TEX-ASS!! Yippee Ki-Yay!

March 22, 2026 Day One: I've always wanted to see Texas! Here I am! Finally! I drove from The City of Rocks in New Mexico to El Paso, then Balmorhea State Park, Alpine, and Marathon the first day.

Unbelievably F-Ugly. 
Am I jaded from living in Washington State all my life?

Yeah, I told myself I wouldn't do marathon drives, but it's HOT! I got to Balmorhea and it was 100 degrees! Now I knew between El Paso and just north of Corpus Christi it would be in the 90s or higher, but it's one thing to know and quite another to FEEL IT! While driving the air conditioner is on full blast, but once I stop to eat or sleep, there is no AC and it's like a sauna! Or an oven! Frying my brains. So I kept going thinking later in the day it should cool down. Again, just theory, it's 7pm with the outside temperatures around 95 degrees  which is slightly cooler than 100! The inside temperatures are roasting.

My first impressions of west Texas...I think the drivers here are worse than Massachusetts, and MA had the worst! Interstate 10 was mostly good and smooth, better than Arizona. At least in Texas they are trying to maintain them with lots of construction. The highways are in good shape, again, much better than Arizona. The landscape is New Mexico f-ugly. I always pictured Texas with green cow pastures, some trees. Nope. (Not yet.) Price of gas was about the same as New Mexico or $1 less per gallon than Arizona (about $3.69 gallon), but the further in the state it went up to $4.29 then back down to around $3.39. The highways have picnic areas all over with garbage cans and one is allowed to stay for 24 hours. The interstates have rest stops and one is allowed to stay overnight. So far no BLM land! I was told because most of Texas is privately owned. The flies are relentless, swarming your face. Maybe they think I'm a cow. My sinuses are killing me! Something in the high desert does not agree with me!

The people (so far) are fucking rude! Negotiating a grocery store parking lot is a hazard. They do what they want and ignore anyone else around. Same inside the store. They step in front of you, cut you off, and never apologize as if everyone else is invisible. It's very strange and jarring. I've always been told Texans are incredibly nice. Hmmm...

Then there are the Walmart checkers. Dumb as dirt. I bought three gallons of water refills from the machine. That would be .54 cents each or for a total of $1.62. The checker doesn't speak English. The register says 3 @ 1.62. I try to tell her that would be incorrect. She stares at me as if I'm stupid (or speaking a foreign language). I walk over to the water refill machine that is about 10 feet away, point to the huge 54 cents and say "54 cents each". I point to the register that is now giving me a total of $11 which is about $5 over what it should be (I bought a case of Spindrift, too). 

She has no clue what I'm saying so she calls in a young girl who can't be more than 16 years old, but who speaks English. I tell her what I just told the other checker and add, "She has charged me for three gallons of water refills at 1.62 and tripled it." The girl looks at the computer and says, "Oh, no it's right." I explain again, in great detail, pointing to the machine price, pointing to the register and repeat I am being charged triple what it should be." She looks again, points to the register so I can see it, and says, "Yes, it's right." I give up because my only option at that point is to cancel the sale, take everything to the self-checkout and start over. I would have been in self-checkout if there weren't already five people in line waiting. So I cash out with my credit card, get the receipt and find another employee walking around like she's a manager. I explain, show her the receipt and she immediate understands what the problem is. She gives me a full refund, and has me ring it up again at a self-checkout register she opens just for me.

As I start to leave the girl walks by so I show her the refund and say, "The checker was charging me three times the amount it should have been." She says, "Well, you should have said you were being charged triple." (Oh, for fuck sake!) I said with a smile, "I did say that and explained many times." She walked away and I yelled at her back, "Thank you for your help!" OMG! Is this ALL Texans? If so, it might be a very quick trip in order to get the hell out of here!

