Date:         Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:33:20 -0400
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Life not in a van (was RE: Parking Matilda) - NVC
In-Reply-To:  <4504677C.27039.8743B2CB@vwdiesels.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Someone else suggested it going camping for the weekend as a way to adjust.
But for me that seems _really_ hard!

Since I've been full-timing, all of my stuff has been in the van.  Part of
the transition to a house is moving things back into the house.  The first
to go was the cooler and all the food in the fridge.  Then the silverware.
I have some additional silverware somewhere in storage (in my basement) but
I have no idea where.  Then other kitchen stuff and all my clothes and
everyday toiletries.  (The stored toiletries - new bottle of shampoo, stuff
that would be in your medicine cabinet - are still in the van.)  Just this
morning I lugged in the narrow plastic four-drawer dresser that has served
as a "console" and coffee-cup holder between the front seats and also where
I've stored office stuff, some tools, and various other things.

The delight of living in the van - one of them - is that I always had my
house and my stuff with me.  No need to think about what to take with me.
If I own it, it's there.  But now that I'm moving back into the house, the
van is no longer convenient to travel in, because I'd have to think about
what to take with me, and move it all back out again.  I never had to worry
about leaving something behind when I was on the road, but now I would.

On the other hand, the van is still my bedroom, since I don't have a bed or
a couch in my house.  Which does help with the adjustment in some ways!  And
fortunately, as it turns out, my neighbors built a high fence between their
yard and my driveway, which isn't elegant, but does afford me a lot of
privacy.



Joy



****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
now living in a real house in northern Virginia
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
now living in the driveway and resting after two and a half years
lugging Joy and her stuff around...

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://www.joyhecht.net

****************************************************************


:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Shawn Wright
:::Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 10:29 PM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: Life not in a van (was RE: Parking Matilda) - NVC
:::
:::I go through this feeling each year after 3 weeks travelling in our
:::Westy... going back to work
:::*and* having to live in a house with that extra junk is quite a shock. I
:::can't imagine coming
:::back after months or years! This year we ended up going back camping 3
:::out of 4 weekends
:::after getting home, just to ease the adjustment a little... :-)
:::
:::On 10 Sep 2006 at 15:04, Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM> wrote:
:::
:::> Reminds me of adjusting to land life after living on a ship... you live
:::for so
:::> long with just what you need that when you get back to 'normal' your
:::first
:::> response is 'look at all this crap...!'. Probably a very normal
:::feeling... plus
:::> that part of you that I sense didn't really want to give up the
:::journey. : )
:::>
:::> Robert
:::>
:::
:::Shawn Wright
:::http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesels
:::'88 Westy 1.6TD 5 speed
:::'85 Jetta Diesel 1.6NA