It’s hard to tell a story with so many twists and turns. Sometimes the anticipation and planning is more stressful than anything I’ve done before. It’s different when it’s a long term decision. The path we choose now WILL affect the next phase of our lives. Saying that out loud really brings this into perspective. The decisions we have made in the past could be wrong… we always had the time and means to make it right. This decision may not be so easy to undo.
What on earth could be so dire? Well it’s the decision about our new home on wheels.
So you may be saying, so what’s the big deal?
When you are going from a house too big for two, to a custom created camper van with a living space of 73.5 square feet. Everything you own is contained in this space. How do you decide what to keep and what to discard? We grew up in a time when at least 40 years of our lives were NOT digital. That means for a photographer… boxes and boxes of prints and negatives. I have a wood toy chest from my childhood I have lugged all over the US every time I moved. Handwritten letters from past loves, friends and family. Artwork collected from around the world.
The electronics, furniture and other STUFF is easy to part with. There is just so much STUFF to get rid of…
The process: We have really vacillated back and forth between a very used Sprinter van to a gently used Ford Transit. My mind has been designing and redesigning our cozy living space. The main goal is usable space and storage. A space that two women and a corgi can live in comfortably. A “home on wheels” that is comfortable and inviting. Our Tiny Home.
There is so much I have had to learn. Solar, plumbing, electrical, wood working. The imagination is strong and the ability to recreate what I see may be tough. We hopefully will be buying our van this week and the build will begin. I hope we will be able to be patient and build out our space carefully and “hell for strong”, as my dad would say.
Two Travelin' Chicas... A Grand Adventure 
Enjoy the outdoors and the roads. Always, feel free to contact me if you have any system problems with anything rv. Best of luck out there! Fred
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Wow. This is very helpful to me. We have been planning our trip and it’s been overwhelming. I keep asking myself if am ok to feel like that or no. Am just happy to know it’s normal and ok to feel overwhelmed. See you somewhere in the world.
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I honestly don’t know how you’re going to part with all of the wonderful things you’ve collected over the years. Just keep thinking “it’s only stuff” for some of it, but the sentimental things are a different story.
On Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 9:27 AM, Two Travelin’ Chicas… A Grand Adventure wrote:
> Two Travelin’ Chicas… A Grand Adventure posted: “It’s hard to tell a > story with so many twists and turns. Sometimes the anticipation and > planning is more stressful than anything I’ve done before. It’s different > when it’s a long term decision. The path we choose now WILL affect the next > phase of our live” >
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Yes I know what you are saying. Visiting my 97 year old GMa this weekend really reinforced the “stuff” notion. In the end we can’t take any of it with us she said. Enjoy what you have but in the long run be happy for your health and ability to explore. Never did this ring so true
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