike’ as they know what that means. What can I say…. It is in the genes!
LOVE that name!! Excellent.
Nina
I actually think I *don’t* have the restless gene. Maybe that’s a character flaw, but I’m happiest in my little shop, *farting around* (as has been pointed out to me in the past.)
I’ll see how I feel after being home here in Canada after a couple years, but there’s so much to keep us busy at the moment that travelling is way down on the list.
Good on ya being in the desert though. That aspect of getting away does look the most appealing. I doubt we’ll ever be part of the Florida Crowd. There are many, many Florida Crowd wannabes heading off today let me tell ya. It’s that whole March Break thing. *shudder*
Not my deal.
Nothing wrong at all with being a homebody. Sometimes I envy folks who’re able to stay put and be happy in one place. That link to a single place (and the strong sense of community you get with it) is something I’ve never had. We’re all different and thank goodness for that. Diversity is what makes life beautiful.
Nina
How long will you be in Phoenix? Any chance of getting to meet up with you? I don’t have RV yet, still looking and think I’m getting closer. Send me a private email if that will work for you when you get to Phoenix.
Hi Jan,
We’re booked into Lost Dutchman SP for just a few days at the end of the month. I’ll let you know if we get time.
Nina
I most certainly do NOT have that gene. I do however have the love RV’s gene. Go figure.
You’re not alone! I’ve definitely met RVers who don’t necessarily travel too far, but just love RVing. I can dig that.
Nina
I think I must have the gene as I spend my time reading blogs from fulltimers and imagining the life I can have when I retire in ~7 years. I can’t wait to hit the road!
John there is no more time to wait for…go now and live your dreams as time is running out. We have left time behind us on 12-21-2012 we are now in uncharted territory and no telling what will happen, so go for it NOW.
Indeed..,wise words.
Nina
belive me, I wish I could. I promised my kids I would help them thru college, my twin boys start next year. That is why I figure ~ 7 years out. Get them thru college and couple of years to save up so I can begin the adventure debt free
Well I hope your full timing dreams come true! In the meantime I’m happy the blog can fulfill a little of that travel bug 🙂
Nina
I have always had that gene, but didn’t realize it was “normal” until I started full-timing. I always changed jobs/cities/homes every three years or so. Just couldn’t settle in for much longer than that. I don’t have to see over the next ridge, just want to live in another place. Full-timing is so perfect for me! 🙂
We sound very much alike in personality!
Nina
Definitely love that road to your kind of place. That’s heaven for me. But I must have the gene since i don’t want to stay anywhere too long. Now if I could just find “our” kind of places out here in the east. SIGH—–
RVing is definitely a little tighter out east. We haven’t done too much of it, but I’ve heard the Upper Peninsular is lovely..and we’re hoping to make it all the way to Nova Scotia one day too.
Nina
Me, too–I love to go anywhere, anytime! Always have, though curiously I tend to live in an area for decades & decades (Shasta here since ’73!). I’ve had the very good fortune to visit 13+ countries & would adore going back to Australia and Japan. But as soon as we find a good used SUV, we’ll be off with the cats in our tiny Aljo & that’ll be great. The great irony is that when you stop working and have time to travel, the bucks aren’t there to get too far! Boondocking appeals! Thanks for your fun and rollicking blog!
I think it’s wonderful when you can pair the love of a place with the love of travel. Sounds like you’ve had the best of both worlds! Budget is definitely a bigger consideration in retirement. It’s taken us a while to settle the RV budget, but every year gets better (especially as we do more boondocking).
Nina
check out the planned I-10 closure on the way to Benson this weekend, might require a detour
Thanks! We’re planning to head south so we’ll avoid the closure. With the cold and rain we’re mostly hanging indoors this week-end anyway.
Nina
I can tell you our Eurovan has that gene. When that vehicle hits the open road and the zen of 24 valves gets to purring that machine wants nothing more than to just travel.
It just adds to the fun of going somewhere, but when a vehicle calls and already restless soul, you know it is time to roll.
Ah yes…the travel soul of a vehicle. I totally get that. Lovely!
Nina
Do you get local news at the RV? If not, Hwy 89, which is a main route to Utah, is closed just south of Page, AZ. It will not be repaired anytime soon. There is a detour, but it’s long. Here is the link.
http://www.azdot.gov/Index_Docs/Headlines/index_022213.asp
Thanks Allison. We did see the closure and we’re planning another route (towards Monument Valley) so we’ll avoid the damaged section. Cheers for the info.
Nina
Yep, I’ve always had the gene! I think Rosie even has the gene since she is settling into the lifestyle so well!
