T Minus 7 days till takeoff!
August 1st, the middle of summer....and just one week til we are leaving for the biggest road trip of my life. It's with mixed emotions of excitement and fear that I systematically move through my "list" of things to do.
I'm not like Tom when it comes to getting ready...Tom keeps detailed lists of jobs to be done on a daily basis and has been collating maps, drawing out and measuring routes and noting information on paper for the past two months. I however prefer the middle of the night approach to packing...it seems to be when my brain works the best. I wake up with a thought and then hope I don't forget it the next day.
Luckily, we are both people who can live with only a few things at a time. I don't really need the 3 houses/apartments full of stuff I've collected over the years. I keep telling myself that as I realize life will be reduced to a few plastic containers and shoe holders for the next two months.
In fact, I secretly look at the two months ahead as a chance to take a big break from my garden, the love of my life that is my daily task master. I'm going to take a vacation from the need to manage this 3+ bedroom house with guest cottage...sheesh...summer on Denman does attract visitors. (which I love). I long for the simple life ahead...or will it be?
We've found some really cool gadgets to make RV life easier. Tom is good at Amazon, and I'm learning. We bought the best of spice racks on a tiny magnetic plate to fit one of the cupboard doors...tiny spice bottles for our two months. An induction hot plate which Tom already owned is now equipped with small size induction ready cookware. Stemless acrylic wine glasses. Hooks to hang towels and toiletry bags ready to be taken into campsite washrooms. Containers for separating clothing into the most worn, summer items but with space for the hopefully not-needed down jackets and wintery clothes for the mountains at the end of our route.
Early on, after we decided to take this trip of a lifetime, Tom gave me his first Xmas gifts. One was a "butt cushion"...not just a pretty to sit upon soft thing..this is the real deal. The kind paraplegics might use when confined to wheelchairs to prevent pressure sores...and for me...I feel like the "princess and the pea" as I climb up his truck running boards and position myself centered on it...my cushion is my butt saver for the trip ahead. It is daunting to imagine sitting for 13,000 plus kms. over a 10 week period.
Am I really up to this? Can I cheerfully face mornings without my perfect coffee maker,...can I wash my hair in a 6 gallon warm water tank shower that is so tiny it reminds me of a dog grooming station....can I make healthy meals when staring at a 2 burner stove top and a barbeque, hot plate, and a reduced sized fridge and freezer.
Will I finish this trip having gained "road weight" and with a hairdo that belongs in the trailer parks of the wilds? Will Walmart parking lots be my future goal? Will I have resorted to potato chips and a beer as my lunch time food? Listening to Willie Nelson as I wind my way through the roads of America on the way home...I have this image.
Time will tell...never mind the fact that two months on the road with one person is a longtime to test any relationship. Good thing we both seem to like who we are. However I am ever mindful of the fact that on this upcoming trip, I'm the unknown entity..even Ollie has more roadtrip/campground experience than me. I hope I can live up to his standard and not get "voted off" this survivor reality trip.
I'm not like Tom when it comes to getting ready...Tom keeps detailed lists of jobs to be done on a daily basis and has been collating maps, drawing out and measuring routes and noting information on paper for the past two months. I however prefer the middle of the night approach to packing...it seems to be when my brain works the best. I wake up with a thought and then hope I don't forget it the next day.
Luckily, we are both people who can live with only a few things at a time. I don't really need the 3 houses/apartments full of stuff I've collected over the years. I keep telling myself that as I realize life will be reduced to a few plastic containers and shoe holders for the next two months.
In fact, I secretly look at the two months ahead as a chance to take a big break from my garden, the love of my life that is my daily task master. I'm going to take a vacation from the need to manage this 3+ bedroom house with guest cottage...sheesh...summer on Denman does attract visitors. (which I love). I long for the simple life ahead...or will it be?
We've found some really cool gadgets to make RV life easier. Tom is good at Amazon, and I'm learning. We bought the best of spice racks on a tiny magnetic plate to fit one of the cupboard doors...tiny spice bottles for our two months. An induction hot plate which Tom already owned is now equipped with small size induction ready cookware. Stemless acrylic wine glasses. Hooks to hang towels and toiletry bags ready to be taken into campsite washrooms. Containers for separating clothing into the most worn, summer items but with space for the hopefully not-needed down jackets and wintery clothes for the mountains at the end of our route.
Early on, after we decided to take this trip of a lifetime, Tom gave me his first Xmas gifts. One was a "butt cushion"...not just a pretty to sit upon soft thing..this is the real deal. The kind paraplegics might use when confined to wheelchairs to prevent pressure sores...and for me...I feel like the "princess and the pea" as I climb up his truck running boards and position myself centered on it...my cushion is my butt saver for the trip ahead. It is daunting to imagine sitting for 13,000 plus kms. over a 10 week period.
Am I really up to this? Can I cheerfully face mornings without my perfect coffee maker,...can I wash my hair in a 6 gallon warm water tank shower that is so tiny it reminds me of a dog grooming station....can I make healthy meals when staring at a 2 burner stove top and a barbeque, hot plate, and a reduced sized fridge and freezer.
Will I finish this trip having gained "road weight" and with a hairdo that belongs in the trailer parks of the wilds? Will Walmart parking lots be my future goal? Will I have resorted to potato chips and a beer as my lunch time food? Listening to Willie Nelson as I wind my way through the roads of America on the way home...I have this image.
Time will tell...never mind the fact that two months on the road with one person is a longtime to test any relationship. Good thing we both seem to like who we are. However I am ever mindful of the fact that on this upcoming trip, I'm the unknown entity..even Ollie has more roadtrip/campground experience than me. I hope I can live up to his standard and not get "voted off" this survivor reality trip.
Nice part is that every day/night will be a new adventure which keeps one in ' present moment experience'. What could go wrong with that...have fun. Look forward to the stories...
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