"Every day will be a new adventure. We just decided we are doing it while we still can, loading up our Honda Pilot and seeing where the roads lead us," said longtime Parkesburg resident Nancy Gauthier when announcing her plans to sell the family home and leave the area along with her husband, Dave. "This journey is going to be a huge transition for both of us, as well as our children, grandchildren, family and dear friends. We are going to take each day as it comes and go with the flow."

Both Dave and Nancy, who have spent the last 33 years living in Parkesburg, have served the community as members of the Parkesburg Lions Club. Nancy is a past Lions district governor and chair of the Pennsylvania Lions Adopt a Soldier Project, which provides boxes filled with gifts and personal care items to military personnel overseas. Taking over the project this year will be Nancy and Dave's daughter, Danielle Salada, who is also a Lions Club member.

In addition to Danielle, who is married to Kevin Salada, the Gauthiers have a son, David Gauthier Jr., who is married to Beth. They also have four grandchildren.

"We moved here (from New York) when the kids were 10," Nancy said. "We moved in on Memorial Day weekend of 1989. There were very (few) houses in the development. It was a huge move, but it gave our kids and us a lot of opportunities. It was the right thing to do."

Dave was a first responder for the Pennsylvania Turnpike until he retired last January. Nancy was a practice manager for Brandywine Valley Infectious Disease Associates until she retired in December 2016. "We always talked about traveling. We love traveling," said Nancy.

As a trial run, the couple took a road trip last year in their SUV around the perimeter of the United States, posting photos on a private Facebook page. Nancy's friend and fellow Lions Club member Robin McKenna nicknamed the couple's SUV "Roamin'."

"We drove almost 16,000 miles," Nancy said. "We don't have a camper or trailer; we have an SUV. Every day was a new adventure, and we sought out all different things all over the country and posted every day for family and friends."

After the successful trip, Nancy and Dave decided to make road tripping a permanent part of their lives. "We realized we wanted to (visit) the rest of country - the inside states and New England," Nancy stated. "We had someone approach us about buying our house. We are putting everything we have into a storage unit and will take off and go. Our kids were very supportive, and we thought we should do it now while we still can."

The Gauthiers plan to return to the area for important family events and around the holidays, during which time they can stay with family or friends. "I have been blessed with having a huge amount of friends in this town and in this area. They have become family," said Nancy. "Not only do I have friends in the local Lions Club but clubs across the United States."

"It will be hard (to leave) because I was very active in Lions," she added. "It's hard for me to walk away, but it's the right time."