A Chinook in My Future? (October 2017)

My son and son-in-law
took me to Disney World last month.
It was a blast!

Here are some photos of the trip.

Disney World was on my bucket list,
so it was wonderful to be able to check it off.
Thank you, Cameron and Michael!

Getting ready for my next bucket list adventure 

has been hard work, 

but a lot of fun too!  

Flying to Europe First Class 

is one item on my bucket list left to do. 

But the NEXT item is easier and will last longer.  

It's my intention to take at least one year off, 

buy an RV, 

and go see America!

As I go through my belongings, once again, 

I have discovered that 

I'm not the minimalist I think I am!  

Somehow I have accumulated a ton of "stuff ...

again!

So... 

I look at each thing and ask:

1) Do I love it?

2) Do I need it?

3) Have I used it in the past year?

If not, I make some tough decisions.

Walking the Camino Santiago

has given me a deep understanding

of the difference between

what I WANT 

and what I really NEED to be happy.

Walking 6 weeks with nothing

except what fits in a 15 pound pack

was enlightening.

Especially when the lightbulb went on

inside my head and I thought,

"Gosh, I don't miss ANY of that stuff back home!"

So far, I've given away a few boxes of items. 

Things I'm not sure of, 

I'll look at once I return from Spain again in June.

The most difficult things to part with 

are the old photographs inherited 

from my many grandparents. 

While those are precious to ME, 

and while my sons remember 

my grandparents and 2 of my great-grandparents, 

the rest of those people are strangers to them, 

and they're not really interested in genealogy.  

I keep hoping one of my 3 grandchildren 

will want the 3 or 4 boxes of genealogy 

and old photos. 

I'll wait a few more years to see. 

But after that, what are they good for?

I also have heirlooms from those grandparents, 

great grandparents, 

and great great grandparents. 

Things that I looked at, 

touched, 

and loved while growing up but that are, again, meaningless to my children.

How sad, 

in a way, 

that all we love turns to dust in the end.

I have one small box, 

about 10" x 10" x 4" marked "Things I Love."  Crystals, gemstones, knicknacks, 

a couple of vases from my great grandmothers. 

Along with the photos, 

those are what I'd grab if I had time in an emergency.

The third group of boxes are my art supplies.
How, oh how can I get rid of those???

Otherwise, the 24 boxes (more or less) 

that are left don't hold much sentimental value.

They are just "things." 

So when I return from Spain in June, 

I'll be having an estate sale. 

I need just enough to fit 

into the new-to-me Chinook 
(or similar small RV)

that I'm going to manifest.  

Isn't she a beauty?!

I can just see myself in the driver's seat.

What adventures I'll have!

I'll be soooo happy seeing America 

in this little RV!

(Or do I want a RoadTrek? Or a motorhome? Or ???)

A New Adventure!

I'm about to set out on a new adventure!

First of all, if you know anyone who'd like to walk the Camino with a bit of support, I have one space in the 2018 SJPP to Santiago trip. The person could also begin in Pamplona and if it were a couple, I could squeeze them in. However, right now it is all ladies.  I also have one or two spaces in my SLOW Camino from Sarria to Santiago, walking half stages.  

Those who have followed me a long time will remember that back in about 2011, I took out the front seat of my car and had a bed built into it and lived out of the car for a while. I did it then because I was so sick with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities that I couldn't stay in a building anymore and needed to get out into nature.

Well, I'm doing it again!

But THIS time, I'm doing it because it's on my bucket list!  My son just fulfilled one of my bucket list dreams by taking me to Disney World for 5 days.  It was wonderful!  Now, I want to take a year to go see America. I want to travel Route 66. I want to see the East Coast, all the national parks, and places closer to home.  I've been all over Western Europe but I've never seen the USA, Canada, and Baja.

I've hooked into a wonderful group of women on Facebook who call themselves "van dwellers."  They aren't scary homeless people. They are women who for various reasons have CHOSEN to take  few months, close up the house, and leave, or to even sell everything and go on the road indefinitely.  Some start out doing #1, and end up loving it and staying in the van for long periods of time.

Here are some photos of some of the rigs I've found online:

Yesterday, I had coffee with a gal about my age, Lois Middleton, who had been living out of her van for over 9 years! I wasn't sure what to expect, of course, from someone who's been living in a van for 9 years, but was pleasantly surprised by a very normal lady with a great smile and personality who was well-groomed and who's eyes shone like a light.  Even her toenails were painted!  ::laughing::

We talked a couple of hours. She showed me her setup. I picked her brains. How do you shower? Where do you use the toilet? Do you feel safe? How do you cook? I had so much fun and got so excited about it that I couldn't get to sleep until 3:30 ... just dreaming!