How cute! You know this reminds me of a funny story. Our cats are both rescues from a pregnant stray that Paul’s mom took in 11 years ago. When we were picking out our pair I asked the kittens “who wants to come travel the world with us?” Taggart was the first cat to come forward. She’s also been the best traveller. I guess she has the gene too!
Nina
The age old question Nature or Nurture in my case I think it is a little of both and just plain craziness. As a child my family moved every two or three years, maybe not far but we moved. I got used to it sort of, then I joined the Army and I got moved every two or three years or less and those moves were to many places foreign to me like Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas and on and on then there where the foreign tours Germany, Vietnam, Korea some of them more than once. It just seems normal to me to be on the move to seek out the new the different to explore the new land, culture, language, food and sights. If I could I would go to Mars or at least the Moon! Exploring is exciting, educational and mind expanding ! I think somehow it became my own personal Prime Directive and most of all it makes me happy 🙂
No doubt nurture has an influence too. My parents travelled a lot when I was a kid too and that’s definitely helped my travel bug. And doing what brings you happiness is what life is all about.
Nina
We are restless as heck. Trying to sell our house and move into our condo after our tenant is gone….looks like we will not hit the road until June, perhaps May. This time we hope for 18 months before we come back to Florida.
Dave & Marcia
GoingRvWay.com
Well here’s hoping your travels get on their way soon…summer will be here before you know it and that wide open road will beckon you on.
Nina
I think I have the “DRD4-3.5” gene, because half timing seems just about right to me.
And by our historical standards here in the desert southwest…..this weather totally sucks!
LOL…gene by half. Makes sense to me. This as been a weird winter. We’ve enjoyed the weather, but we’ve certainly ad more cold spells and storms than we anticipated. Still, nothing like the craziness that’s going on up north. SW winter is pretty good.
Nina
I have that gene too. I read your blog regularly, but I never comment. Love to travel too. There are also people with the opposity gene and I am married one of those.
Love the comment. Paul has some of the travel gene…not quite as strong as me, but we make a good pair. He’s taught me to enjoy settling now and then too.
Nina
I dont think I have the genes originally but now that we are living on the road, I cant seem to stay put. I want to move on and see what’s ahead in our next stop. However, the compulsion to see what lies beyond on a hike, Steve definitely has that genes.
I sure hope you will make it to Chiricahua Mountains.
You guys are definitely fulfilling the travel gene now. I’m amazed at how much you see and do! Glad you’re enjoying it!
Nina
So glad you are going to visit Bisbee (our neck of the woods until we sell our place and join so many others on the road.) Lisa and I have followed your blog for a couple years now. I so enjoy your posts. We will travel with a boxer and chow mix so you have blazed a wonderful trail of pet friendly places. I know you eat pretty healthy, but if you want a really good hotdog try Jimmys Hotdogs. The best. Enjoy Bisbee. Thanks for the smiles I get when I read your blog, Connie
Cheers for the tips! We’ll be staying right downtown at the Queen Mine park. Probably not our type of place, but we wanted to be close to town and really get to know it.
Nina
Yes, very close quarters at Queen Mine park. Also very steep entrance. Bisbee is just a lovely place I’m sure you will enjoy walking the streets of Old Bisbee. There is a Safeway in the Naco area of Bisbee (SW of Old Bisbee). The Copper Queen Mine tour is great. Plus if you use Vanilla Extract you can get a BIG bottle on Mexico side of Naco for really cheap. Lisa and I are really bummed because we will miss meeting you. We are leaving to enjoy our RV in Tucson Monday and coming back Friday. Maybe we can catch up with you before you leave for Utah. Enjoy,
Connie and Lisa
Great post as I totally identify. My kids wouldn’t hike with me when they were young because I always wanted to keep going to see what’s around the next bend. I am still that way so life on the road is ideal for me. There is always a next bend.
Indeed. I love getting round that next bend. As I’ve gotten older I enjoy the journey too. So I’m happy to do a bit of both these days.
Nina
Great article…we so have the gene, too! Makes this life even more exciting.
Too bad about your becoming a millionaire. Someone always has the good ideas first!
I know…I can’t believe the idea was already taken 🙂 still I had fun with it.
Nina
We were created with 12 strands of DNA but our creators found us hard to handle so they dumbed us down to only 2 strands of DNA. I think we are looking for the answers to questions we used to know. That is what drives us…until the day we become complete again. Soon the 5th world will be here and then we can be Free at last.
I wouldn’t camp in Benson AZ, I hear the train whistles are terrible.
They’re actually not bad depending on which side of town you’re on. The SKP park is actually quite far away, so we only get a distant whistle.
Nina
I most certainly have the “restless gene” and have wandered and explored since childhood.
