I have a circle of 3 girlfriends, and we are all quite different – a great way for friends to be! None of them would agree to take the trips I’ve been on lately: no shower, no real toilet, sleeping in our SUV, cooking on the fire.
NOPE, they said.
Today we’re heading back to TN, and while Tim is driving I’m processing the last few days, actually the last several weeks.
We closed on our house on August 27th, had the two dogs with us, and immediately drove to Orlando to stay with our daughter. We stayed with her until October 5th, and then we headed to New Mexico to see our son. If you’ve kept up with me on Facebook, you’ve seen the overview of our last few days.
We love adventure! (Follow my husband's Wild Horse Photography page!) This time was different because we decided to “live” in our SUV for the week. We ordered an amazing air mattress from a company called LunoLife. We put the year, make and model of our SUV, and they have a mattress that fits just right. It was super easy to inflate and deflate, fit perfectly, and was comfy cozy! I’ve always enjoyed sleeping in a snug spot – makes me feel safe I guess. I can’t imagine going through life never sleeping in a tent, car, or something other than a bed with a mattress. Even an RV doesn’t count – too much like indoors 😉
I’ll start with the sacrifices of this kind of adventure, whether for a few days or for a lifestyle (like our son’s!).
1. First, let’s be honest, at our age nighttime bathroom visits are a real thing!! So there we were, snug as bugs in rugs when a decision had to be made: Hmm, DO I have to go the bathroom? Is that bladder pain? Let me push on my stomach. Is that pain? Is it my imagination?
So I’d lie there forever talking myself out of going. Then I’d be mad. Then I couldn’t sleep.
But to get up was complicated when you’re sleeping in the back of an SUV:
a) Unzip the sleeping bag
b) Put on pants
c) Put on shoes
d) Grab toilet paper
e) Grab a headlamp or phone for light
f) Walk 50 yards to the outhouse, which was of course, NOT pristine 😃
So, you see, the decision was tough. What made it worse was I stopped drinking at 6 pm each night to AVOID that decision. Didn’t matter. So now I had dry throat, dry lips, AND a full bladder 😫
2. Let’s talk about hygiene. Don’t judge me when I tell you today is Monday, and my last shower was last Wednesday. Before you gasp in horror, understand that the humidity is super low out here in NM and I took a “sponge bath” each day. BUT as I’m writing I’m daydreaming about the shower I’ll have tonight in our hotel!
3. Meal prep is really the last sacrifice I can think of (at least right now). Imagine trying to keep a fire lit, use paper towels, and keep thin camping plates on the table with 55 mph wind gusts. Yep, that was our night last night.
Now, what about the payoffs? That’s where it gets good.
1. First, and most importantly, we were able to actually BE in nature: the sunrise in Carlsbad, the cool night air, campfires in the mountains, Elk having his dinner right across from ours!
2. This adventure allowed me to focus on what’s important: time with my husband, seeing my son in his element, visiting sites in the US that not everyone is willing to travel to.
3. It created memories that will last FOREVER 😊
4. We were exhausted after driving around SE New Mexico for four days, but we got to see Carlsbad Caverns, the nightly Bat Flight from the caverns, Cloudcroft in Lincoln National Park, and White Sands National Park. I can’t say enough how amazing these sites were!
5. Finally, years ago I enrolled in a seminar on being a better speaker. I’ll never forget something the trainer said: Be interesting.
That stuck with me. Regardless of my speaking status (or yours), being adventurous makes you interesting.
Adventure means different things to different people. You (like my friends), may want NO part of camping. Ever. None. But there are many other types of adventures. You’ll sacrifice something, but if it’s something you really want, I promise the payoff will be worth it!
Love & Hugs 🥰🤗