Helmet Required

The sun is bright, the skies are clear, and the wind howls with a gale force on this remote spot on a fire road in a National Forest just outside of the Grand Canyon. Denver Son recommended this site and we are grateful – grateful that we didn’t have to drive another hour in the dark to a regulation campground. Grateful for the quiet and the hike — first off-leash for Maisie since she left home – just after sunrise this morning. Grateful for the chance to reflect on our first week of Van Life.

Lesson 1: A camper van is not an RV. RV’s have space – living areas, bed areas, separate toilets snd baths. A camper van is a tidy unit with everything smooshed into the 12-feet behind the driver. Two people cannot chop and cook at the same time. Two people cannot dig through the storage compartments – ours line the exterior walls above our heads, just like the ones airplane’s provide for little wheelie suitcases – at the same time. Two people can sleep at the same time, but only after separate trips to the sink and storage. The good news about navigating a tiny space is that you learn to consolidate, to focus only on the necessary, to appreciate that we really don’t need drawers and closets crammed with clothes we don’t wear and pans we don’t use.

Lesson 2: Watch your head. Different vans have different set-ups; check out any #vanlife post and you’ll see cozy kitchens with hanging plants and comfy lounge areas. Our rented Thor Motorcoach, however, is full of sharp edges. Spouse Bill, at 5’11”, has daily run-ins with the overhead compartments – open and closed. He clonks his head on the edge of the storage unit above the driver’s seat. I’m 5’2”, which one would assume grants me unlimited clearance, but I’ve nailed my skull on the edge of the TV we don’t use and the glass screen above the stovetop. This is a test of memory and so far we have failed. But, hey, today is a new day and perhaps we’ll remember to duck.

Lesson 3: Cherish compostable wipes. Van Life is a reminder that resources are finite. Without water and electric hook-ups, the van requires arranged stops to add water to one tank and remove soiled fluids from two others. This means judicious dishwashing and rinsing and using public toilets at every opportunity. And cleaning hands and surfaces, which are forever blanketed by the fine red dust of the Southwest, with compostable wipes. Thank you Martha and Robin for the supply.

Lesson 4: As soon as I finish writing this, we will pack up this rig and head to the Grand Canyon for two-days of hikes and exploring. What can beat that?