Let me revel in the moment of perfection awhile longer before I force myself back into reality. (Reality being a cluttered, unfinished house and a To Do list 2 pages long; perfection being two magical days on the road.)
It really was perfect. And it only took me a couple hours to stop holding my breath and realize it’s greatness. We made it past our previous break-down spot and to Death Valley without any issues, found a sparsely populated campground and were surprised by how easily we settled into a “routine”. It was really as if we’d be doing it for ages. It felt so good. We only wished to come home so that we could finish packing and get back out!
It was also good to get a feel for things. When evaluating the learning curve and adjustments we need to make, one thing dominates: privacy. It’s been a frequent question and we tend to answer it with our standard “What’s privacy?” There simply is no privacy at home. We’re together all the time, we sleep in the same room and other than averting our eyes when changing or using the bathroom, privacy just doesn’t exist. So, when I say privacy is an adjustment we need to make, I don’t mean in the common sense.
What I do mean is the “illusion of seclusion”. (Hey, I’m a poet and you didn’t know it. I can make a rhyme anytime.)
Being that Zeb is slow to wake up and not a morning person, listening to us make coffee and tea first thing in the AM just plain sucked. For all of us. It turned him into a crank for a good 20 minutes and had me taking so many deep breaths I nearly hyperventilated. He simply didn’t have a space of his own to wake up slowly. He also requested privacy in the bathroom (surprising coming from the boy who won’t let me pee in peace).
All this adds another task to my ever-growing list – hang an adjustable, removable curtain to give us a secluded (if not quiet) place to feel alone. I have an idea as to how I’ll do this but no clue as to when I’ll accomplish it. Some other things to consider: a way to protect pans to make cooking on the rocket stove feasible; more shelves and “spots” for things like glasses or a book light; finding kid-friendly and -populated areas.
There is so much more to say but to be honest with you, I’m too exhausted right now to think straight. The RV will be starting its veggie oil conversion soon, my kitchen is devoid of food and my mounting To Do list is arguing with the unbending will of Father Time. So, please ignore this sub-par post and excuse me while I shuffle off to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long month.
[You can read Justin's highlights here and see more photos here.]
I'm Tara Wagner, life coach and creator of the Digging Deep process, where I coach women out of survival mode to recreate their lives and families.
HA! I love it. “Tomorrow is going to be a long month.” I’m using that. So cool to hear about the success of your trip!! Here’s to getting on the ROAD!!
I’m so excited for you that your maiden voyage went so well, and glad it taught you something you needed to figure out.
i’m so gald to hear it went well. good luck with tomorrow!
Way cool – a success in many ways!
And thanks for letting me know I’d screwed up my blog comments area – I think (hope!) it’s all better now
Congrats on a successful maiden voyage!! You will all adjust to the new schedules as you spend the time together on the road. Zeb will learn to get up with you or sleep through morning sounds, I bet. If you made the curtain heavy enough it would block a lot of sound, or you could get a white noise machine. Or my favorite trick, learned while living in the dorms in college – turn on the radio really low!
You seriously took that picture? Thats incredible.
Ok, I’ve been trying to keep myself from asking this because I don’t want to insult, offend or creep you out that someone online is asking something like this. And I don’t want to seem like a huge bitch. And maybe it’s just me and I consider physical intimacy to be a bit more important than some people… But, how do you and your husband plan to actually ever do anything naked with each other in such a small space with a ten year old boy also living there? You’ve mentioned privacy, and I can understand if you don’t want to get into your personal life to quite that extent in your blog, but it seems like that particular topic would play a big role in the decision to even do this journeying you want to do in the first place…
If you don’t want to answer, that’s cool. I just had to type it out and get it out there… Sorry.
I love that last line: “Tomorrow is going to be a long month.”
Congrats on a trouble-free maiden voyage! And, as always, I am enjoying living vicariously through this adventure of yours. I wish that I could help you with some of that to-do list, but mine is a little long … and getting longer.
xo
@Impassioned, No worries. We get that question a lot. Especially from my mom. (!) The answer is probably worthy of it’s own post, though. I can’t promise when but I will post about it.
How exciting!! I’m going to love reading about life on the road.
Woo hoo!!! I can’t wait to hear about the many adventures that are about to unfold.
