New Travel Season Begins: With a Twist

The 2022 Summer at The Take Out was another record breaker. We enjoyed killing it at the window, working and serving treats from the end of March until Aug 1.

In July Brett and I decided that was it, we are moving on from the cash machine business we created from scratch. Brett turned 50 I am getting darn close, so we are calling the TTO chapter a wrap. We listed it on July 18 and had the deal done with money in the bank on August 1. We stayed and trained the new owners joyfully, teaching them all the tricks that makes the place run as smooth as butter. They will do great as they find their place behind the window at TTO.

We are grateful for the past 7 years of a lucrative business with fantastic employees and an awesome variety of steady customers. This hard work allowed us to have some "f you" money to spend in the off season. We know time is precious and we don't need to make as much as the average American to live our life to the fullest. Our hearts are in a different place, and we are ready to help others and ourselves in a very,very different way.

The New Owners Trinity and Darin Hunter and daughter Jolie. Thanks for the photo Jolie. You were a joy to have on our staff this summer.

Yes, we are now true Gypsies.

Once again we found ourselves downsizing which is totally relative, we only had things in our 5th wheel camper so it was pretty simple. I find myself thinking about the accumulation of stuff so often. I feel it is such a burden to have to keep saving, sorting, throwing repeat. Why do we put such value on so many things? We actually need so little but so much is available. After traveling with a 17” backpack as our luggage the past 5 winters, we have found that living with the same16 or so items for the travel season is actually very easy and quite convenient.

Things we sold

• BUSINESS

• LAND and PROPERTY

• HOUSE IN THE CARIBBEAN

• CAMPER (it went with the business)

• Wheels (donating the Saab to a nonprofit when we go to the airport in SF)

Here is what we DO own.

• Two 17" backpack suitcases

• Macbook, 2 Ipads and one older iPhone

• Two Bikes (well those technically are Brett's parents)

• 6 Pair of Shoes

• Small amount of clothes

• Various Bengals attire

• Golf clubs

• Scuba geer

• 3 Totes of keepsakes and shit we just haven't decided to throw (yet)

What will you do Next?

Like Really, where will you live?

That seems to be what everyone wants to know except us. Do we have this secret plan of action for this next chapter? The secret is, there is no secret plan. We are going to travel as we always do and housesit internationally to see what finds us. We are always into right now, enjoying the transition and unknown, that is seriously a thrill for us. The PMA continues.

Certainly going to do this:

1. Travel and whatever the hell we want to

2. I guess we will pack our backpacks and start going (First stop Cincinnati Bengals game then Ireland)

3. Not make any plans that require us to come back to SD or anywhere specifically

4. Enjoy the delight of being free of stuff, responsibilities and property

5. Take off with no expectations or feeling of we NEED to be doing this or that

6. Actually consider and tinker with some of those items from my “someday I may want to” list

7. Enjoying the now. It is all we are guaranteed

8. Call home wherever we happen to be at the moment

HUGE Thank you Miller

The home community of The Take Out has been nothing but warm, (well the temp not so much in March, April and May) willing to participate, energetic and open to us. We are grateful to every single customer who had presence at our window. We are thankful to every individual in this town who helped us problem solve to make this business run.

When traveling the world people ask us where we "live." Gypsies answers are never super black and white so we answered Roatan or Miller.

SD will always be where are are "from." The Dakota chapters include Freeman, Fort Pierre, Pierre, Spearfish, Greater Parker area and Miller. We love the endearing qualities each of them gave us. As we gently shut the gate on another story we definitely smile and bring the memories along as a part of us.

Burr......we will not miss the cold spring days at TTO. This was how we started this year for over 2 months until it finally warmed up.

The Miller Rustler will forever be part of us. Whatever your water tower looks like, please don't be afraid to get too far from it. Getting away for even just a bit gives a great perspective on a lot of things you may have never considered. We loved the Rustler water tower view these past 7 summers. Now it is time to discover what our next experience may be.

Our last days at TTO, photo shoot. (Thanks Mom!) Our 1960 Hillman Minx I found in a nearby graveyard lot. Thank you to Rick Norton who painstakingly endured my zillions of texts and phone calls pushing him to get this thing in shape to be the TTO Mascot. After some research as to where the car came from, we named her "Heidi Hillman" after the cool lady that brought her to South Dakota back in the 1960's. Enjoy her Miller and the Hunter family--she is a unique car that is now a part of the TTO history.

COME ALONG------ Some NFL Football and Housesitting gigs up next. Ireland, Scotland, Canary Islands, Spain, and South Africa are on deck. We will have full coverage of how and why we are going to be doing some house (and pet) sitting.