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Don't make me turn this van around! RV Edition

One family. A difficult diagnosis. An RV. And a new lease on life.

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Tag: asheville

Campsite Tetris and Cold Showers

August 2, 2020

Booking a campsite is sort of like booking a hotel. In 1994. This was never more evident then when the campground we booked in the Smokies failed to reopen as scheduled due to the pandemic, and we found ourselves scrambling to fill three or four nights outside of Asheville, North Carolina. There are a few … More Campsite Tetris and Cold Showers

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What is this? Xanadu?

September 15, 2019

I grew up in California and my family’s idea of summer vacation was camping in the Sierras. In fact, in my early (and not so early) years, I believed that “vacation” meant camping in the Sierra. When a kid at school said they went on vacation, I’d ask if they caught any fish. And they’d … More What is this? Xanadu?

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Asheville to Nashville to Oklahomashville

June 16, 2018

Just a few days into our trip, we had already made it to Tennessee. But then our itinerary took us east – and then east again. First, we made our way out of the Smokies to the town of Asheville, NC. I don’t know what Asheville is really known for, but my personal impression was … More Asheville to Nashville to Oklahomashville

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About this blog

Until late 2015, life was exceedingly normal for the Kile family: work, school, little league, ballet – sweating the small stuff and missing the big picture. Then Jon suffered a ruptured abdominal aneurysm that required life-saving surgery. It would be the first of seven surgeries over the next seven months, including emergency open-heart surgery to save him from an aortic dissection. He was eventually diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Sydrome, in which the most serious symptom is fragile arteries prone to spontaneous rupture. Jon has adjusted to a lifestyle which forbids him from strenuous activities and stress, while finding inner peace and humor against the backdrop of raising two feral children. Jon gave up business proposals and sales presentations for writing, car-line and PTA, while Monica traded committee meetings and budgets to take on the roles of patient advocate, genetics expert, cool mom and goddess of a 17 foot Dodge van. Together they’ve determined to “live in the moment” and fill the empty spaces in the calendar with family travel and adventure.

Featured Post: ‘Live in the moment’ because a moment may be all you have.

Before we got our sweet ride, I was a frequent passenger in another type of van.

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