By Miri Rossitto, F434901
June 2016
Joining a new group can cause a tremendous amount of nervousness. Will I fit in? Will the group like me? Am I cool enough to hang out with such a crowd?
For my husband, Ryan, and I and our two young daughters, attending our first FMCA Family Reunion & Motorhome Showcase this past March in Perry, Georgia, turned out to be as easy as eating a piece of pecan pie. Which I just happened to eat all day, every day.
I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly warm and welcoming everyone was. People stopped to greet each other and talk to one another and even squealed with delight when they spotted a long-lost friend. It was so wonderful!
The days were spent visiting, touring, and playing while the nights were communal and filled with entertainment. Did I mention everyone was so kind? Our daughters kept asking us, “Do you know those people?” We did not know anyone when we decided to jump into our RV and drive from Los Angeles to Perry, but we had hopes of finding new friends.
Not only did our family find new friends, but we found new family. The girls are already planning an FMCA trip to the 2017 Western Area Rally in Indio, California, and if work schedules allow, we are playing with the idea of attending the 94th Family Reunion this August in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
If you have never attended an FMCA area rally or Family Reunion, or you haven’t gone in a few years, you must know that FMCA is working very hard to include you. There is something for every person who attends, and if you can’t find what you are looking for, the team will try to create it for you. Bingo night? Check! Gorgeous RV show to drool over? Check! Free doughnuts and coffee in the mornings? Check! Local tours? Check! Educational seminars and sometimes a driving class? Check! These reunions are planned thoughtfully, purposefully, and then jam-packed with fun.
Our girls are 7 and 9 years old. They are mostly shy, with a large mischievous streak. FMCA national president Charlie Adcock and his wife, Gloria, greeted the girls one afternoon and asked if they would lead the group in a prayer at the opening ceremony that evening. Our 7-year-old, Cora, looked at Charlie as if he had just grown horns, and then she tried to make herself invisible. Nine-year-old Vivian, on the other hand, replied, “Absolutely!” as though public speaking was her “thing.”
I can’t get my girls to sing “Happy Birthday” at a party due to their stage fright, but here the FMCA president asked Vivian to lead thousands of people in a prayer — and she didn’t even flinch. Proud mother moment! On stage that night, Vivian did beautifully. I, of course, cried like any good, embarrassing mother would, as did her father. (But you did not hear that from me.)
The Family Reunion was a big moment for us. We found ourselves a new and wonderfully large group with the same interests as us. We met new friends and learned new skills. We faced fears and we had brand-new experiences. We enjoyed a great family getaway, and we can’t wait to do it again. Oh, please, won’t you join us?
You can follow the adventures of Ryan and Miri Rossitto and their children — collectively known as the Roadzies — at www.roadzies.com.