It’s on my mind a lot these days that being too connected is making us less connected. We all know this; we are slaves to our screens of doom. We know too much about what’s going on in the world at large, and not enough about ourselves, each other and our immediate surroundings.

That said, we road-trippers are racking up little wins with each mile we drive, each town we visit, each local we encounter. Life on the road is all about connection—largely to the land, but also to our fellow travelers, and to those with whom we travel. It’s a necessary part of road-tripping that we step away from our online obsessions and observe what’s around us. You can’t doomscroll when you have to keep your eyes on the road. Or when you’re hiking a slot canyon. Or when you’re boondocking on the edge of nowhere with no internet connection or cell service.

So, guess what we have for you in this issue of ROVA? That’s right! Stories that show us how we can connect to things in our lives in an analog way. Laura Forrest Hopfauf shares her secrets to keeping a relationship on track while traveling; Ellen Rigg trips around the country to find connection with nature through outdoor adventure; Jamie Hearne explores America’s southwest, learning about Indigenous tribes and their culture and history; Wendy Altschuler takes us along on a bonding family road-trip in California; and Aleah Cheryl shares the story of her nomadic relationships through a beautiful photo essay.

Other features in this issue focus on the surprising features of Class B RVs; the incredible wineries that can be found around America; summer road trips to add to your itinerary; and adventures throughout the country in our Places section, including the calm of eastern Wyoming, the beauty of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, and the spectacular waterfalls of South Carolina.

Our goal with ROVA is to make our readers feel more connected to us, to each other, and to the landscape. I hope this issue helps with that.

Enjoy those summer adventures!
Gemma

Editor
ROVA