[space to think before continuing]
I have written on this before. Today is similar, but much more...
For us, home is our van. And, yes, I mean literally. Our RV has become storage. We have chosen to live in our van. Last year, when we tried it but got frozen out, I dubbed it vanpacking -- it's like backpacking, but the van does all the work :)
I kinda love it.
Most people will not get it. That's okay ♥ I am not speaking to them. I'm speaking to you, the gypsy-at-heart, the radical minimalist, the serious out-of-the-box thinker.
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| Our simple life |
Can you do it?
Can you step away from the chatter in your head and the conditioned fear and resistance, and glimpse the beauty, the joy, the connection, the delicious simplicity, the reprieve?
Mmmmm, yes. There it is.
The thick condensation on the window is distorting the colored lights that surround the dark parking lot, creating a muddled watercolor painting on an illuminated wall.
I breathe, soaking it in.
Beauty. Peace. Simplicity.
A treasure.
Gratitude.
Sink deeper into my moment.
I breathe and it makes me smile :)
Soft sweet dreads in my nose smell of the memory of a long delicious day of swimming, the freshness of the shower that resulted, and that crisp easy feeling afterward of a day well-spent & a sleepy body.
Still breathing.
Mmm. The sweet dreads & mingling scent of freshly laundered sheets. How easy it is so keep everything clean, when the lot of what we have is so simple and tending to it & the simple needs of our life encompasses the bulk of our life.
Just the way I wanted it.
Fresh sheets, fresh dreads, a family of 4 cuddling like sardines in a warm cozy bed.
Isn't this what life is all about?
It is. It really is.
We live in a beautiful, kind, green, enlightened, artful, kick-back, beachy community.
5 big differences about living in your van vs. a house:
- we retire after a long day to the bed in the back of the van, rather than a building
- we are in our community & visiting beloveds much more often
- we don't cook or wash dishes, and we clean our home while parked next to a playground
- we drive somewhere to pee (or park near a restroom)
- we don't have company over often
My kids each have their own little space and a bag or 2 or more (oldest child) of toys, books, drawing utensils, technology, and the like.
We have the means to charge stuff in the van, but don't need to often. We frequent the library almost daily, and our sleep rhythms are very in tune with the nature so close to our lives.
When we need downtime, we cozy into the privacy of our van parked near free wifi and watch Netflix, draw, read, write. Sometimes, after the babies have fallen asleep, my oldest and I will drive down to the beach and talk in the dark, looking out over the still black water and the white waves rolling in.
The little ones love to jump on the bed, wrestle, wrap themselves up in the blankets, build forts in the back. So many aspects of life no different than if we were in a house.
On Halloween, my son knew so many kids (and parents) we encountered downtown, from our days at the library or the parks we frequent, that he said it was the best Halloween ever!
Everyday, people compliment me on how incredible he is & fun to talk with. Not to mention adorable.
Each of my kids are adored by so many regulars in our life, who fill or hearts & lives with their blessings.
Most days, we eat fresh, mainly organic & raw foods. Salads, wraps, fruits & veggies from Whole Foods & Trader Joes, or day-old pastries from Starbucks, donated to our local community resource center, where we spend most mornings of the week awaiting our daily rations and hanging out with some interesting, kind, & incredible people in similar situations and all walks of life, who adore my kids and me, and we them. Good people. Soul-delicious company.
I have been told that a couple of really sweet and wonderful people lit up & seemed to come alive when my kids and I rolled into town a couple months ago. Just as we lit up when they came into our life, too.
It rained last week. We were dry, but I wondered for some of my friends, who have less shelter than we do. I often find myself wondering how I can continue to connect and be involved in this community once our life shifts and is ready for something different. I think about what I can do now. I think I might be doing it. Or at least a bit of it.
This area makes for amazing people, regardless of their house-status.
A few evenings a week we enjoy hot dinners with our friends and fun, positive, church-folk who serve home-made delicious meals, warm eyes & smiles, and no side of religion forced down our throats. Bonus: we usually leave with a to-go box!
Our meager monthly income can be alloted in a way that feels satisfying to my simple self. We pay our bills (cell, YMCA membership, Netflix) with ease. I can finally afford to buy a few things for my kids and myself each month. Laundry. Water. Gas.
That's about it.
We are house-free. Structure free.
Not because we wanted a cheaper lifestyle - I do not believe any of this has been cheaper than the house we last lived in - but because it felt right to move into our RV, and then it felt right to call the van homebase.
"Gypsy Goddess - Everywhere she goes, she is home. Her heart sings the song of the world..." - Leonie Dawson
Like when I shaved my head last winter and felt radiant and sexy, an Amazon warrior monk. A cleansing. Learning. Being in new ways.
This is like shaving the hair off my life. I feel radiant and light and easy. I feel grounded and flowing.
Got rid of the excess, the mask, the distractions from the essence. Now, I know what life is, what it's all about.
Our life is aligned with our values.
We thrive.
We are close & connected.
We eat healthy & move our bodies often.
We sleep cozily.
We clean & align our bodies & and our van-home daily...ish :)
We are more closely synced with nature.
We know our community intimately.
We are humble & blessed.
Our basic needs are better tended to.
And when life is this simple, I have less worries & more appreciation.
Vast open spaces for big dreaming + wild creating, reading, journalling the depths of my soul, seeing the connection between the moments of my life and the sacred & divine. Life has slowed down like slow-motion in a movie. There is depth, such depth.
Quality time with my kids is embedded in our life & woven into the tapestry of my day, alongside watching the little ones play & grow friendships & adoration for friends of all ages, and being RIGHT THERE when my oldest draws her newest picture or perfects the singing of a song or finds a new series on Netflix that she wants to devour or wants to share her latest life realization.
We are dry. We are warm. We are safe. We are clean. We are healthy. We are happy. We are connected - to each other & ourselves, and our community & friendships.
That is so what life is all about.
We live in our van. And we are living the life.
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