By Louise Parry | BRN 6982
When I was asked by Barb Derian, International Membership Chair, if I would like to be a guest blogger, I was thrilled. As a relatively new Airstream owner, I am happy to share my and Archie’s journey as members of the Airstream Club International.
Childhood Dreams
But first some background. Ever since I was a small child, growing up in the 70s in Scotland, my favorite vacation memories involved being out in nature in our travel trailer. There was something magical and mysterious about the great outdoors and the comfort and coziness of all the family snuggled together in a tiny trailer.
My dream was to have a shiny travel trailer of my own and have the freedom to travel and stay wherever my heart desired.
The Arrival of Archie
Fast forwarding through life, like so many, with COVID and the lockdowns, this felt like the perfect time to welcome an addition to our family, and that’s when Archie was born! Finally, we purchased our very own Airstream.
Embarking on Adventures
From that moment on, there was no stopping us! In hindsight, our first trip was quite ambitious for beginners. We courageously packed up and traveled to New Mexico, into Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and the mountains of Colorado. After a month on the road, we were hooked and didn’t want to go home.
This was followed by many shorter trips; we always tried to get away at least every month. Of course, traveling wouldn’t be as fun without many of Archie’s friends coming along for the ride!
There’s Kevin the kayak, Darcey the drone, Ava and Teddy, our e-bikes, and not forgetting Humphry, who has an exceptional job and a stinky one at that!
The Tale of Archie
I was inspired to write books about Archie. Yes, he is an Airstream, but no ordinary one. He’s courageous just like we were, always looking for the next big adventure.
But Archie has something special — a superpower no other Airstream has! He was gifted magical powers by Wally, the wise one when he was born, and now, he is on a courageous quest to find Wally and get some answers.
New Obstacles
As with most journeys, detours and new paths come our way.
Unfortunately, just as my first book in the series went live, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer.
This invasive cancer doesn’t present as a lump, therefore; it’s hard to detect on a mammogram, so by the time it’s seen, the cancer is typically already stage III or, in my case, stage IV.
Looking Forward
But that’s not going to stop me! As soon as I’m finished with chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation therapy, we plan to hit the road again in Archie and travel to as many States as possible, meeting many Club members along the way; reading and connecting with as many children as time allows.
Sharing the fun of Airstreaming. I plan to publish a series of Archie books, and my dream is to turn them into an animation series, another step in my journey.
I would love to leave a legacy for my two boys and generations to come and make Archie the superhero he was born to be!
Louise, and her husband David, purchased their 27FB International Airstream during the COVID lockdown and hit the road with adventurous spirits beyond their background. Louise has written a children’s book about Archie. She currently is battling Stage 4 breast cancer.