Wow, I’m so excited to read about the journey getting started! I lived on the road once, for three months in 1997. No kid though, and we were in a Honda Civic, so you’re doing a much better job of planning and preparing! Reading this is bringing back memories & I can’t wait to hear about all the adventures to come!
Yay!! I’m so glad. Read Justin’s “report,” too. Looks like you all had a good time!
I’m so glad to see you made it! Very exciting stuff
I was gonna comment on the last post too but figured I’d just put them into one.
First of all – those 3m command hooks are your friend! After living in ours for about two months I figured out that I needed a boatload of them! I had to remove them a couple of times to find the “perfect” spot for everything. I also hung all our pictures with them and didn’t have to worry about them falling off the wall while in transit.
Second, I have a 11 yo step-son (you think you have a sensitive boy, come meet mine!) and all I had to do was give him a special place for his stuff. He wasn’t comfortable with the idea AT ALL and when we flew him to S. Dakota to visit for the WHOLE summer I knew we were going to have a few rough weeks in the beginning. The first morning he was there I cleared out a cabinet and told him it was all his. We took the time to decorate the inside with pictures out of video game magazines and he was super happy! As soon as he knew a little bit of this new place was his, he fell in love with the idea, and was touting about how he never wanted to back to a regular house!
While you’re not driving, why not make his “special seat” (the place he goes to get the hell out of mamas way) one of the front drivers seats? He can setup all his stuff there temporarily while you’re parked and you can buy tables that attach to the steering wheel so he’ll have a “desk”.
Keep us updated!
@impassioned – I’m STILL trying to figure that one out! lol MH’s move a lot even with the best leveling jacks – It’s next to impossible that’s all I’ll say!
Love the blog redesign and I just plain love coming to your blog. It makes me happy to read your posts yet I don’t do it often enough. Can’t wait to read all about your travels
Whew, ok… I was so worried that it was inappropriate or bitchy to ask, but I just HAD to, ya know. I’m glad I’m not the only one concerned about that, I suppose. Can’t wait for that post.
And TravelingOnTheOutskirts, the rv bouncing a little wouldn’t be a deterrent for me. The ten year old boy would be the deterrent. I doubt he wants to see or hear that going on, and I doubt his parents want him watching or listening to them. And after seeing the pictures of the inside after the remodel, I was really wondering about sleeping arrangements and adult fun arrangements. I mean, adult fun does not by any means have to happen only at night when people have turned in, so I suppose if the three of them are ok all sleeping in the same bed then that’s not really a big deal (though if I were the kid, I’d be a little weirded out by the idea of sleeping with my parents every night, especially at age 10+ when I’m well on my way toward puberty…). And I’m sure they’ll all get opportunities for alone time at various points on the journey. But still… thinking about the whole idea in relation to myself, this is something that I might consider doing while my boyfriend and I do not have kids. And I might consider it if we did have kids, but I would likely not try it with anyone between the ages of about 10 and 14 or 15. And if I did do it with a younger or older kid in tow, I would probably have tried to get a slightly bigger RV. But that’s me *shrug*
Woo-hooo! I’m so happy for you and ditto on the gorgeous photo!
@impassioned- I’m actually thinking an older kid would be a little easier b/c he’s more independent. I know when we camp at campgrounds we like to park close to the playgrounds or there are usually safe little wooded spots near our site and my five year old likes to explore. Little free moments like those.
Also, a 15/16 year old I’d think is old enough to ask for alone time. They are well enough able to go take a walk and want there own space.
Just some creative thoughts!
woo hoo!
yahoo-eee!!!! Glad to know y’all made it out and back.
Oh, this post just had me feeling the privacy issue. When I was in college I didn’t get my own room for a couple of years, and unlike at home (where I shared a room with my sister) I didn’t have a big backyard to escape to. I was always looking for quiet, natural settings near the campus where I went to school. It was hard to find places to be alone, but I had to do it or else I would be so miserable. Hope you guys can figure out a way to get the needed privacy!
We often RV with our 13 yr old homeschooled grandson. Like your son, he is not an early riser, so when we get up and moving, we rouse him off the sofa bed and send him to our bed. There’s a folding door in between the bedroom and the rest of the camper, which is a little bigger than yours appears to be.
We often bring along a good sized tent, as well. When someone needs a quiet space to read or meditate or play with gameboy, the tent is very comfortable and reasonably private. We toss in an airmattress and various comforts. It’s a great place for afternoon naps, too.