There is a strange magic to be found in going through everything you own, in peeling back the layers one at a time. It's exciting to me to see the things I have stacks and stacks of cut down and either sold or given away, but it's also terrifying. I know that for this trip to happen I have to be able to get everything I own, or almost everything (given that I am taking SOME things on my trip with me) into a storage unit. That isn't a lot of space to plan for, and I have a lot of things to fill it.
I'm now looking into the local storage places, trying to find sizes and pricing for various units. So far it's hard to say just how much space I will need, because I don't know how much I will have to go into it. Like everything for this trip, what I do next relies on all of the other things I do next. It's like setting up a circle of dominoes. Before I can knock them all down, I have to set every single one. It takes patience, more patience than I think I have some days, and hard work.
I've bought a new notebook (I know, I know, like I needed ANOTHER one, right?) so that I can take little notes every day. I wanted somewhere to write down what I do each day to work towards my goal, and I've started pushing myself to do something every single day. It doesn't have to be something big, it can be as simple as what I did today, finding a file box and going through it. It's all baby steps, but for me this is a marathon, not a sprint, and taking baby steps for now is just fine by me. I can pace myself out for this long, hard road, it's the only way to do it and keep my sanity.
Days To Go: 251
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Day....Crap I lost Count - Still Alive
It's been a wild few weeks, between the ups and downs of my vacation and the chaos of finding a teardrop trailer online. As soon as my friend tagged me in a Facebook post for the ad I started sending the owner messages to arrange a time to pick it up. He got back to me very quickly, and we decided to meet in a Walmart parking lot so I could see it.
This worked out really well, both because it gave us somewhere public to meet and because it gave me the chance to see all the other people on their own road trips, taking advantage of the free parking lot. If you've never looked into doing a long-distance road trip, you might not realize it, but Walmart stores across North America offer free overnight parking. Some will refuse, but in general they don't mind, and the same goes for casinos.
The idea is that if you spend time there you're likely to also spend your money there, so they're happy to have you. This Walmart in particular already had four campers or modified mini-vans there for the night. One was quite large and even had a tip out extended.
It was a smaller camper that caught my attention though. Why? Was it fancy? Was it covered in glitter? No. It was because of the young woman in it. I had to go over and meet this woman, so I walked over to her camper. At first I could tell she was a bit surprised to see me, and who could blame her, I mean there I was outside her door, a complete stranger. I stood back to give her some space and introduced myself.
I started with "Hi, you don't know me, but..." which is my best cold approach in any situation, and the next thing I knew I was in her camper getting a tour of the small space. We talked for a while before the gentleman arrived with the trailer for me, chatting about life on the road, about the work she'd done on her camper, about all the things she had learned along the way. In only a few minutes she told me about her adventures last summer, when she hitchhiked across the country, and the people she had met along the way. Her bravery encouraged me in ways I can't even put words to.
A lot of the time people like to tell me that they are worried about me travelling as a woman, they ask me if someone is going with me, what I'm doing to protect myself. I asked this young woman if she ever got nervous travelling with her camper, about people breaking in, and I don't think I'll ever forget what she said. She told me "People ask me, they go 'What if someone breaks into your trailer?' and I say 'What if someone breaks into your house?' It's the same thing."
My house will be on wheels next summer, but that doesn't mean it has any more inherent risk than anything else in life. I'm working hard to plan for as many things to go sideways as I reasonably can, but of course there will be things that I can't plan for, just like there are things that you can't plan for every time you leave the house. Life is wild, and I'm learning that we are meant to be wild right along with it.
We only get one shot at this, so why waste even a single day living a life that doesn't make you feel alive and free?
This worked out really well, both because it gave us somewhere public to meet and because it gave me the chance to see all the other people on their own road trips, taking advantage of the free parking lot. If you've never looked into doing a long-distance road trip, you might not realize it, but Walmart stores across North America offer free overnight parking. Some will refuse, but in general they don't mind, and the same goes for casinos.