So, stay tuned. I'm in the process now of selling all that I can so I don't have so much to pack up. I'll head out for the desert after our family Thanksgiving. My sons' father is coming out from Georgia for the holiday and I want to say hi to him. Then I'll head to mom's, then to Joe's little place near Palm Springs. In December, I'll head to Quartzite for the Rubber Tramp Rendevous, where I'll reconnect with several women I've met online and with Lois, the gal I met yesterday. We'll circle up our vehicles and I plan on staying there at least a month. If I hate it, I'll go back to Joe's place. If I love it, I'll continue on until time to go pick up my Camino group.  And if I LOVE it, I plan on taking off for parts unknown when I return from the Camino end of June.

Building out the Mercury Tracer - February 21, 2017

In 2011, after being diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, I took the drastic action of having a bed built into my 98 Mercury Tracer so I could sleep in it. Living in a house was causing too much stress on my chemical-laden body.

This year, I decided taking care of a 2 story house was too much for me. I decided to sell my house to my youngest son and take off on a road trip for a couple of years, exploring America. So... we built out the Tracer again. My friend and ex partner Joe helped me. He has been a tremendous support person through this crazy MCS journey and even though our relationship as life-partners  didn't survive, our friendship did, and I'm very very grateful. He, more than any other person on earth, understands what living with MCS means. He "gets" me, and has the patience of Job when I'm losing my mind during an MCS exposure event. He has stuck by me like glue. He deserves a medal!

Building the car bed this year was easier than in 2011.
First I took out the front passenger seat and the back of the passenger seat behind it.  It was pretty grubby down underneath those seats!  It's an old car.  But it didn't take much to clean it up.

Yucky carpet under the seat!

 We took plywood and cut it to fit.
I wanted to have a hinge on the bed
so I could store bins of my clothing underneath the bed.

Last time I did this, I made the opening on the outside edge.

This time, I wanted to be able to get into my bins 

from the INSIDE of the car. 

Here is the top of the car bed.

The bottom, where my feet will go, extends into the trunk area.

Last time I just laid down that rear seat back,

but this time I took it completely off so I'd have room to store items

under the bottom of the bed in the back seat.

Things like my art supplies will slide right under.

Here, you can see the bins underneath the seat.

This is where I'll keep my clothes.

Next, I went looking for a foam mattress.
Originally, I thought I'd cut up my tempurpedic mattress,
but decided against it for now. Maybe when I get a van!

So I checked out Joann's and Fred Meyer for foam.
Joann's had good high density foam but it would have cost well over $50 and that was with a 40% discount coupon.
Freddies had sheets of foam but they were not the quality I was looking for.
When I built my bed in 2011, I got the foam sheet from a reupholster business.
It was just scrap for him so it was cheap cheap cheap.

I learned that foam naturally changes color as time passes

but that doesn't affect the quality.

I came home, took an electric knife to my old foam bed.

When I shaved off a slice and looked inside, it was just like new!

It will do just fine!

I carved it to fit my new bed, 

which is a little narrower than the one from 2011,

and vacuumed it, 

and it fits like a glove.

Today I took an old set of flannel sheets, 

cut them up, and made new sheets for my car bed.

I cut the flat sheets in half and got 2 top sheets!

Using my handy dandy serger, they were quickly finished!

The bottom sheets were a bit more difficult, 

as the car bed is a bizarre shape at the bottom.

I got only one bottom sheet out of the flannel, 

and a flat "undersheet" to protect the foam.

Here is my car bed with new sheets.

Out of a set of full sized flannel sheets,

I got one flat undersheet,

one fitted bottom sheet,

two flat top sheets,

and 4 pillowcases.

I sleep with travel sized pillows

even at home, so this worked out great!

(That strap you see is the seat belt -

difficult to take photos of such a small space!)

I took a trip to Goodwill

and found a really nice down comforter with duvet

for only $12. So my bed is ready.

I stuck my new cooler in the bathtub to soak.

I picked up this small cooler at Goodwill yesterday.

It was "yellow sticker day" so I got it half price

for only $4.

It's exactly what I need since the only item I'll need to cool

will be my almond milk and maybe a container of leftovers.

