After spending five weeks with friends in Port Angeles, it’s time to shove off and on to the next spot. Currently, I’m in eastern Oregon looking at maps, thinking about quarantine orders and trying to decide where to turn. I was hoping to go to Minneapolis to see my kiddo, but sadly, extenuating circumstances continue to loom. I miss him, and want to get there to spend some quality time with him. Hoping to get more answers soon so I can go. For now, I’m honoring him and giving him space.

Yesterday, I woke up to find that Scoob’s eyes were swollen. After giving him first aid ointment for a day, they don’t seem to be getting better. So we found a local vet and had him examined. While there, we caught up on his shots. It’s been on my mind that he needed a well visit anyway, so I’m glad we were able to sort that out with Dr. Burgess at Country Animal Hospital. His team was top notch, very compassionate and welcoming to wandering strangers like us.

I feel blessed to have a house on wheels right now. People are stuck in one place, and life is really strange. Being able to roll safely between destinations and stay distant in this crazy new weird time is pretty awesome.

Managed to get a nice hot shower at an RV park today. That was heavenly. Super stoked to use the Lush care package mother’s day gift I gave to myself including wasabi lime shampoo, candy conditioner, coffee face scrub and red ginger body wash. I may not have a bathroom, but when I get to one, I have the motz dope skin care products. Might as well splurge on the little things to make showering in public showers less grody. LOL.

While I was in Port Angeles, I really got the van dialed in. I reorganized most of my living space including my bedroom area, the kitchen and my clothes. With some modification of my set up, I’ve been able to better organize my space and make it feel less cluttered and cramped. The Wayfarer kit makes it easy to rearrange. I could take everything out and totally change my set up if I wanted to. That being said, I merely turned my boot box around, which has made my sitting at my desk far more comfortable, and opening more intuitive as I can open it from the outside or the inside in its new spot. I also got some new rugs and hooks, as well as some simple organizing bins and hooks to get things better tucked out of site. Having to buy food for a week or more instead of a few days really altered the way I use my kitchen. Throwing a few things overboard like big bowls that were taking up a lot of space, I was able to create more pantry storage and make the set up more intuitive for regular cooking.

My mood is still pretty mutable. I’ve been enjoying the quiet and peace, but also so sad things are still sticky and weird. My personal challenges continue to challenge me. Gratitude and little things make lonely moments more bearable. I’ve had some dark times, but it’s easy to change my mindset with a hike or watching a sunset for balance. Things suck right now and will continue to suck for a while longer. Fortunately, I am healthy, surrounded by love and connected to a really good support network.

Right now, I’m mapping out places I’d like to visit around Oregon. I’m going to make the most of being “stuck” here and explore places like Mount Hood and Cannon Beach. Without question, I am open to suggestions, so if you have a favorite spot, I’m open to hearing about it.

I’m still in awe and wonder that I’ve been on the road full time for a little more than year. Things have changed so much in the past two months, but one thing I’m very attuned to is my capability to cultivate gratitude in the hard times. Simple moments like being grateful I have a big sweet dog to snuggle, a sunset to enjoy, an iced coffee from the Starbucks drive through (don’t judge, I also used my rewards points today!), walks in pretty places and the ability to reach out to friends who are my chosen family out and around the world are the best parts of every day.

While I’m still alone, I don’t feel as lonely as I did when I first got to Port Angeles. My hosts there made me feel connected and took really good care of me. Staying connected means doing things that feel really electronic, like web chats and long phone calls. I miss hugs so much. I miss that human contact we took for granted before the pandemic.

It’s time to shove off, I’m done with work for the day, and want to make it to the coast for sunset. I can almost hear the waves lapping against the shore… Pacific Ocean, here I come, again.