First Van Adventure
Sometimes you don’t know just how much you need a day off until you take one. Or two! Two weeks ago, I took my van out for her maiden camping voyage mostly as a test run to see if I needed anything I didn’t think about. It’s been 30 years since I camped and it seemed wise to camp a couple of days close to home to try it out. Here’s how it went.
First, look at how cozy and comfy she is! I felt very safe and comfortable locked inside at night. The reason I chose a van over a tent or trailer is that if anything ever happened to cause me to feel unsafe, I could just step into the driver’s seat and drive off.
The area where I camped was on Lake Lanier in a lovely National Park area called War Hill Park. It’s a primitive campground, which means no electricity or water at each site. What I didn’t realize was that it also meant the “facilities” were a porta-potty and a bath house that was not much better than the porta-potty. I was so glad that I had bought a camping toilet!! I ended up using it the entire trip and it was ALMOST perfect. The only problem was that it is only 12 inches high. Easy to sit down on, but not so easy to get back up from that low of a squat!! 😉
When I arrived and set up, I enjoyed a great book until the sun went down, and then I used my handy head lamp to read in the dark. This was one of my favorite purchases! I could angle it down to my book, but still look up and see all the stars when I wanted to.
The next morning, I made French press coffee, which was somehow more delicious than usual because it was made over a fire.
That whole day I literally did almost nothing. I read a lot, walked around a little and did some low squats off and on when I needed my personal bathroom, lol! At one point I literally got worried about myself because I just didn’t want to do a bloody thing! Then the realization hit me…. I was actually thoroughly relaxed. Gazing out over the water and listening to the birds just melted all stress from my body. This beautiful heron visited every morning. I also heard and then spotted 2 loons! These birds migrate through Lanier and are only here for a few short months, so I was very fortunate to see them. I also heard the laughing calls of the kingfisher a few times.
It seems that there’s something quite magical about literally following the sunrise and sunset. I was able to see them both from my campsite, which was beautiful! The last morning, I enjoyed coffee while watching the sunrise. I was equally surprised at how MUCH energy I had after that day of doing practically nothing. All in all, it was a very successful trip. I will definitely be back to that park!
This weekend I’m taking a 4-day trip to join 20 other women at a state park in South Carolina. They are coming from all over the Southeast, and I know it will be a lovely experience. I highly recommend finding a place where you can do nothing for a bit. For me it’s camping, but for you it could be a beach trip or a trip to the mountains. The key is having space you can gaze out over. “Getting some space” while you relax is extremely therapeutic. Consider it “doctor’s orders” ❤️
