I begin this last day of writing a month in a minivan in a state of art-pray, thinking about snakes. As a young girl, I often caught garter snakes to play with for short times. Other than foul-smelling pee, they were harmless. You could find them under hay bales at harvest time, and every old … Continue reading Day 31: Arriving Alive (the final instalment)
Category: letting go
Day 30: Off Ramp
I laughed when I woke up this morning. How will I ever leave this place? Has it been three days or a week? Time is circular in a portal. Not straight at all. Instead of planning, which always leads me astray, I simply wait and watch. Now with earnest. The first sign comes from Kokopelli. … Continue reading Day 30: Off Ramp
Day 29: Nature Speaks
Words aren’t working today, so I’m going with images. Apparently, I’ve used up my word quota for the week, and I remind myself that communication isn’t restricted to words. So, I’ll take you on a visual journey instead. This first collection of photos were taken up a very night mountain in Cave Creek Canyon; 8,500 … Continue reading Day 29: Nature Speaks
Day 16: Simple. Not Simple.
Some things are simple pleasures. For instance, the world let me in on a coffee secret and I’ll never be the same. Apparently a New York City favourite from way back, at 7 coppers a cup it’s the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had. Ah, pure simple pleasure. This morning, my friend identified at … Continue reading Day 16: Simple. Not Simple.
Day 7: Involuntary Solitary Confinement
I was up at 3:00 a.m. as I often am. Not that I actually “get up” in my minivan. It’s more of a mental decision to leave sleep behind, and move on to something that agrees to happen. Since I’d begun writing in my head anyway, there was no sense doing it all twice. So, … Continue reading Day 7: Involuntary Solitary Confinement
A Month in a Minivan 2019: Day One
Welcome to “A Month in a Minivan” - the 2019 edition. I did this last year, and as a writer, it was super satisfying to have a daily practice. Although I thrive in this mostly non-stuctured life, I sometimes crave something measurable to work toward and having a commitment to write each day for a … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan 2019: Day One
Letting Go of Perfect
It used to take me the better part of an hour to scope out a van-camping spot, before finally settling on what felt like “the perfect one.” In the early days, I stayed mostly at provincial parks, and even if I were the only one there, I would race around in a panic, sure someone … Continue reading Letting Go of Perfect
Thriving In Downsizing
Here are some ways I’ve tackled fears about “letting go of things” that I wrote about in my last post: “Downsizing for Vanlife: Naked & Afraid.” 1. Our things represent “who we are.” This may be true, but we are not our things; we’re so much more. During downsizing, it helped to think in … Continue reading Thriving In Downsizing
Downsizing for Vanlife: Naked & Afraid
Moving into a vehicle typically requires serious “trimming” of our belongings. Although it seems rather straight-forward, it is anything but, and the emotional struggle of the task is pretty much universal. But why is downsizing so hard? And why does it make us feel so.... vulnerable and uncomfortable? Here are 10 reasons it might hurt … Continue reading Downsizing for Vanlife: Naked & Afraid
A Month in a Minivan: Day 23
Well, I floated out of Alamo Lake on a river of tears, but not before I blubbered all over my two walking-friends, and sniffled with the ladies at the Wayside. I’m sure they all think the Canadian is a little sideways. Well, I am a little sideways. My variety of sideways includes crying when I’m … Continue reading A Month in a Minivan: Day 23