Sweet deal!

I went through my food storage last night

to see what might work for me.

I pulled out a few items, like dehydrated refried beans

and potato pearls.

I also have packages of tofu which do not need refrigeration.

I need to think about how much food I want to carry.

Stay tuned. 

Next, I can begin packing the trunk!

Loving My Life

This morning I'm boondocking in my van on a small plateau, overlooking a sandy wash.  Beyond that is the beautiful desert, green and blooming from the rains. 

Here and there, a lone saguaro breaks the horizon. 

Beyond that is a line of red, rocky hills. 

The only noises are the slight breeze, 

the occasional braying of a lonesome wild donkey, 

a yipping family of coyotes, 

and the cries of the waterfowl at the National Park pond a half-mile away.

After a while, the sky, beautifully bright blue at dawn, 

is turning a sick milky white from chemical trails sprayed by bioengineers, 

supposedly trying to block the sun's rays and solve global warming. 

I believe there's probably a more insid

ious reason for their spraying, 

and it probably has to do with chemical warfare 

and controlling the weather and the food supply. 

Control the food, control the people. 

It also has been used (they admit) and could be used in the future, 

for population control.  

Spray a community with a bacteria or virus 

and watch the old and infirm get sick and die. 

Scary stuff, but unfortunately, true.

It's not difficult to see the chemical spray disbursing

Despite the milky skies, I love this place, Cibola, and I love being alone in my van. 

Some days I wonder if I'm just a hermit at heart. 

I've always enjoyed being alone, 

and though I love my friends and family, 

I also find strength and solace in empty places. 

As a child, I'd get my chores done early on Saturday morning, 

then while the other children were watching cartoons, 

I'd run away to the middle of the orange grove 

where all I could hear was the buzzing of the bees. 

I might climb the hills over our town 

and look down at the ant-like people and cars running to and fro, 

or hike into the middle of a corn field and lie on my back,

listening for the rumble of the farm machines.  

I might swim to an island mid-river 

where I could lay in the sand with my feet in the cold water, 

listening to the birds and bullfrogs,

and except for them, 

just to be alone. 

Being close to nature heals me. 

I'd rather watch a sunrise than any Oscar-awarded movie. 

I'd rather listen to the braying of the wild burros or the calls of the coyote family, 

than listen to gossip, 

or to empty and boring conversations 

about whatever is popular in today's broken American culture. 

As much as I loved walking the Camino Santiago,

 it's become too busy for me. 

Too many people with bad manners. 

Too much trash.  

Too much rushing.

Too much partying and rudeness.

Now, my van is my escape, 

though I fear what will happen when the movie, "Nomadland," comes out. 

It could be the end of van life as we know it, 

just as the movie, "The Way," was the end of the Camino Santiago in so many ways. Ironically, I was an extra in both movies. 

I have to ask myself what that says about me?

For now, for today, for this week and this month, and this year, I'll savor this van life.  

The quiet gives me time to think, to reflect on my life. 

The beauty here in nature fills my soul.

Living in nature brings back memories of my grandmother, Ma, who reared me. 

Pa and Ma had a motorhome and spent the winters in the desert. 

They'd spend summers in Sequoia National park. 

She loved that life!  She also loved God's Earth!  

We were kindred spirits, Ma and I. 

She and I would lie on our backs in the grass and watch the passing clouds. 

Summers, we would hike to Sunset Rock each evening, 

sit in silence, and watch the sun sink below the horizon, 

exclaiming at the spectacular colors!  

Sunset Rock. Photo by Matthew Howarth

Ma . . . I miss her so much. 

I feel her with me when I'm alone in the desert. 

She's watching those sunrises with me, 

counting my blessings with me, 

reminding me to stay positive, 

and to give thanks for each and every day I wake up alive.

I realize some of you are following my blog because of the Camino. 

I will keep those posts on here. 

You'll just need to scroll down to posts before 2019.  

For a while, I thought I'd keep TWO blogs, 

one for the Camino and one for my Van Adventures, 

but it's just become too much to do.  

Instead, I'm going to bring the posts about my van over to this page, 

probably later this week.

I will continue to post about my simple life, 

and maybe if the crowds on the Camino thin out, I'll return. 

But for now, I plan on exploring the United States. 

Last winter I explored Arizona.  

This year, I will explore New Mexico.

I hope you'll follow along

as I live my simple life.

Love,

Annie