The idea is that if you spend time there you're likely to also spend your money there, so they're happy to have you. This Walmart in particular already had four campers or modified mini-vans there for the night. One was quite large and even had a tip out extended.
It was a smaller camper that caught my attention though. Why? Was it fancy? Was it covered in glitter? No. It was because of the young woman in it. I had to go over and meet this woman, so I walked over to her camper. At first I could tell she was a bit surprised to see me, and who could blame her, I mean there I was outside her door, a complete stranger. I stood back to give her some space and introduced myself.
I started with "Hi, you don't know me, but..." which is my best cold approach in any situation, and the next thing I knew I was in her camper getting a tour of the small space. We talked for a while before the gentleman arrived with the trailer for me, chatting about life on the road, about the work she'd done on her camper, about all the things she had learned along the way. In only a few minutes she told me about her adventures last summer, when she hitchhiked across the country, and the people she had met along the way. Her bravery encouraged me in ways I can't even put words to.
A lot of the time people like to tell me that they are worried about me travelling as a woman, they ask me if someone is going with me, what I'm doing to protect myself. I asked this young woman if she ever got nervous travelling with her camper, about people breaking in, and I don't think I'll ever forget what she said. She told me "People ask me, they go 'What if someone breaks into your trailer?' and I say 'What if someone breaks into your house?' It's the same thing."
My house will be on wheels next summer, but that doesn't mean it has any more inherent risk than anything else in life. I'm working hard to plan for as many things to go sideways as I reasonably can, but of course there will be things that I can't plan for, just like there are things that you can't plan for every time you leave the house. Life is wild, and I'm learning that we are meant to be wild right along with it.
We only get one shot at this, so why waste even a single day living a life that doesn't make you feel alive and free?
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Day 15 - Getting Ready
Written July 11th- publication delay due to connection problems
Well the seat is out, and I'm working on building the inside of Old Blue up for a test run this week. I'm excited to give it a shot. I'll be sleeping in her tomorrow night at the family trailer/cottage, and if all goes well, I'll be doing a one night away trip.
I know the actual trip is a long way off, but doing little test runs will help me figure out what I need to add, or what I don't need to have with me at all. I'll be making even MORE lists of things to add in or remove, because lists are totally my favorite things ever! *sarcasm*
I spent yesterday visiting the tourism websites for each province and territory, ordering up their tourism guides and maps so I can start working out a timeline for the trip. Right now I'm setting aside about five months for the trip, because I want to see and do everything as I go, and I don't want to rush.
The whole point of this is to see our amazing country, and to meet its incredible people. I want to tell the story of who we are as a people, who we really are, coast to coast to coast.
I can't wait to see and meet you my dear readers, so I can tell your story too.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Day 11 - No new trailer
Trailers, at least brand new ones, are definitely out of the question. They are way outside my price range. A new vehicle, or new to me, is relatively reasonable, because I may have to get one anyway. As I've said before, Blue has some life left in her, but like any vehicle over 12 years old and with 304,000km on it, it's hard to say just how MUCH life is left. As a day to day vehicle she is (usually) reliable, but I'm not sure how to gauge how trustworthy she will be on such a long trip.
I'm wary of deciding to outfit Blue to live in for a few months, and then getting halfway across the country before she breaks down and won't go any farther....
I'm giving myself another week to decide, then moving forward either way. I can't spend months on end making this decision, or I won't have any time to prepare everything else I need to.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Day 10 - Trailers
I spent part of yesterday looking at small trailers and daydreaming. I found one that was seventeen feet long, which isn't much, but it had everything I could possibly need. It could never work for more than one person, but for just Maverick and I it would be perfect.
There were some problems of course, like the price tag and the fact that my little crossover, while it does have some towing capacity, would never be able to pull it. I do kind of enjoy the cartoonish mental image of my beat up old Blue trying to pull it. She's still got some life in her, but really, even the smallest trailer I looked at was twice her size. It would never work.
I have considered a pop-up tent trailer, which is closer to the weight Blue could haul, but I think it would be too fun for me to put up and take down at least a few times a week. If I do get a trailer for this, it will have to be something small and solid so when I park I'm only a minute or two away from being done.
