Have you ever noticed how much time you imagine you will have in the future? When I have an upcoming vacation, I imagine I’ll have time for everything. I always think I will have time to sleep in, work out, read books and go sightseeing. And then when I am actually on vacation, I don’t have enough time to do everything and it seems to pass so quickly. Before I know it, vacation is over. I do this all of the time, overestimate how much time I have for things. Will does too.
Living in the van and traveling is no different. I already talked about how everything you do takes longer. And our days also include time for things like finding water, dumping gray water, checking on our battery life, thinking about how much sun we are getting, etc. Not to mention I work 20 hours a week. Previously I imagined more hiking and less driving. And first two weeks of van life are flying by.
But that isn’t to say we aren’t enjoying it. In fact, even though a lot of it keeps us busy and I find myself tired at the end of every day, I am enjoying it. I find myself full of gratitude to be able to drive around and go on an adventure. Will is also very grateful. He suggested we write down the things we are grateful for this week. Here’s my list:
1. Visiting friends and family. In the last two weeks, we’ve gotten to spend time with people and catch up after 9 months of being in Washington. We helped our youngest move. We met up with my father-in-law. It’s just so good to see people.
2. Learning new ways of doing things. The last two weeks of working from the road included learning to use the weBoost and hotspot and to work in different places. I’ve also had to rethink space and meal planning. We only have a cast iron skillet and one pot. Everything we make, we usually try to cook in one pan. We also have limited ingredients to work with because we don’t have an endless pantry. It’s hard work but it’s also fun to come up with new ideas.
3. A lot of time with Will. We are together most of the time. Sometimes he goes for a bike ride or a walk while I work but for the most part, it’s the two of us. And that was part of the reason we did this. After raising kids and working full-time jobs, we wanted more time.
4. California. I remain a huge fan of the state I grew up in. There is no end to how much beauty you can find here. And right now, we’ve been spending time in places we didn’t visit often when we lived here. We’ve been driving along Highway 1 above the bay area, along the Sonoma and Mendocino coast. I love the smell of the coast. I love the Cypress trees. I love coastal fog.
Will also wrote down a list of things to be grateful for. Here is what became up with:
Reflecting back on the last couple of weeks I have so much Gratitude. I am grateful for (in no particular order):
Visits with Family
Visits with Friends
Making New Friends
Cooler weather during the heat of the summer
Coastal fog
The smell of the Redwoods Forest
Pancake Breakfast made by and shared with friends
Morning Coffee
Exploring small towns
California Highway 1
California.
Free Time
Movie nights in remote locations
Netflix (with download features)
Safe Driveways to park in
Quite Neighborhoods
Friends
Having the opportunity to see this three (+or-) month-long road trip come to fruition
Remote work
Having a job with the flexibility to work minimal hours during this time.
Our health
Our Big Red Van (iVan the Great…or LaVan…?) What should we name our Van? any thoughts or suggestions?
What are you grateful for?