Here to There and Back Again

Well...here I am back in NY again. The rusty underbelly of my aging RAV4 was surely alarming to Tuscon mechanics and so, with creaking struts, The Ramper limped me back home to purchase its successor this past January. Back among family, friends, and...yes...chilly temps and unpredictable precipitation, I am happy to be home, at least for a while. I will soon share what an adventure it has been to buy a brand-new Subaru Forester and watch (with so much gratitude) my brother transform it into a tiny home.

While I do promise I haven't finished blogging my tales, I find myself in a place where I'd like to attend to a backlog of videos I have made while traveling. If you are interested in following my journey in video (which I hope you are because they are AWESOME!), please visit my midlifemile youtube channel. Also, feel free to check out my instagram! Thank you to everyone for your support!

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As always, my goal in sharing both my stories and my videos, is to - yes - make you laugh!, but also maybe help others who find themselves living full time in a car or SUV. In particular, I hope to connect with those who seek a more minimalist and contemplative life on the road. There are so many blogs and youtube channels, websites and Instagram accounts, of full-time travelers who live loud and large lives. As we see in the world around us, it is mostly those who speak loudest who get the most attention. And, because they are the most noticeable, it often seems that theirs is the right or only way to do things. Which, of course, can make some of us folks feel plain wrong for just simply being ourselves.

My focus from the beginning of full-time car living (going on three years now) has been to create a life on the road that embraces and seeks out solitude and places for quiet meditation. I have let go of so many belongings since selling my home and have just recently downsized even further from a 10' x 10' storage unit to a 5' x 5'. I require and desire very little in terms of physical stuff and try to keep my impact pretty minimal. There is certainly always room for growth in this area. And, don't get me wrong, I definitely get a thrill when I'm staying somewhere with an address and I can order something from Amazon. But, the true letting go has been internal - a letting go of seeing myself through the eyes of others, of planning, and of "shoulds" and "have-tos". In letting go, I have found true joy in spending as much time outdoors as possible, and most importantly have found true joy and solace in my own company.

There are a lot of solo travelers that have chosen this life because, to be blunt, the shit has hit the fan in their lives. They just want peace! and quiet! Many are highly sensitive people or operate in so-called non-typical ways and thrive most when not being forced to participate within the constructs of modern work-to-live parameters. They are often not understood by the "other" 80% and are at times made to feel wrong, too sensitive or too introverted, and definitely out of place. It took me 56 years to realize that I wasn't "too" anything.

These stories and the experiences I am sharing are dedicated to those sensitive souls who see the world through a lens that is less veiled, letting in more of the light (and hence more of the darkness) than most. It's why we need to go off on down the road, to be alone or to seek out those who provide the quiet kinship we crave. It can be done. Indeed, it is far easier to thrive in a world of one's own making than to adapt to the habits and patterns of a world not designed for those whose frequency wavers just a bit a higher and a bit more empathetically.

The voices and the stories of the quiet ones should be told and should be heard. In sharing, we come to recognize our self in others and to know that our path, while seemingly odd to some, is not only doable - it is essential and ultimately liberating. The mirror of shared experience affirms that we are not so very different, after all. While mine is just one voice, I hope it is just loud enough to be heard. ****Dedicated to my dearest friend Donna S. who taught me that I can find true friendship, even if I am a "loner". Love you! ****

Midlife Mile Youtube videos you might like :) Cold Weather Car Camping New Mexico

RAV4 Living Tour of The Ramper

Poop, Pee, & Garbage - Car Living Car Camping & BLM Rangers, Arizona

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