I went to the Balmorhea State Park which has a huge mineral-spring-fed pool, but it was so crowded. The line to get in was about six vehicles deep., but I do realize it's a Sunday. No thanks. I thought I would come back the next day but the only available free overnight parking were rest stops twenty-five miles in either direction, right on the interstate. I HATE rest stops with the RV generators and the semi-trucks idling all night. I left, driving through Fort Davis and Alpine. Alpine is an adorable town.

I kept driving and ended up overnight at a picnic area just east of Marathon. There is an RV from Oregon here and a guy on who I thought was on a motorcycle. Why does he have solar panels charging? What is he charging? The next morning I see him riding an e-bike! He's pedaling to Florida!. The sign says no more than 24 hours and no tents or camping. It was a very windy night!!

March 23, 2026 Day Two:  Headed to the beach via Del Rio, Uvalde, San Antonio and Corpus Christi. The temperatures ranged from early morning 72 degrees to 100 degrees in the afternoon. In Del Rio I started sweating, but it was still only 72 degrees? Oh! Humidity! I forgot about the humidity.

I'M AT THE BEACH!! It is so WET...not the water, the air! 92% humidity! Whew! It's about 79 degrees and cools to 71 degrees at night. Beautiful white, soft sand that reminds me of sugar cookie dough, lots of shorebirds: pelicans, avocets, stilts, plovers, yellowlegs, sandpipers, willets, and a really beautiful seagull but I can't remember what it's called. (See below.)

The first thing I did is walk the surf. I stopped to talk to my French neighbors and asked about high tide since we were parked only 100 feet from the water. They said no problem. I double checked. High tide should be around 10am tomorrow according to online information. There is a 14 day camping limit. The American the Beautiful pass works to cover the entrance fee although there were no kiosks or info centers around to confirm this. No one bothered to check to see if I was legal although plenty of rangers driving around.

March 24, 2026 Day Three:  I could not get to sleep last night. Was it the constant roar of waves? The swealtering heat? Or all the Benadryl, Ibuprofen and Sinus sprays I loaded my body with before bedtime? (That should have put me to sleep. Sinuses and shoulder pain are better though.)

Got up early and walked the surf. This time I picked up garbage. I figure nothing is for free and to show my appreciation for 14 days of free camping, I'll do my part and payback or pay it forward. Every beach has garbage recepticles. I love this state! So eco-friendly! I was rewarded with a handful of beautiful shells and a little girl's unicorn googles!

It's so darn beautiful here!

March 25, 2026 Day Four:  It is just so WET! My glasses fog up all the time. It's really hard to type on my laptop because my fingers are wet and sticky and stick to the keys! None of my window covers will stay on the windows because the windows are wet! Everything is wet in the morning. It's a little better in the afternoon when the sun has dried so much, but then night hits and I feel like I'm floating in my wet sheets, wet pajamas...the t-shirt I have been wearing is so wet it hangs nearly to my knees. But my hair is crazy curly which is so different from the dry air in Tucson!

Sunrise at Pedro Island National Seashore

Attempted to head east then north, but decided not to drive all day long after getting up so early. I stopped just east of Galveston. Galveston is a beautiful city with gorgeous huge old houses! Google Maps took me on a ferry that was free with dolphins playing in the water as we sailed! I ended up at Bolivar Flats, a free camping beach near the ferry landing. A white transit pulled up and parked next to me and I met a lovely couple from Florida who are headed west.

This beach is bigger so there is no risk of a high tide sweeping me away, the sand is more tan in color, it's a lot more crowded, a lot more garbage, and a lot noisier with the freighters moored nearby. But it's just for one night. Online comments warn about the humidity so I expected I'd wake up to wet everything inside and out, but it's actually less humid here!

I left the next morning. Post-beach adventures next...

Arizona Meanderings 2026

March 17, 2026 Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Two weeks ago I arrived back in Tucson, staying a couple more weeks at a different Arizona Land Trust campground that was way off the highway. No highway noise, very few people and no barking dogs unlike the "Pads" where I spent most of the winter. So incredibly quiet. Love it. Hiked everyday and it was so private I did a little van dancing. But it was dirty! By the time I left Big Blue was covered in orange dust inside and out! I am definitely not a dirt camper!

