A Chance Encounter

I have made reference to Bill and Pat a number of times in these posts and I want to give a bit of context to how we came to know them.  With this lifestyle you are constantly meeting new people from all walks of life.  Some come and go fairly quickly without so much more than a passing conversation in a parking lot as you pass through.  You share stories about where you come from and where you are going and you sometimes find people with common interests.  But at the end of the conversation each respective couple moves on to continue their journey.

Then there are some that you meet who become more than a passing conversation as you see them regularly at the same campground, or marina and you know you are likely going to interact for a longer period.  But in these cases you are still moving on at the end of your stay, and unless something draws you to keep in contact that relationship ends or slowly fades away.

We value all these interactions we have had with people throughout our lives, as they somehow give you a feeling of community or familiarity, and it gives us joy to experience.  Then there are interactions with some people you meet that click in a different way and continue a friendship that becomes more than an acquaintance.

Bill and Pat are people like that.  In 2021 we owned a travel trailer and planned to have it stored at the location in London, Ontario where it was purchased (Can-Am RV).  They allow customers to stay overnight when picking up or dropping off and we were there dropping the trailer as we were departing in the car at 0500 the next morning for Florida.  Not long after we arrived a big fifth wheel trailer pulled in and set up for the night.  After they got organized they were out giving their dog Gibbs some exercise and approached to introduce themselves as Bill and Pat.  They were staying overnight and proceeding south at 0400 the next morning on their annual travel to Arizona.  Bill used to work for Can-Am so was able to stay the night on their way south, which turned out to be a fortuitous meeting for all of us.

We met for quite a while and exchanged stories about our respective plans for the winter and such, and toward the end of the conversation they offered that if we were ever up in their part of the country (just East of Durham) we were to give them a call to stop in and stay for a visit.

The next day, as we drove to Florida we discussed how much we enjoyed the RV lifestyle and the opportunity of meeting people like Bill and Pat, and vowed that if the timing of our return visit in the spring worked out we would give them a call.

As we began to make plans for our return in the spring, we reached out to them over the winter to let them know we would love to stop by on our way north.  That was then and we have made a point of stopping to see them two or three times a year since.  Their love of this lifestyle and the enjoyment they get from meeting new people and sharing experiences is evident, and are the reason we have made this trip.  We have become very good friends and both Bill and Pat are welcoming of us at their home without question, and have even been introduced to their family and friends as well.