photo credit: Matthew Simantov
One of the many nice things about being based in central Florida is being so close to Kennedy Space Center. Even though I live on the other side of the state, it is only 100 miles or so to the East coast, and with clear skies, I can see the launch from my front patio.
The Shuttle program is ending soon. There are only four remaining daylight launches scheduled. NASA had set the last scheduled night launch of the Space Shuttle (STS-130) for Sunday, February 7, at just after 4 AM EST.
On the Friday night before, we talked about it for all of two minutes before deciding to head out to the Space Coast to watch the launch. We tend to “plan” our trips and adventures at the last minute, and stay flexible on details and trivial nonsense like where we might sleep, if at all.
Not only was this the last scheduled night launch, but we heard that also in the area were at least two different couples I stalk follow through their blog travels and on Twitter. Chris and Cherie from Tales from Technomadia live in a custom Oliver Travel Trailer they had built last year. I knew they were in town visiting family, and I suspected they would be watching the launch. They were already in touch with Louise and Sean, who live in a beautiful German tour bus converted into their rolling luxury home. They write about their adventures at Our Odyssey.
I sent a message off to Chris & Cherie, and we set about getting together Saturday evening. Louise & Sean had already found a perfect viewing site directly across the water from the launch site. By Saturday afternoon, the Technomads had parked Orion next to them, with room for us to park behind when we arrived.
None of us had met in person prior to that night, but we had a great evening. A documentary crew from Motherboard.tv was out to get footage of the shuttle launch and the viewers. They discovered the story of our Nomadic convergence and shot additional interviews with the nomadic couples during tours of their homes. We ate across the street at El Leoncito and talked there for hours. After dinner Louise & Sean decided to sleep and wake up 
early, while the rest of us stayed up late in the Oliver to learn about our different projects and to keep Kiki entertained.
The launch ended up being scrubbed at the last minute due to low clouds that moved in during the night. There were many disappointed people leaving that morning after coming out to watch. We were not upset in the least. We had a great time with new friends that were old friends from the internet. We got tours of 2 versions of nomadic homes we’d only seen online, giving us ideas on how we might want to hit the road. We each had old friends come up to watch the launch, as well. We car-camped for a few hours before heading back to the gulf coast Sunday morning.
We had a fantastic time, and the two Nomadic couples were able to stay another night to see the launch Monday morning (they were home already). They each posted about their experiences with accompanying videos: (Technomadia & Our Odyssey).
We were up at 4:14am Monday morning to watch the launch from our front patio. We may not have been there at camp to watch from up close, but we were still there.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
We enjoyed meeting you both, and were so glad you decided to drop by. I’m sorry you didn’t get to see the launch up close and personal, but it felt like you were right there with us as you tweeted from across the state.
Our paths will cross again…
Oh I have no doubt we will see you again. I wish I could have been there to see Sean’s face. I loved how excited he got just talking about how he had wanted to see a launch his whole life, and this was his first.
I’ll be doing another post on your bus shortly, and I will send you some pictures Maria & I took, too.
Nomadic Serendipity, indeed!
We couldn’t have planned for a better nomadic convergence if we tried.
It was awesome to finally get to meet you, and we (including Kiki) look forward to our next rendezvous. Who knows.. perhaps out there on the road somewhere!
At the rate you two are going, it may be out on the water when we meet next!
Thanks so much again for letting us share your heater all evening, telling us all about the Oliver and letting us invade your home. We both appreciated the hospitality, and seeing the lifestyle firsthand really got the gears turning in her head…
Did you know there is no mischief on the space station? If you hadn’t stopped me from boarding the space shuttle, I would have been really bored by now.
It’s also good that you highlighted the two most important things with photos – the shuttle and ME.
*meow* to you and that nice lady who came over to see me.
– Kiki
They don’t even have a litterbox on that old thing! And who wants to drink Tang for 2 weeks?!
I had the awesome opportunity to see the November shuttle launch from the press area at Kennedy Space Center, which was a WILD experience. At the time I was still working and the biggest pressure on my mind was that I wouldn’t be able to stick around Space Coast if the launch was scrubbed. (It roared skyward right at the beginning of the launch window.) Now that I’ve quit my job, it’s wonderful that similar pressures are less likely to crop up. My new task to to convince my wife that seeing one of the remaining launches in person is something not to be missed!
It really is worth seeing. We have a friend who works on the site. We have been invited to view from there, but in this case, we would have rather visited with our friends. We might take them up on the offer to visit from there next time. Seeing a launch up close and in person (the sounds, especially) is such a rare treat, you really should do what you can to see it while you can!
Wow, I too have always wanted to see a launch and never have. I need to plan it, now that they’re ending!
How cool that you got to meet Technomadia there – awesome folks.
Yes, you’d better hurry up and get back down here. There are only 4 more scheduled!
We were actually contemplating making the drive as well the night before. I saw the launch on the news and immediately looked up how far of a drive it was. We ended up not going and as soon as I saw it was cancelled I felt better but I still hope to see a launch soon. It’s something I’ve been wanting to see since I was little.
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It’s only 2 hours from here, but definitely worth the trip. It’s a nightmare trying to leave, because everyone else has the same idea. I think more spectators are coming out for these final few. We talked to people who came out from Germany just to see the launch.
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