Tucson was heating up. It's only March and by the end of the week the temperatures were predicted to be around 105 degrees! Too hot for me! So I did what most van/RV/car-living snowbirds are doing and headed north. Again!

The morning of the day I left, I had my water pump replaced as it was leaking coolant, and the Ford dealership, as usual, screwed up.  They never cease to disappoint. Every hill Big Blue climbed, she would start overheating with a dashboard warning that flashed, "REDUCING ENGINE POWER TO AVOID OVERHEATING"!! WTH??? This never happened all last year as I climbed miles of mountain highways!! I've never not been able to overtake a semi-truck on a hill. Not happy. 

I called Ford and they said there might be an air bubble from not being "burped". For some odd reason the service agent thought I could just take it anywhere and someone could burp it for me quick and easy. Ah no, not without a hefty "diagnostic fee" and a week-long wait for an appointment. I was so furious! I continued driving checking various mechanics along the way.

The Tonto National Forest around and above Payson was a nice, cool 75 degrees so I stayed there for one night. The mud is dry leaving deep ruts in the dirt roads. This creates a worrisome risk of getting stuck, but I ventured onward. Problem is at night the temperature drops to around 31 degrees. Way too cold!  

I attempted to head west of Flagstaff, but the daytime temperature was around 85 degrees. Too hot. However when I was there a few weeks ago the forest service road campgrounds were empty...now they are filled with RVs and vans that came up from the south also to beat the heat! And dead cows! I pulled into one campground wondering why it was empty...

So I headed east. Thankfully van life is very flexible. I went back to Tonto for one more night and nearly got stuck in deep gravel freshly poured at the ditch edge to make the mud less problematic. I didn't trust the wet road ahead with snow on the side so I attempted a backup on a single lane dirt road. Reversed too far into the fresh gravel on the edge of the ditch. I spent about a half an hour trying to dig one of my tires out that spin down about a foot. The one tire was dug so deep the front tire was off the ground! How stressful! I really need to be more careful. I'm out of practice, I think. The next morning I continued east.

I found a mechanic in Show Low with an appointment wait of only two days. Show Low was around 89 degrees. Too hot! 

Where to camp for coolness for two days? Several people have told me to go to Alpine where the temperatures are nice and the trees are lovely. It's in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest with free dispersed camping. I stopped at the forest ranger station to ask about camping. The ranger was not helpful and rather rude. I asked him if these sites have trees and he sarcastially said, "Of course, it's a national forest!" To which I replied, "There are no trees driving in to Alpine so it really doesn't look like a guarantee." Never mind all the fire damage around leaving toothpicks of black wood in place of what used to be trees! What an idiot! (On the way to Show Low around Linden, the forest was blackened and the ground was still smoking! Fire risk signs say HIGH all over.)

The snarky ranger was no help finding a dispersed campsite so I just drove until I found a dirt road with a "LEAVING IS YOUR CAMPFIRE COLD?"  sign. Very quiet and peaceful. There was another van near the entrance so I continued. Not many dedicated campsites along the road so I ended way in the back, but it's quiet and beautiful.

Morning View with the Sun Rise

I went hiking with my new hiking boots carrying my phone, keys, and bear spray. Post-ankle break hiking is filled with paranoia. Will I fall again? What if I fall and there is no one around? Are the bears and mountain lions watching me? Are they hungry? Or four-wheeling party men on a Friday night drinking? Hmmm...Oh well. I can't live my life in fear so just do it, camp it, and try not to worry. this should be a fun adventure not a worrisome nightmare. Maybe I need to buy a gun? It's only two days until my appointment. Hopefully I'll live to see it!