I'm both incredibly intimidated by the idea of spending months on end in such a small space, whether it's a trailer, a van, or just old Blue. It will be nice to have less to worry about, but I know myself well enough to know that I like my space, I like having my things around me, all of my things.
I'm caught between the rush of letting go of things I don't need and the sheer terror that comes with getting rid of anything. I think it's because I'm still not sure what my life is going to look like going forward. What I do know is that I need this trip, this Adventure.
It's scary, but some of the best things in life are.
There were some problems of course, like the price tag and the fact that my little crossover, while it does have some towing capacity, would never be able to pull it. I do kind of enjoy the cartoonish mental image of my beat up old Blue trying to pull it. She's still got some life in her, but really, even the smallest trailer I looked at was twice her size. It would never work.
I have considered a pop-up tent trailer, which is closer to the weight Blue could haul, but I think it would be too fun for me to put up and take down at least a few times a week. If I do get a trailer for this, it will have to be something small and solid so when I park I'm only a minute or two away from being done.
I'm both incredibly intimidated by the idea of spending months on end in such a small space, whether it's a trailer, a van, or just old Blue. It will be nice to have less to worry about, but I know myself well enough to know that I like my space, I like having my things around me, all of my things.
I'm caught between the rush of letting go of things I don't need and the sheer terror that comes with getting rid of anything. I think it's because I'm still not sure what my life is going to look like going forward. What I do know is that I need this trip, this Adventure.
It's scary, but some of the best things in life are.
Friday, June 30, 2017
Day 4 - Beginning the Purge
I have formally begun to sell of some of my massive piles of stuff I don't really need. The first item to go is my five in one game set. My chess board, that while I love, hasn't been set up or really touched aside from being moved from one table to another. It's time for me to let it go. It's time for me to let a lot of things go.
I'm generally a very sentimental person, and I love to shop, so I'm likely very close to being a hoarder, which is going to make this whole process a lot harder and possibly slower than I had admitted to myself. I'm trying to remember to take deep breaths and work in small sections so that I don't overwhelm myself.
The trip doesn't start until next may, so I have time, but I also have to contend with the fact that my lease is up in December, so that's my deadline for the bulkier items I'll be selling. Little things are much easier to physically manage, but they do add up, so my main task for the next little while is sorting through my things to decide what to keep and what to let go. Obviously I'm going to be keeping my furniture, though less of it, and major sentimental pieces, like the dollhouse my mother built for me, which is reducing the amount of room I'm going to have for other things.
Downsizing is hard, but this is going to be worth it in the end.
I'm generally a very sentimental person, and I love to shop, so I'm likely very close to being a hoarder, which is going to make this whole process a lot harder and possibly slower than I had admitted to myself. I'm trying to remember to take deep breaths and work in small sections so that I don't overwhelm myself.
The trip doesn't start until next may, so I have time, but I also have to contend with the fact that my lease is up in December, so that's my deadline for the bulkier items I'll be selling. Little things are much easier to physically manage, but they do add up, so my main task for the next little while is sorting through my things to decide what to keep and what to let go. Obviously I'm going to be keeping my furniture, though less of it, and major sentimental pieces, like the dollhouse my mother built for me, which is reducing the amount of room I'm going to have for other things.
Downsizing is hard, but this is going to be worth it in the end.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Day 3 - Big Choices
I'm leaning more and more towards a van if I do decide to get a new vehicle. I think a van is probably the best option for both ability to retrofit inside, and for towing capacity. I have to admit that I hate the idea a little bit, because after I'm done the trip I will have a van that I won't really have much use for, since it's larger than I really need.
Which leads me to todays's point.
I'm trying to find the balance between things I'm going to need for this trip, and things that I need to return to my life after it. Since a new vehicle is a big decision, I'm obviously a little nervous, but at the same time this trip is all about letting go of the excuses we all make to not do what we really want to with our lives. This is about the freedom to be who we are behind all our labels and pretenses.
