Saturday, January 27, 2007

Tioga George

A life travelling offers the wonderful opportunity to meet many people in many places in many countries.
The rule when meeting people while travelling is that when you are friendly, most people are friendly as well.
The conclusion after years of intensive journeying is that 99 % of the people on this planet are nice and warm persons. Who want to communicate, who are hospitable, who want to learn, exchange ideas, share culture and traditions and love to enjoy life with a visitor from far away.

Meeting so many people in many places also results in getting to know persons who stand out. Who are truly remarkable. Exceptional and unique.
Today “Tioga George” is introduced to the loyal and fervent readers of this blog.
One of the remarkable and exceptional friends.

“Tioga George” is a 69-year-old American from Walnut Creek, California. He used to have a restaurant in San Francisco where customers were staying in their car and had their food served by cute girls in short skirts on roller skates.
However, in November 2001 he was diagnosed as having non-Hodgkin’s lymphonia.
An aggressive form of cancer resulting in death after little time.
George got treatment and while his life was in the balance he promised himself that if he would survive he would live life to the fullest.
Miraculously, he did survive.
In 2003 he decided not to be a cancer-patient anymore. Contrary to his doctor’s advices, he stopped taking all medication and check-ups to deliver himself to his destiny.
Through his ex-wife he joined a group of cancer patients from the Wellness Community. They discussed all the aspects of having cancer in life. Influenced by these discussions, George came to the conclusion that he was going to drastically change his life. On February 23, 2003 he sold his house, paid his bills and bought a second-hand motor home. A Fleetwood Tioga and started to call himself “Tioga George”. As from June 7, 2003 he travels permanently in his motor home. Along the West coast and in the Western States of the USA. In wintertime he is on the Mexican peninsula of Baja California.

Two more things are remarkable about George, who has become a close friend.
One is that he never stays at campgrounds. He always looks for places where he can spend the night in his motor home for free. This is called boon docking. In this he has become specialised. Looks for quiet neighbourhoods where he enters after dark and leaves before people wake up. Or he stays in industrial areas or dead end streets.

Second remarkable thing of George is that he started a blog some years ago advised to do so by a woman from his Wellness Community group. He writes in his blog about his travels and advises people about all the different aspects of living permanently in a motor home. By now he has more than 2.000 visitors to his blog per day!
In this blog, while George is single, he makes the readers believe that he lives with several friends. For example, his motor home he calls “Miss Tioga”. His digital camera “Mr. Mavecito”. And he explains how they talk to each other and make decisions. The stories published on George’s blog are about the simple things of life. His audience loves to read them and send him many encouraging e-mails. Obviously he has made fantastic choices in life his readers are hoping to make themselves one day as well. But for the moment they keep themselves satisfied by sharing George’s blog.
George lives alone in a self-created reality populated by imaginary companions and virtual friends in cyberspace. Isolated in a cocoon spinning around his thoughts, ideas and opinions and being very, very happy.


To visit Tioga George's blog click at:
http://vagabonders-supreme.blogspot.com/

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love your photos and enjoy reading your journal, especially the kind words about George. I read about you last year in his blog and am now reading your journal too.

The replacement for your Lazy Days sounds exciting. Hope to see pictures soon.

Sorry things didn't work with the "princess". Long distance romances are very hard to maintain, especially when there is competition and lack of honesty. You deserve better. Hope you find what you are looking for.