Hiking up the Hill

When the other van left the next morning, I took their spot since it's closer to the highway and I'll have to leave in the dark tomorrow to get to my early van appointment. I realized too late that there is no sun after 3pm since the trees shaded everything. You'd think this is wonderful, but I need that sun to keep the solars charged! I woke to 20% which is really nothing. I still had a two hour drive in the dark and then two hours of repairs. The Bluetti didn't go to zero percent and then blow up or melt all my frozen food (my greatest fear). Sunshine all day so they recharged.

After the van check, "burp" and confirmation everything is working properly, I washed the mud off my tire wells at the car wash, got water at Walmart, food at the health food store, then headed to New Mexico via highway 180 through Alpine again.

New Mexico near City of Rocks...still ugly, but now it's HOT!!!

What was I thinking? Once out of the higher elevation mountains it was 95 degrees in New Mexico! My plan is to head south to the beach where it is much cooler, but to get there I'll have to suffer the heat. Maybe this is a bad idea, but I've always wanted to see Texas!!

Californication

March 2, 2026 My first impression of California was the price of gas...$5.99 a gallon. Now this was in the middle of Death Valley National Park, but on the other side of the park in a normal town, it was still $5.09 and further away from the park, $4.79. That's $1.70 more than Tucson! Damn you, California!

I always wanted to see the sand dunes. I did not go walking. I figured I had three walks for the day and that was plenty, besides the parking lot was full.

The drive through the park was up one mountain, down a valley, up another mountain, down a valley, up another mountain. There was a sign suggesting drivers to turn off their AC so their engines don't overheat. Hmmm...it was only 70 degrees at most. I've driven around in 100 degrees with no problem, but I followed directions. I noticed on the inclines my engine temperature started climbing even with the AC off. WOW! I would not want to overheat on that highway. It was good to visit in early spring when the temperatures are cool.

Then drove to Bishop. I wanted to see the Ancient Bristlecone Forest but the road up the mountain doesn't open until April.

Bishop is a town that has always intrigued me. It was featured in that 1970s movie The Other Side of the Mountain about the Olympic skier who is paralyzed during tryouts. God, I loved that movie! I think she was from Bishop, but the town was featured extensively in the movie with the snow-covered mountains in the background. I always thought I would want to live there. It's a nice town. The area is barren desert with scrubbrush...but the Sierra Nevadas are gorgeous! It kind of reminds me of Alaska how the mountains look like they are straight up from the valleys.

I camped at the Volcanic Tabletop. It's 66 degrees, sunny, with a little wind. Here is my view:

The wind picked up during the night and I awoke to 31 degrees. BRRRRR!! I planned to drive to Bodie State Park which is the coolest ghost town! I've always wanted to see it and it was only two hours away. I knew it was cold there now, but I didn't realize until this morning the main road was closed. An alternate route was open. I kept thinking once I get out of the Sierras, it might be cold, but warmer.

I started out of Bishop and...snow on the side of the road. The temperature plummeted to 27 degrees! I plugged in the directions and Google Maps told me even roads beyond Bodie are closed due to seasonal issues. Oh, jeez! I should have known March is just too early to attempt this. I searched the country for temperatures and decided to head south to Barstow for 75 degrees! I then headed east for Arizona on that long boring I-40 drive. 

I've vowed this year I would not do any marathon driving days, but I just need out of California. I refused to get gas in California (price went up the further south I drove back to $5.29 and higher!) so I just kept going to Arizona until I was too tired to keep driving. The semi trucks on I-40 are exhausting. I spent the night at a BLM campground where it's in the low 70s and I woke up to 50 degrees. It's a full moon! The desert view the next morning:

It's so quiet here the only sound I hear are flies if they fly too close. So peaceful. Oh, but last night I could hear donkeys braying! Just to add a little excitement to the adventure.

Nevada

The temperatures in Nevada were in the 70s although dipping down into Las Vegas got into the 80s. More importantly the roads in Nevada are so much better than Arizona!