How many times have you thought about doing something and then talked yourself out of it? You tell yourself you can't, because you have all these obligations, chains that you've created for yourself to make things easier. If you have reasons not to, and you give them power, instead of finding ways to do what your soul is calling you to, you'll never see your dreams.
What I'm doing now is somewhere in the middle. I'm making big life changes and moving forward, but also keeping hold of the idea that while this is not a quick trip, it is also not what the rest of my life will be. So how do I do both? I take my time, weigh my options, and find that balance.
Which leads me to todays's point.
I'm trying to find the balance between things I'm going to need for this trip, and things that I need to return to my life after it. Since a new vehicle is a big decision, I'm obviously a little nervous, but at the same time this trip is all about letting go of the excuses we all make to not do what we really want to with our lives. This is about the freedom to be who we are behind all our labels and pretenses.
How many times have you thought about doing something and then talked yourself out of it? You tell yourself you can't, because you have all these obligations, chains that you've created for yourself to make things easier. If you have reasons not to, and you give them power, instead of finding ways to do what your soul is calling you to, you'll never see your dreams.
What I'm doing now is somewhere in the middle. I'm making big life changes and moving forward, but also keeping hold of the idea that while this is not a quick trip, it is also not what the rest of my life will be. So how do I do both? I take my time, weigh my options, and find that balance.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Day 2 - New car or not new car?
I really had no idea how much planning this was going to take. I've started a bunch of lists of things I will need for this, and they aren't getting any shorter. Mind you, I have only been at this for two days sooooo.... maybe this is usual.
Right now, my primary concern is my vehicle. I have a car, which is doing okay for now, but I don't know what shape it will be in next spring. Right now, it's already got over 300,000 KM on it, and while it's running okay now, how will it be when it's time to go? I'm also not sure if I want to retrofit a vehicle (either the one I have or one I buy) or get a trailer, and if I do get a trailer, will I need a new vehicle anyway to pull it? This is the first major decision I have to make, because everything else flows out from here, so I need to make it soon.
I need something reliable, capable of towing, and relatively fuel efficient. I feel like this might be one of those things where you want three things but you can only actually have two, but we'll see. Who know what new options tomorrow will bring!
Days to go: 307
Right now, my primary concern is my vehicle. I have a car, which is doing okay for now, but I don't know what shape it will be in next spring. Right now, it's already got over 300,000 KM on it, and while it's running okay now, how will it be when it's time to go? I'm also not sure if I want to retrofit a vehicle (either the one I have or one I buy) or get a trailer, and if I do get a trailer, will I need a new vehicle anyway to pull it? This is the first major decision I have to make, because everything else flows out from here, so I need to make it soon.
I need something reliable, capable of towing, and relatively fuel efficient. I feel like this might be one of those things where you want three things but you can only actually have two, but we'll see. Who know what new options tomorrow will bring!
Days to go: 307
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Day 1
The decision has been made, and now I have a long-term goal to work towards. I don't know that I have ever been so terrified and excited at the same time. I have to start purging some of my things, and by some I mean huge portions of everything.
This is going to mean a huge number of changes for me, across the board. I'm going to have to cut back on a lot of things, and sell a lot of things. I'm going to have garage sals, and stop buying new craft supplies.
At Christmas I'm going to get a table at a craft fair so I can sell off some items and raise some money. God, I have so much stuff....
But that's okay, I have time. I guess that's the advantage of taking this summer off, and going next sping.
After all, it takes a lot of planning to make your dreams come true!
Days to go: 308
This is going to mean a huge number of changes for me, across the board. I'm going to have to cut back on a lot of things, and sell a lot of things. I'm going to have garage sals, and stop buying new craft supplies.
At Christmas I'm going to get a table at a craft fair so I can sell off some items and raise some money. God, I have so much stuff....
But that's okay, I have time. I guess that's the advantage of taking this summer off, and going next sping.
After all, it takes a lot of planning to make your dreams come true!
Days to go: 308
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