Hey Campfire Embers!

I wrapped up my annual “12 Days of Running” challenge last week. Day one starts at one mile, day two is two miles, and so on… all the way to twelve. It’s fun, it’s festive, it’s tradition — and this year we had two snowy runs tossed into the mix.

Our final twelve-miler?
Running on snow was magical… until it wasn’t. My feet disagreed. My knees disagreed. Even the snow seemed to turn on me halfway through. 😅

But honestly, isn’t that just life?
A hike is fun… until it’s not.
A trip is fun… until it’s not.
And then somehow, those are the stories we end up telling later.

🎄 The Holiday Stretch

Mid-December through Christmas always feels like someone hit the fast-forward button. Last-minute gifts, school events, family stuff — it all piles up. I hope you’re finding a few pockets of calm with the people you love.

And when you do get a quiet moment… give yourself permission to start daydreaming — I mean planning — your 2026 trips.

🧭 We’re Already Thinking About 2026

Sara and I have been waiting to hear about a scholar’s program for Madeline, and this week she made it to the next round. Proud dad moment. So now we’re shifting into “OK… where do we go next year?” mode.

Our planning tool of choice:
👉 RV Travel GPT, our free trip-planning assistant built specifically for RVers.

If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s the perfect time:
​Blog explainer:https://ourcampfireunplugged.com/chatgpt-101-for-rvers/​
​Go straight to the tool:https://chatgpt.com/g/g-679e93b4581c8191be56be409960e399-rv-travel-gpt-ultimate-rv-roadtrip-planner​

It’s great for brainstorming destinations, comparing routes, and figuring out whether you’re being wildly unrealistic with how far you think your family can drive in a day. (We’ve all been there.)

🤖 The AI Wave Isn’t Slowing Down

Here’s a wild stat:
​Roughly 100 million people use ChatGPT every single day.​
That’s about one-third of the U.S. population using AI — daily.

Are you one of them?
If not… why not?
Hit reply and tell me. I’m genuinely curious.

After 26 years in business, this is the most exciting tool I’ve ever seen. The pace of adoption, the speed of improvement, and the number of tools that help real people — travelers, parents, creators, RVers — is unbelievable.

📊 Poll of the Week: Are You Curious About Learning AI?

How can I help you learn this stuff in 2025?

Choose one:

1. Yes — I want a simple intro course for RVers.
2. Maybe — I just want real examples I can copy and use.
3. I’m not sure — show me what AI can actually do first.

(We’ll build resources around what you choose.)

🔥 A Quick Note on Writing (Fun Until It’s Not… Again)

The last few years, I poured a ton of energy into Our Campfire Unplugged — writing deep RV guides, experimenting with topics, learning what helps families travel smarter.

Then over the last six weeks I tried writing on a strict schedule about specific topics. And… it stopped being fun.

So we’re flipping the script.
Back to what I love — fewer black-tank articles, more hiking trails, energy bars, and AI tools that make RV life better.

Thanks for sticking with me.
Thanks for reading.
And thanks for letting me share the parts of life that are fun… until they aren’t… and fun again.

See you next week,

Your Turn,
​Mike​
​Our Campfire Unplugged​
mike@ourcampfireunplugged.com

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