Hope you’ll make it by either Yarnell or the North Rim on your journey to Utah. I’ll be back in Yarnell after March 22 and the NR will open May 15.
Keep on truckin’.
We’ll definitely let you know if we make the North Rim this time around. Would love to meet you!! We may head eastwards (Monument Valley followed by Moab), but not sure yet.
Nian
Paul, I get what you are saying. I do my best in the first 3 or 4 years on a job.
Finding the inefficiencies, developing methods, introducing technology, generally improving productivity and safety. I have moved about from one house to another, 6 altogether in Massachusetts and Virginia. I love learning new places, where to shop, where to eat, where to play and where to live. I only wish I had realized the benefit of a motorhome a little sooner. I will be retiring early in 2014. We just bought a Class A Winnebago 35 foot Sightseer and plan to travel and workcamp as a way to fedd the wanderlust. We are also interested in desert boondocking in the winter months. We just finished shoveling out from 20+ inches of heavy wet snow. The Winnebago taunts me from the front lawn with snow drifted all around it : (
Not that I mind, but it’s Nina that writes this blog not Paul 🙂
And I definitely know that feeling of wanting to see new things, but hating to move. The RV does a great job of combining those two with minimal effort. Good luck on your upcoming fulltiming plans! Very exciting stuff!
Nina
One of our favorite quick getaways is to Patagonia and Bisbee. Patagonia is so quiet and off the beaten path it is impossible not to relax.Great wineries are only 30 minutes away. Bisbee has a fascinating history and great antiques.
Have a tremendous time.
I’m definitely looking forward to Patagonia. Heard alot about the area and sounds like my kinda place!
Nina
Hi Nina (and crew)
I liked your article about being a ‘free spirit’. We live in a town where most people have lived since their childhood days and they have no desire to travel any further than to the next town to get their weekly groceries.
My hubby and I are like you. We want to meet other like-minded souls who are always curious about what is around the next bend.
It looks like we will be making our dream of going back onto the open highways later this year. Hopefully we will bump (not literally lol) into you along the way.
All the best until then.
Sue (and Dieter)
VERY exciting about your upcoming travels! Good luck w/ all the changes. Given your wonderlust I think you’re going to love it!
Nina
Love your picture of White Sands. Went there for our 20th Anniversay and fell in love with beautiful white waves of sand and blue sky and Mountains. Have the restless gene but have to wait til house sells than off we 3 go. Off the subject….We are all about the dog. (old english sheepdog) What do you do with Polly when you go into town or attractions?
If we’re able to take Polly on our trips we do (we take her everywhere we can), but if we can’t then we’ll leave her in the RV with the aircon on pre-set temp control and auto-generator start (in case power goes out). We usually don’t leave her more than 4 hours at a time.
Nina
Agree about the need to see what is around the next bend. Cheryl and i started planning for travel right after we got married (22 years ago) and have been on the road half-time for the past 4.5 years. This summer we head for Alaska for a second visit. This time I see three months for the trip. Provincial and state parks offer some really great atmosphere.
Related to the notion of the travel gene (in a way) is a book by Malcom Gladwell, ” Outliers “. It’s really a book about how both the times, history, and our personal bag of tricks come together.
While in Utah I vote for a visit to Zion. Been there a couple of times and have been totally facinated by it. I’m thinking that in 2014 or 2015 we will do the Grand Circle. Now, just got to figger out when to work in the trip to Maine and Nova Scotia.
Yep, I’ve got the gene, but started out camping in the back of my VW bug in the late 60s. (That’s 1960s!!!) Can’t seem to get over the phobia of driving something bigger than a minivan…. actually looking for ways to downsize the Prius. 😀 Hubby and I did a bit of boon-docking with a camper, but that was many, many years ago. It was fun, but I still like having a home base…. though I can definitely see advantages- especially when I’m looking for motels that take the dog! Then again, it’s nice to forget about housekeeping while on the road. Seems there’s pros and cons to any situation.
Yep, we’ve got the gene. We are currently in Patagonia Lake State park and the forecast for this week looks great. Hans and Lisa and Dave and Sue are here as well.
Hi, Nina! I definitely have the restless gene. I’ve always enjoyed changing jobs and doing different things in my career and I do get restless when living in one city too long. Hector has it too, he is the only one in his immediate family that moved away (after we got married) from Miami. We can hardly believe that we’ve now been on the road for six months! Time does fly when you’re having fun. We’re headed to Maine and Nova Scotia for the middle of summer, but taking the slow route north. Hope to meet you along the way one day.
Brenda
Enjoy your time up north!! That whole area is on our list for future travel.
Nina