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The Difference


camper van at sunrise, on the cliffs, Widemouth Bay



Ten years of talking, I think, before the camper van dream was dragged to reality. Not just talking - lots of working lots of hours, and meanwhile making other plans and working for those too until the world was swimming in front of my tired eyes and I had to sit down. 
Sit and dream of living in a quiet field, planting trees, making foraged soups and syrups.
We have the van, which may never be finished, being a learning project. 
We have plans which if you took them out of our heads would fill a hangar. There are alterations for variables and equations of 'if this, then that, if not, then this other way' and it is tricky to keep track of where we are going. The underlying why is the desire to live in nature, and to be part of not letting the world be ruined.
In April last year we collected the van. It stunk of diesel and promptly developed an electrical fault. Today it is crammed full of - I'm not actually sure. It is being a temporary shed. But it works, we make good use of it. Two grandchildren have been with us for overnight camping adventures, the rest are pending. We go to the beach and get cold and cook tea, and #vanlife, and it annoys us and we love it.
It is tricky to keep track, with all the working and the planning. 
But...
We are shopping for land now.
We have a list of requirements which we must adhere to, lest we be lost in impractical beauty. 
We have confused faces, not expecting this to be actual.
But...
We are shopping for land now...


Dog in the River Otter
This was Dog's favourite site. Vetoed for poor access, alas.

Comments

Chantel said…
"Dreams dragged to reality" sounds like the title of one of my paintings! lol I do so love the idea of a 'camper van.' Do you think it's funny that most of the people I know start dreaming of more land and fewer neighbors as we age? Perhaps we finally just tap out from the majority of humanity and the senseless pursuits that consume us...
17 April 2019 at 16:35
Cherdo said…
Land is a nice dream...I hope it becomes a reality!

Cherdo
Cherdo on the Flipside
Blogging from A-to-Z April Challenge
19 April 2019 at 23:24
The Armchair Squid said…
Your camping adventures sound fun.
20 April 2019 at 18:59
Lisa Southard said…
The reality of a camper van is mostly too cramped to be romantic, but if you're a practical sort it gets you to good places. I'm hoping everyone starts thinking more about land and looking after it, and veering away from dystopia. Fingers crossed!
26 April 2019 at 15:13
Lisa Southard said…
Me too - saw a good plot today, need to get to grips with planning restrictions. Scary realness!
26 April 2019 at 15:14
Lisa Southard said…
Next one booked for tomorrow, with Grandchild 4. Plan is to build a picnic table and ride a steam train :-)
26 April 2019 at 15:19
Geo. said…
Your van-camping sounds imminently do-able. We have had 2 vans --a '62 VW (since sold) and a '71 VW (still in our driveway and occasionally taken for spins)-- and they always seemed like rooms of our home that could go anywhere. Magic rooms! Your van looks much more capacious. I wish you all the best shopping for land --exciting times!
2 May 2019 at 07:10
Lisa Southard said…
Van camping going well! Land quest ongoing... Glad you still have an old van pal :-)
7 May 2019 at 09:07
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