18 years ago in August of 1992, we sold all of our furniture, threw our belongings in storage and hit the road in an RV that we bought 2 weeks before with $4,000 borrowed from friends and family. We are still rolling along with no end in sight. To commemorate our 18 years of fulltime travel we offer you the following:

1. Payphones are impossible to find – when we first started touring 18 years ago pay phones were all we had for communication. Cell phones were impractical on a national level so we relied on pay phones to call our clients and keep in touch with family. We ran around with our pockets full of change. Now our cellphone puts a computer in our pocket and connects us in the world.
2. GPS – New Jersey is now navigable, well almost, to the outsider. No more stopping to ask for directions. In the early days we used to ask 3 people for directions and take the consensus to find our way…eventually. Turn left at McDonald’s? Which one?
3. Security – One of our cherished memories is touching the Liberty Bell, but now you can barely get close to it after being scrutinized by security. The over-heightened security has affected our lives in many ways, sometimes making us “suspicious characters”.
4. Laptops and Internet – Sure they existed way back in 1992 but barely. And it surely wasn’t portable or affordable on an artist’s budget. Such a different world. We use the Internet to find bike paths, farmer’s markets, volunteer opportunities and and even places to get online.
5. Homogenized America – Box stores have taken over most of the USA. On the plus side we feel at home wherever we go -Borders bookstores are consistent in what they offer, for instance – and we have plenty of places to park for the night. On the downside we miss the uniqueness and individuality of different communities.
6. Redbox & Blockbuster Kiosks – We can now rent movies to watch on our DVD player (oh yeah those are new too). Affordable entertainment in the comfort of our RV. Redbox and Blockbuster
7. It’s the cool thing to do – When we first started we were actually embarrassed to tell our friends and family that we lived on wheels. We knew of no one doing what we were doing, especially young families. Now we know of thousands of families and younger RVers (NU RVers) who are location independent.
8. Social Networking – It is now possible to stay in touch with friends and family via Twitter, Facebook, Email and other online resources. Kimberly still finds playing Scrabble with friends across the nation a novelty.
9. Banking is easier – It could be quite a headache in the early days. We had to mail our checks in to our home branch and wait for them to clear. When we were short of cash we would buy things and take them back a few days later down the road or write checks for over the purchase amount. We had the funds to cover the checks but no other way to cash them.
10. More $ – Everything is more expensive. No surprises there, but it especially affects us at the mechanics and gas pump. And free sites to dump our RV waste tanks are increasingly difficult to find. We’ve adapted by limiting our driving and using our bikes whenever possible. Also, the GPS helps us cut down on excess miles.
11. Wi-fi Cafes – Taking care of business on the road is 100 times easier now that free WiFi is available at cafes and bookstores everywhere (one advantage of homogenized America). We remember the days we were thankful for Kinkos (now FedEx) because they were open 24 hours and we could get online anytime day or night. We also used computers at libraries whenever possible. And even now on occasion we get online at libraries – but they typically have more filters that restrict email and social media sites.
12. YMCA AWAY Program – Gone are the days of getting showers at truckstops for us and we don’t miss them at all. Our schedule keeps us rolling along and we typically don’t have time to stop at a campground. We also enjoy the Y for the workout and fitness classes. When we first started Kimberly would try to drop in on dance classes to satiate her need to boogie. Now we have access to Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, swimming pools, climbing walls and more. For less then we spent on truckstop showers.
13. Recording technology on your computer – Our first two CD’s were recorded at a studio and cost hundreds of dollars. We now record and produce our own podcasts and story CDs on our computers. Thanks to Audacity, WavePad, Libsyn and CDBaby we have a mobile studio. Now you can listen to Act!vated Stories podcast and getAct!vated CDs and our newest CD here.
14. Mp3 players and downloadable books –We used to check out books and audiobooks on cassette (remember those?) when we were on the west coast at our “home” library and mail the books back or pay the late fees. Who would have thought we would have the technology to fit hundreds of songs and books on a device the size of a matchbox? Now we use our old library card to check out audiobooks via Overdrive. Audiobooks make the miles whiz by.
15. Make $ online – It is now possible to run a business and earn some extra cash by offering services and selling ads on web sites. When we first started we didn’t even have a web site. All of our bookings were made by sending bulk mail and using the phone. Now Kimberly has taught herself web design and we rely primarily on our web site for bookings.
16. Obsessive testing at schools – Testing at schools has been limiting the time schools have to focus on the arts even though the arts are extremely important and actually help students improve skills across the board. All of the time devoted to testing and preparing for the tests has restricted the time available for us to share theatre and folktales with the students, which effects our business. One article on the importance of creativity http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html
17. Budget cuts – Hours are being cut and libraries are being closed even though more people are using the resources. Thankfully Friends of the Library are stepping in and funding cultural programs like ours.
18. Our son grew up – Our son was 18 months old when we began touring nationally, he moved out when he was 18 years old. He now lives in Rhode Island. We have adjusted to life on the road with a toddler, a teen and now as empty nesters. Our son, by the way, now has his own show and still loves to travel.