I left SkooliePalooza Sunday morning and headed for Quartzsite. I had a package arriving and I use a mail service (sometimes) in Quartzsite. I got to town late morning, did my laundry and while it washed, I got a shower (same place offers laundry and showers.) It was so nice to be clean and have fresh bedding. I went to my usual spot near Dome Rock but found quite a few big rigs on my favorite spot. I drove down the dirt road a little and found a big, empty, level spot and parked for the night. I caught up on some e-mails, listened to some music and went to bed early.
In the morning, I got up and had a leisurely morning, with breakfast, my favorite podcast and a second cup of coffee. I drove into town to see if my package had arrived. It had not. There is usually a day or two delay because the copy/fax/mailbox place rents a USPS P.O. box. If my package arrived Friday (which I think it did) they wouldn’t pick it up until Monday afternoon. They assured me they would hold it a week once they got it. I’ll drive back through on my way back to Southern Arizona later in the week.
I drove to my old standby spot at Joshua Tree BLM land. I saw Bridget’s yellow van, but it was parked near a lot of other vans I didn’t recognize. I felt I needed some space, so I parked a bit down the way from her. I went up and we chatted briefly. The people from the adjacent vans came out and it was clear that Bridget had been hanging with them, and I felt zero connection to them, so was glad I made the decision to park a little away from them. Tim and Jennie were supposed to be there at JTBLM, but they were sidetracked at Walmart in Indio. They were trying to return something to Amazon, and not having much luck in finding a reasonable way to ship it back. So I spent the afternoon and evening in my van with Cosmo. We watched a movie, and went to bed early. I need to pay more attention to my “ME time.” I often don’t get enough when I’m parked near people I know.
The next night the wind was just howling. I don’t think I’ve ever been in such winds before. The van rocked all night long, as if someone was jumping on the bumper, and Cosmo was restless. He seemed frightened by the wind noise and the van shaking. When I’d coax him to come lay next to me, he’d actually climb on top of me. Neither of us got a good night’s sleep.
Tim and Jenny came back and parked after dark the next day. Heather came down and said she was thinking of moving but it seemed pointless to move nearer to us since we would all be staying inside our vans all night long anyway due to the weather. I listened to an audio book until I fell asleep. In the morning I drove into Joshua Tree National Park and filled my fresh water tank. It was completely empty. Fortunately it is just about a 5 mile drive, because I had trouble keeping the van on the road with the strong wind gusts. The wind gusts were (I was told by a neighbor) about 40 mph. At night, the temps dropped and the wind continued. By Thursday, it was sunny again, but the wind and temperatures made it still not very pleasant to be outside. Cosmo and I walked a couple of times so he could pee and poop, but otherwise, we’ve been inside most of the time, watching DVD’s or listening to audio books. The wind continued for a few days, and the nighttime temperatures dipped down to near freezing. I had hoped for sunny, warm weather, but the colder weather and staying inside to keep warm motivated me to get some chores done. I gave the van a pretty good cleaning, and spent a few hours working on last year’s bookkeeping so I can get my tax info to my accountant. It wasn’t fun doing either, but it sure felt good to make some progress on much-needed projects.
My friend Kitty says I suffer from FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out. I think that was a correct diagnosis. I’ve been with nomad friends now for a few weeks. I loved almost every minute of it. But it takes its toll. If I wake up in the morning, and see one of my friends outside my van, I have to go talk to them, see what they are up to. If we have a bonfire at night and it goes on way past my bedtime, I’m more likely than not to stay up later than I should. I left my friends at BLM land in Joshua Tree yesterday. Marcos and I went back to Quartzsite for the night. I cooked dinner for us, and this morning he bought me breakfast at a diner in town. Then he left for Phoenix. I’m here alone with Cosmo and it feels so good. I sat out in the sun for a bit and read. I came in and answered some e-mails. Tomorrow I’ll get to go back to my morning routine of making coffee and going back to bed with Cosmo and then skimming the NY Time’s headlines, doing the mini crossword, and of course, playing Wordle. I’ll get up when I feel ready, not when I see someone outside at our camping site. I need that. I need to learn to do that whether or not I’m with other people.
Lessons From The Road: I’m realizing how much I like staying in some places a few times. I feel I’m getting to know Quartzsite, AZ pretty well. I park at or very near my “usual spot” at Dome Rock. I know a few places in town, and it’s an easy drive to go there and back. The man at the laundromat (and shower attendant) knows me now. He says hello and asks how I am like I’m a friend he hasn’t seen in a while. I know the level spots at Joshua Tree. If my “regular spot” is occupied, I park nearby, and almost always the person occupying it leaves the next morning, and I move into my space. I built the firepit there in October and my nomad friends who were there joined me for a fire my last night there (after the wind finally died down enough to light a fire.) Before that, I went back and forth to Palm Springs and the surrounding area, spent time with Tom and Roy and Roy met me for (or brought me) lunch a couple times when I was boondocking nearby. All this has given me a sense of home. I know the roads, I know the small stores. I know where to get propane and fresh water. All these places feel like my neighborhood, and I like that. It all contributes to a sense of safety and well-being on the road. Wherever I go is my home and now it really is starting to feel like it. If I haven’t mentioned it yet in this installment, I am happier than I’ve ever been. I feel more comfortable in this world than at any other time in my life. I am loving the people I meet, even if I only speak to them for a few minutes.
Life is good!