Ramfins59 Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 My younger daughter (32) is currently working at the Arizona Renaissance Fair located in Apache Junction. She got turned on to these Fairs by a friend and absolutely loves travelling around the country working at the various Ren Fairs. I equate it to her running away and joining the circus..!!! In the past several years she has traveled to Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Aside from working at those locations, she has attended the Ren Fairs in New Jersey and here in the Pittsburgh area. She packs up her little orange Suzuki Reno to the roof, sometimes using a roof-top carrier, and hits the road. The various Fairs have campgrounds where a lot of the traveling Rennies stay. I can't believe that most of the times she is happy and comfortable living by herself in an 8 person tent, sleeping on an air mattress with blankets and quilts, using a Coleman heater and a Coleman stove for cooking. When she can hook up to electricity she plugs in her little micro fridge. She sets up a tarp over the tent with a bit of a "covered porch area" with folding chairs in case of a rainstorm. It's like she's on a permanent camping trip... If there are no shower facilities at the places she stays, she'll find a Truck Stop with showers. Occasionally she'll treat herself to a hotel room for a comfy bed and bathroom/shower. At the Louisiana Fair she has her own little business selling cookies, pickles and pretzels and at the end of last year she did very well at it. For a "free-spirit" she has a Culinary Assoc. Degree in Baking & Pastry, a BA in Entrepreneurship, and a Masters in Human Resources. With all those alphabet letters after her name, she has never been able to land a decent job in any of the fields that she has her degrees in. She called home the other night to tell us how wonderfully warm it is in Arizona...... 70's & 80's, walking around in T-shirts, getting a sunburn...!!! I told her to STUFF IT...!!! We're freezing our butts off here in western PA with single digit and below zero temps..!!! She'll be in Arizona until the end of March and then she'll be heading to Georgia. My wandering child...
1930fordpickup Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 Good for her for enjoying life. We are only young once, too late for most of us.
Ramfins59 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Posted February 19, 2015 Yeah Andy, I envy her enthusiasm, desire and ability to travel around this great country of ours and see all the great sights like the Grand Canyon (she said she pee'd over the edge...!!! ) and having Beignets and Chickory coffee at Cafe Dumond in New Orleans.
cobraman Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 That's ok Rich. You can laugh in a few months when it's 115 here. : )
oldnslow Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 Sounds like you need to put on your ears and join her every now and then to get in on the fun.
Ramfins59 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Posted February 19, 2015 Robert, at this point in time I'm way too old to be sleeping on an air mattress in a tent all over God's green earth..!! Once I'd get down on the ground on that air mattress my old bones would never be able to get back up again. I'm just happy that she's doing what she wants and likes and is having a helluva good time in the process. She makes enough money to pay all of her bills (College loans, car insurance, cell phone bill, credit cards) and gas for her car, food, campground fees, etc.. So far she says she has met many, many nice, friendly people and that all of the "traveling Rennies" help and look out for each other. It reminds me of how things were with the hippies back in the late 60's and into the 70's. I was part of that scene way back then and have some fond memories of those times. I'm sure that Jamie will have tons of wonderful memories to carry through her life from her experiences.
High octane Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 Yes I went camping back when I was a Boy Scout, and then later on when I was a Boy Scout Leader, but NO more. It was great fun while it lasted. Sounds like your daughter is enjoying herself, and paying her bills too which is great.
Petetrucker07 Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 I drive by that Ren Fair complex quite often. Looks pretty elaborate. That's cool she enjoys it, I know it's warm out there. It's in the 80s here in So Cal.
slusher Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I never could do the camping thing, guess I have to much city in me. I have to have a bed. At least she is having a blast Rich. She must be a simple person.
Ramfins59 Posted February 20, 2015 Author Posted February 20, 2015 Yeah Carl, she's a lot like her father ... the little things in life make us happy, although we can dream big.
Tom Geiger Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 Cool! Rich your daughter sounds like an interesting person who will have some great stories later in life! And looking at your profile picture I was wondering if your ears had gone off to warmer climates!
Ramfins59 Posted February 20, 2015 Author Posted February 20, 2015 Ha ha ha... Tom I can only wish that my WHOLE BODY could go off to a warmer climate. This cold junk is too much for these old bones. By the way, you know that those ears in my profile pic are rubber Gnome ears that Jamie got at one of the Ren Fairs right?
espo Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 Ah to be young again. In my late teens and early 20's I got to do some camping and travel by canoe. Saw a lot of northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and even Canada. Now my idea of camping is a Bed & Breakfast with a view somewhere.
Tom Geiger Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 By the way, you know that those ears in my profile pic are rubber Gnome ears that Jamie got at one of the Ren Fairs right? Yes, I remember. I thought she may have taken the ears off the to next Fair. Unless you are still wearing them! BTW folks. This morning was the coldest morning in Philadelphia in 21 years. The coldest February morning in 32 years! I haven't even thought about going outside today.
Mike_G Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 Ha ha ha... Tom I can only wish that my WHOLE BODY could go off to a warmer climate. This cold junk is too much for these old bones. By the way, you know that those ears in my profile pic are rubber Gnome ears that Jamie got at one of the Ren Fairs right? I thought those were real and didn't want to say anything. I hitched all over the West after I got out of the navy- hopped a few freight trains too!
thatz4u Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 Rich, I admire your daughter for living the life that is right for her, not everyone fits into the same mold.All I can say for her is "You go girl", a self reliant child like her would make any parent proud...
Foxer Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) My 38 yeah old daughter seems to have the same spirit. It's what seems like the most fun at the moment that's most important in life. Sometimes I wish I had a bit more of her free spirit. She didn't spend a lot of time in school .. got a degree from an Agricultural college but never applied it .. except that time hidden in the Vermont Mountains. She always worked very hard, but at minimum wage in the tourist restaurants round here. For a few years she traveled the country in her "hippie van" following the Grateful Dead and selling jewelery she made. She finally decided she wanted to start a dog day care service. She put her all into it and now has a thriving business operating out of a one-time strip bar. And I'm proud as hell of her. Edited February 20, 2015 by Foxer
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