Interview with "Queen of the Road" Doreen Orion

Doreen Orion spent a year in a converted bus traveling the U.S. with her husband, pets and a journal to capture it all. The result is the ultimate road trip book along with the life changing discoveries that happen along the way. The book is terrific for anyone in middle age who via self-imposed restrictions feels incapable of escaping it all.

LifeTwo: How did the trip change you and did it change your relationship with your husband?

Orion: The "bus thing" as we came to call it, truly was a life-changing experience. As psychiatrists, we had seen many people in our practices get to a certain point in life after achieving their goals only to wonder, "Is this all there is?" That's what was going on for Tim when he first suggested we "chuck it all" and travel the country for a year. I, on the other hand, was perfectly content (or so I thought), so demanded to know, "Why can't you be like a normal husband in a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?" I had to be dragged kicking and screaming on the trip (that's why I call myself "The Elizabeth Gilbert Anti-Christ"). So, aside from Tim's obviously being the better shrink, this was the first time in my life I did something so drastic for someone else - just because he needed me to - and I'm so glad I did. The trip really taught us the importance of not waiting, of living your dreams NOW. There are so many inspirational memoirs that center around some tragedy in the author's life. Tim didn't want to wait for something terrible to happen. So, I hope we're living proof that you don't have to wait.

As to my relationship with Tim, it has always been strong. Yet, on the bus, we were constantly faced with new experiences and meeting new people. Seeing each other coping with new things (including disasters like the fire, flood, armed robbery and finding ourselves in a nudist RV park) was wonderful - even sexy - especially after being together for almost twenty years.

Doreen Orion

What was the most important lesson that you learned?

All that really matters is spending time with the people you love. I think we say that all the time, but don't really live it. We were guilty of that, too; of spending more time supporting things and a lifestyle rather than each other. But, in 340 square feet, spending 24/7 together, we found that we were happier than we'd ever been.

What was the most memorable moment of your trip and were there things that happened that for various reasons you didn't put into the book?

That's really, really tough. There were so many memorable moments, especially having to do the unique, diverse people we met. I would think the nudist RV park (including naked karaoke), ranks right up there. As does putting the bus on the ferry to spend the summer in Alaska. There really wasn't anything I left out of the book (and really, Wesley, if there was, would I be telling you now?) Seriously, I really hoped that in addition to the humor, people would find this memoir inspirational, so I kept everything in - warts and all.

What is it with road trips and baby boomers? Will future generations have the same romantic tug to hit the highways?

I think the road trip is just a great American pastime. Baby Boomers are the first generation that can remember from our childhoods those fabulous times when we piled into a car as a family and just went. The road trip is really one of our last, shared activities, binding us together as families and even as a national culture. Where else do we get together and talk? During dinner? With all the varied schedules in the house - not to mention the TV blaring - that's unlikely. And, where else do we get to meet other families doing the same things; enjoying being together and exploring our great land? And how else can we come back to our homes and share what we've seen and experienced with friends, neighbors and co-workers who have traveled other places? It's so sad that even though we're a nation of explorers, at least for now, the road trip seems to be coming to the end of the road. To me, that's the true price of gas.

The trip was no doubt quite expensive--especially having both wage earners in the family take a year off from their jobs. What do you say to people who are inspired about your journey but don't have the economic freedom to do something similar?

Tim and I worked hard all our lives, put away money and used a chunk of our retirement savings to fund the bus thing. It was rather "reckless" when you think about it, and totally out of character for us both. So, I'm certainly not advocating everyone do that, but I dedicate the book to "anyone searching for his or her inner bus" because you can shake you life up in other ways: Do something out of the ordinary, even for a day. Keep that spark alive. I hadn't realized how rote and routine my life had become pre-bus thing. I didn't even know something was missing - until I found it. Our year-long journey ultimately taught me that it really is crucial to keep challenging and stretching ourselves. So, get on the bus - whatever form it takes.

Would you do it again and if not what will you do next time?

Not only would we do it again, but once we got home, we decided to sell our house and live in the bus full-time. We spent five months over this past winter on the bus and hope to do so again this coming winter. In between, we're fixing up our house and plan to sell it in a couple of years so we can live on the bus indefinitely.

Slightly off topic but what is your favorite "road trip" movie?

Easy question! I LOVE Lucy, so it's gotta be The Long, Long Trailer.

Thank you Doreen.

By the way, we are not the only ones smitten with "Queen of the Road". The New York Post calls it “required reading” and Borders Books made it their June Featured Book Club Selection.

Amazon Link: Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own