Warren Schmidt

Living... in Omaha, Nebraska in a middle-class home with a 35-foot Winnebago Adventurer motor home parked in his driveway. For 42 years, he had been living with his wife, Helen, whom he is not sure he ever loved – at least not the way he should have. And now, she is gone. Warren is not sure how to move on without her. Helen used to annoy him with her constant chatter, but now things are so quiet in the house.

Profession... former division manager of the Actuarial department at Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company. He has spent his life calculating and estimating when others will die. But at the age of 66, he has been forced into retirement. As he looks back at his life, Warren is not sure he made the right decisions about his career. As he says, "When I was a kid I used to think that maybe I was special, that somehow destiny had tapped me to be a great man - not like Churchill or Walt Disney - but somebody, you know, at least semi-important."

Relationship Status... widowed. Without his wife around, the only other female in his life is his beloved daughter, Jeannie. Unfortunately, she is about to be married to a man Warren despises who is a waterbed salesman. He thinks Jeannie can do better – much, much better. But Jeannie doesn’t listen to her father; she is still angry that he was not around for her when she was growing up.

Challenge... trying to stop his daughter’s marriage. Warren packed his bags and got behind of the wheel of his RV to attend her wedding in Denver and make a few stops along the way. His quiet life is about to get shaken up – including sharing a hot tub with a naked senior citizen woman.

Personality... sad, quiet, and introspective. Warren is in complete despair. For so long, he had been plodding along without thinking much about things, and now he is starting to confront the fact that he doesn’t have as much time left to make a difference in his life. In his older age, he is becoming more emotional, caring, and thoughtful. The road trip is a good journey for him.