Ready for a year on the road

It’s taken time, lists, and a fair amount of head-scratching, but we’ve made it. The motorhome is stocked, the systems run smoothly, Scylla’s passport arrived, and we’re back in motion.

Since returning from Scotland, we’ve spent our days repairing, refining, and preparing. We stripped the motorhome to its essentials and built it back up properly — replaced the wing mirror, checked every system, tidied the wiring, labelled and tested everything. We aligned the EcoFlow setup, water systems, and 12-volt power until the whole rig worked as one. Now the setup feels genuinely ours: dependable, tidy, and easy to live with.

We’ve refined how we travel too. The endless weighing, adjusting, and deciding what earns its place onboard finally paid off. Leaving the trailer behind simplified everything overnight. Every system — from gas to grey water — now does its job without fuss. We know the weak spots and how to work around them. It’s quiet progress that doesn’t photograph well but makes every day smoother.

Our planning style has evolved. We’ve learned that flexibility matters more than precision. The route south sits broadly mapped, not pinned down. With most Brittany beaches off limits for Scylla, we’re adapting — heading for estuaries, forests, and quieter inland routes where she can roam properly. We no longer tick off destinations; we travel at the rhythm that suits all three of us.

We rebuilt the digital setup with the same care. The phone and data systems — Fonus, EE, Holafly, and the dual Huawei network — now give us steady connection without clutter. The satellite and networked TV integrate neatly, running quietly in the background while we focus on what this life’s really about: being present, noticing, documenting, and learning.

The path hasn’t been simple. We’ve replaced kit, learned software, waited on pet paperwork, and faced a steady stream of small technical battles. But each fix and each bit of patience moved us forward — and now we feel ready, calm, and confident.

We still don’t know where we’ll end up or how long we’ll be away. If Scylla’s test results come through positive, we’ll head for the Balkans — a ten-month loop through Greece, Albania, and beyond. If they don’t, it’s ninety days and Florence will be the furthest stop. Either way, the road has started.

So yes, we’re ready for life on the road again. The cupboards are stocked, the tanks are full, and the horizon’s wide open — wherever it leads.