Goodbye, Echo.

Exactly one year ago today, we drove Echo down I-70 and crossed into Colorado on her maiden voyage. I can remember the second her tires rolled over the state line, Matt and I high-fiving each other and breathing a sigh of relief. We had spent the last 7 months building, tweaking, belly aching, and making Echo what she was so that we could take her across the country.

A lot has changed since this day last year. There has been career moves, trips, lifestyle changes, lots of joy and some heart ache too. And as of last Thursday at 7 pm, Echo found her new home. It was an incredibly bittersweet thing. Driving away from Wright Patt Credit Union and leaving her in the parking lot to roam the open roads with someone new. Matt and I put so much into that van, and now she’s gone. We both knew that it was best to pass her along to someone else, so that we could then start the whole process over. I don’t know which is more enjoyable to us. The hunt for the perfect van and all the building and planning that goes into an adventure van, or the outcome of all our hard work and being able to have a mobile home away from home. One thing is for sure. Echo isn’t our last van.