Jan
12
2013

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Heading East

by Tara

After our amazing-race-style marathon to leave for a winter of reed collecting in Vermont, we've finally hit the road. Armed with a gigantic ice-cream bucket of taco salad from Tyler's dad, an episode of Radiolab queued up for entertainment, and a dashing, laminated Ewan McGregor looking on from the rearview mirror, we're ready for a road trip! Sort of...

Truck & Camper Davidoff Adventure w/ Ewan McGregor Taco Salad Bucket

While I should feel excited that we're finally on our way, the reality is that I'm worried, preoccupied, and emotionally drained. Not only am I still coming to terms with the fact that we're moving across the country, I'm deeply concerned because I pulled a muscle in my back while packing this morning. Every time I move, even a little, it feels like someone is hitting me with a baseball bat. The pain takes my breath away, and I can't see how I'll be able to do any physical activity in the near future, much less a month of reed collecting.

What the hell are we doing? It would be so much easier if we forgot all about our land, and just got a regular house and lived in it like normal people!

I'm also worried about our camper. After finding out about the roof problems, we're not-so-secretly wishing we'd never purchased it. We had rationalized the cost by saying that we'd paint it up nicely and keep it on our land as place for guests to stay, once the house was complete. Now, we have no idea if that will be possible. Will it last one year? Two? Five? Ten? It's anyone's guess. On the upside, we love the interior now that the makeover is complete.

As the wintery and withered fields of rural Minnesota roll by, we're both silent and weary, almost in shock. The last week has been an exhausting and exhilarating blur. I don't know how we're going to make this work, but for now, it doesn't matter. I'll just focus on the fact that it feels amazing to simply sit still and do nothing.

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3 comments


Well.... that sucks. This experience reminded me so much of our boat purchase. The spontaneous drive hours away to buy something you know nothing about. Nothing going right when you got it home(remember how our boat didn't work the first time we took it out on the water). Right down to the water damage(got the same problem with the floor of our boat) and the mechanic telling us everything we SHOULD have looked for.

I am sure you guys have gotten over this by now because you are super resilient and are now staring out at your beautiful snow covered Vermont land, but I gotta say...

1.) I think you guys made a great purchase. Of course I am no RV expert, but for a cozy little home I don't think you can beat the price. You're both excellent at doing research and creating and fixing things yourselves. I bet that can eventually happen with your camper roof.

2.) You guys can't live like normal people because that would just be weird.

3.) We are totally going to stay in that awesome camper with your adorable curtains when we come visit you, even if the walls are falling down.

4.) You guys are awesome and what you're doing is amazing and everything, in the end, is going to work out fine.
Posted by Natasha on January 27th, 2013 at 8:53 AM
I second Natasha, you're not normal people (from what you showed us on this blog) and you deserve a lot better than a boring life in a suburb mowing your lawn once a week...

Keep it up, spring is right there...
David
Posted by David on January 27th, 2013 at 11:10 AM
Natasha - I love you. You made my day/week/life with your comment. I'm especially a fan of points #2 - #4, and it makes me really happy to know that you will come stay in our little camper, walls or no. I can't wait for you guys to come see our land!!! :D

David - Thank you for your vote of confidence! I know you're right, but sometimes it's hard to see that during the crappy times. ;-)
Posted by Tara on January 28th, 2013 at 8:32 AM
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