Back On The Road - Readjusting To Van Life

It’s been four weeks since my husband and I have been back on the road in Gracie the Wackywanderbus after an unexpected and tumultuous six-month hiatus. I was super excited to resume our travel adventure, although to be honest, it defiantly hasn’t been a smooth transition back into van life, and I have really struggled to adjust this time around.

My sense is that the culmination of family crisis, big personal highs, the resurfacing of old wounds for release, and overall exhaustion, has left me feeling quite depleted, and I’m finding myself struggling to regather my energy and come back to centre. Feeling rundown has also contributed to me picking up some kind of viral infection, which is never good, but when you’re living in a van, it really sucks balls. I have felt disconnected and emotionally flat of late, which has killed my creative muse and motivation for study, which has been difficult. I think my nervous system has experienced a crash after such a prolonged period of high activation, and I’m trying to honour my need for rest and quiet.

In addition, having the use of a house again during those six months was quite a luxury, and while we were away, I had forgotten how convenient and easy it is having everything at my disposal. Especially running water on tap, a hot shower at my fingertips, and personal laundry facilities. The comforts of a dwelling can be a dangerous thing, and I’m quickly reminded why I waged war against my comfort zone, in order to realise this long awaited travel goal, dream and ambition!

Life on the road is certainly a stark contrast to life in a house, and it’s not for the faint hearted. Be prepared to be challenged on every level, and to change course at the drop of a hat, because the universe has a mind of its own, and knows best how to make you grow and evolve, for your highest good. One must have an accepting heart, a deep sense of adventure and be willing to quickly adapt. Flexibility and resilience are a must, and being intrigued about the possibilities of each and every day, is a helpful perspective to adopt. Floating along and going where the wind takes us, is the nature of this particular surrender experiment, and I’m certainly grateful for this next chapter, despite the bumpy up hill start.

In a van, it takes a huge amount of time and effort just to undertake normal day to day activities, like meal prep, cooking and washing up. Organisation is definitely key to everything flowing smoothly, and I try and make sure things have a place and are easily accessible for daily use. Most of our currently unused belongings are stored snugly under our bed and can be a mission to retrieve, although we pretty well have it down pat nowadays. Our bed itself is incredibly comfy and doubles as my lounge chair. We literally have everything we need, and a select few items that provide pleasure, purpose and meaning. And with all her special adornments, Gracie is a travelling sacred space, where I can connect with the divine, meditate, reflect and create, while exploring our vast and diverse country.

It doesn’t matter how organised, prepared and comfortable we are on the road though, nothing can test our resolve like unexpected weather events. When our Great Earth Mother unleashes her fury, things can get pretty testy. Especially when not feeling one hundred percent on your game already. We have just experienced some extreme winds and horizontal rains, which added that extra element of frustration, pressure and difficulty, and made life increasingly arduous. All of a sudden, everything felt damp and cold, the solar panel wasn’t charging, we were cooped up in a confined space and unable to use our butane cooker. The price of fuel has been skyrocketing since we left, and we were both feeling quite despondent, overwhelmed and on edge. As the weather became increasingly gnarly, with winds of around 110 km/hr, and torrential rain bucketing down, we made the executive decision to bunker down in a cabin for the weekend. This would give us an opportunity to recharge everything, warm up, do our laundry, have a little bit of comfort and a hopefully, give us the little pick me up we so desperately needed.

Gratefully, this unexpected reprieve, gave us a much-needed mood boost, reinvigorated our zest for life on the road, and helped us put things back into perspective. Since then, we’ve been able to reassess our circumstances, get clear on our options, identify what’s most important, and create a new plan. In addition, I have found some increased energy through self care, been able to spend more time out in nature, become more disciplined with my study, and have regained a bit more enthusiasm for creativity. Those things that feed my soul, and help me feel joyous, purposeful and fulfilled.

So, as I sit here in this picturesque location beside the ocean, with the morning sunshine gracing me with warmth, the sound of the waves soothing my soul and the man I love right beside me, I feel eternally grateful. I take a long, deep, and wide inhale, sigh it out with gusto, and give thanks for this new day, and these blessings of abundance.

And in this moment, I’m reminded why I am on this wonderful wacky adventure!