The big push to sell everything and create order out of the chaos is over, and I’m at my new home for the next two months. This is Casper’s new parking place (You can see Pepe, my e-bike, in the background).
And this is my new parking place.
I have to admit that I still don’t really believe I’m here and retired. This is like my pre-travel halfway house. I had to cut my two months in Arizona short to take care of stuff at home, so this will be my adjustment period while I settle into my life of freedom and adventure.
Yes, I am still leaving for Puerto Vallarta on May 1st, but I’m trying hard to live in the now. Having the time to workout, ride my bike, and meditate will make that easier…I hope. I am a planner, and that makes it hard to stay in the now. Hey, I’m a work in progress.
My van home is so cool. I love having my home with me everywhere I go. I can fix a snack, take a nap, work on my websites, or just watch a movie all in my wheeled girl cave.
I love the oceans, and parking by a beach with my doors open while I go through my day is so awesome. It’s like having a beach house on every beach in the country. There are so many beautiful places to park it’s almost impossible to pick a favorite. I do have a few on the West Coast; I haven’t had Casper on the East Coast yet.
The solar panels and batteries give me plenty of power to work all day long. Once the sun goes down, I’m a little more careful. There's still plenty of power for lights and charging electronics, but I always try not to let the batteries get too low.
If you’ve ever wanted a place to just enjoy and get away from the day to day chores, a converted van might well be your answer. The cost is realitively low, and as long as you have a flexible mind, you can be comfy and enjoy life everywhere. I love camping all the time and not having to pack and unpack every time is a very big bonus. So comfy and cozy.
Food grew on me. No, not like a fungus! What I mean is that it took me a while to start seeing food as anything but an interruption in my day. Oddly enough, I used to feel the same way about the Holidays. It made me crazy to have everything stop for days while everyone watched fireworks and ate fried chicken. I had things to get done, and the forced stops were frustrating! Awe, the follies of youth.
Somewhere along the line, I discovered real food. I’m talking about a perfect steak, fresh sushi, and the only dessert I’ve ever really cared about is creme brûlée. The list is, of course, much longer than that, but you get the idea.
I love all kinds of food as long as it is made well with good ingredients. My motto is - If I’m going to pay for it, I want the best I can find. Now, that doesn’t mean that everything I eat has to cost a fortune, but It does mean I like the food I spend my money on to be exceptional. I’ve had some yummy hot dogs, and there are days when the mood hits that I’ll spend a lot of effort to find a good one.
I grew up on cattle ranches, so having a delicious steak was pretty standard. It wasn’t until we moved off the ranch that I found out how hard it is to get a great steak. It must be organic and cooked, rare to medium-rare. Yes, I know all of the never-eat meat people are scandalized, but that’s how life on the ranch goes.
I fell in love with sushi when my then-husband introduced us. It was in Mildenhall, England. We had this excellent dinner at a table outside on the grass by a beautiful slow-moving river. It was all delicious, but the best course was sashimi. It was not the sashimi we usually see in sushi restaurants here in the US (not that that’s bad). They sliced it paper-thin in sheets the size of my open hand. There were five varieties of fish fanned out, and because of its cut, it all but melted in my mouth. Yum! My taste buds did a happy dance that I can still remember all these years later.
I don’t remember my first creme brûlée. I do remember my husband and I searched for the best one on many of our vacations. I think that Jake’s in Portland, Oregon, and the Marriott’s restaurant in St. Thomas tied for first. Don’t forget to add a warm glass of Grand Mariner - Heaven.
japanese foods sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans)
My Dream of Travel Started With Doing the Work Creating this blog was more of a learning experience than I would have ever thought. I learned a lot about blogging, but even more about myself and my motivations. I had to make some life changes along the way, and yes, I have a few bruises from the growing pains, but I’m much better for it.
Setting rules about getting things done was a necessity as was putting into action a lot of the productivity knowledge that I’ve accumulated over a lifetime of reading and attending seminars. I’d like to thank Mark Joyner, Tony Robbins, Bob Proctor, Dr Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracy and many many more.
If you’re just starting out in your own business, or if you’ve been in business for a while but not having the success you hoped for, I highly recommend Mark Joyner’s simpleology.com and Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power Within. Both will change your life in great and wonderful ways.
Please let me know what you’re up to and share your dreams. I love hearing about so many creative and hard working people as their dreams become real and they make new dreams. We are all on the path of growth and expansion, so let’s walk it together and help each other.
Map of Central America, the Antilles and the Caribbean written with misspellings. It comes from a Spanish school. Published 1969.
