I say this to myself nearly every day. On a good day I say “Imagine waking up every morning, in the desert, or by the ocean, or in the mountains and seeing the sunrise from the bed in the back of my van!” On a less optimistic day I may catch myself saying “Imagine the third rainy day in a row, stuck inside a van with a puppy!” I can sort of imagine either of those scenarios, but the truth is there are millions of possibilities that I have absolutely no idea could happen, let alone imagine what they would be like.
I’ve watched YouTube videos and I’ve been following several couples traveling around the country full-time in a Class B Van. Most of them have a dog with them. They all seem extremely happy and (mostly) care-free. I can see myself living the life they portray on their videos. But there is so much I can’t know before getting out there and actually doing it. I plan on visiting cities where I know people-where I have close friends. But I won’t be staying with the friends, I’ll be living in those towns (for days, weeks, or most likely MONTHS). but I don’t know exactly where. In some towns and with some friends I will be able to park on the street near their house, or maybe a nearby parking lot, at least for a few nights. Some are close to National Parks or National Forests which means a free (and beautiful) place to stay. Sometimes I’ll have to find a campground. I can imagine each scenario, but I don’t think I can get an accurate assessment of how often I’ll be in each place, or how each place will be to “live.”
I can imagine going to bed in the wilderness, far from light pollution, and looking up at the Milky Way and feeling ecstatic that “I LIVE HERE!” But I’m not sure I can imagine how far I might be from that city or town where my friends live, or how far I would be from the nearest grocery store, or even potable water. I can imagine waking up to the sunrise over the ocean, and hearing the waves crash on the beach from “my back yard,” but I’m not sure I can imagine what Cosmo and I might do with that day, or if it will be a problem to find enough dog-friendly places that we can visit together.
I try to imagine what my life will be like, and the truth is, I cannot. I think the adventure that awaits me is so far removed from any experience I’ve had so far, that I can’t realistically know what it will be like. I guess I’ll just have to do it and find out. I can’t wait!