I headed to Pahrump. I liked the town. There is a little house in the desert there that looks lovely on Zillow, but the road to it was a nightmare! Large ditches and rocks in the middle of the dirt. No way. I now understand why it's been on the market for 200 days!

I continued to Beatty. Attempted to camp at a pond, but there were too many assholes. One pulled up in a mini-cooper right next to me, let his dog out to run wild and crap all over everything, then started up his generator! So thoughtless. So I left for Beatty BLM just northwest of the town. Very quiet, peaceful. There were some four-wheelers there at a campsite about 200 yards beyond, but since it's Sunday night, they left before dark. I had the place to myself!

Beatty BLM with Big Blue - View to South

Beatty BLM - View to East

Beatty BLM - View to North

Woke up, relaxed, peaceful. I polished the solar panels, washed windows, and then hiked up a few ATV paths. Ankle is fine with pain at about 3, but once I stop hiking the pain doesn't linger (unless I hike too long).

Visited the Goldwell Open Air Museum. It's free! I love free! Not much to see. I had hoped for more. The ugliest art was what I am calling Lady Lego. It looks like a naked sculpture of a woman made with legos only I think they are cement blocks. She's about 15 feet high. Interesting in a bad way:

The Rhyolite Ghost Town was next door. Delapidated buildings. Again free. I love free! Can't complain.

I liked the bottle house, built in 1906, then the guy had a raffle and gave it away. He didn't make enough money, but the winners lived in it for about 15 years. I'm seeing a lot of bottle houses online these days so I think they are making a comeback. It's a little run down, but it's stood the test of time and is still standing!

I then headed to Death Valley National Park. The actual valley was impressive at sea level especially with the sand dunes, but it looks like all the southwestern states: desolate desert with a bunch of scrub bushes.

I may swing back through Nevada later when it warms in the north. Until then, California, here I come!

On the Road Again! Arizona

February 28, 2026 I'm off again! After a winter of disappointing real estate searching, I decided it might be better to continue the van life journey and forget trying to be a "normal" person (whatever that might mean)! I was told by another van-life woman it takes two years to settle into van life. That gives me so much encouragement. 

So after six months in Tucson camping at my favorite free campsite, finishing my secret rock-lined path through the desert:

...finishing all van maintenance ($$$), finishing physical therapy to get this ankle working, after restructuring my virtual mailbox, and after spray painting my front license plate to match the van's roof (the old one was an Arizona flag that had faded to oblivion!) 

I WAS READY TO GO!! The temperatures in Tucson were climbing into the mid-90s and the rattlesnakes were waking up too early!

Maybe. I kept finding things I NEEDED to do, things I failed to do for the last six months! Or was I stalling? I got rid of more things from my van, stuff I did NOT need in a van: desktop computer, 30x22 monitor, computer speakers, webcam, tools, books, art, and clothes I never wear because they haven't fit me for twenty years!! Why do we do that?

But then I had an encounter that made me not hesitate to drive away. 

Early this morning in the dark at 4:00am I decided to do one more load of laundry since laundromats are not always easy to find on the road. I noticed there is a semi-truck idling in the parking lot. Weird. This made me nervous. I don't like being at laundromats in the dark with strange men. I once watched a true crime show that said it is suspected truck drivers are convenient serial killers. Jeez! But he wasn't in the laundromat so I think he was taking the opportunity to park overnight and sleep. I started to unpack my dirty sheets and supplies and on the second trip in I notice there is my pillowcase that I was missing the last time I was there two weeks ago sitting next to my pile of laundry. Hmmm...my first thought was maybe it got hidden in the sheets and yanking those sheets off my mattress revealed it?

On my next trip back to the van I noticed the pickup truck parked under the tree at the far edge of the dark parking lot. A man gets out with his supplies. I can see him out of the corner of my eye since I am always on alert in the dark, but don't acknowledge him.When he gets into the laundromat I recognize him from my last trip. His name was Jim and we spoke briefly and friendly during the last visit. 

He says, "That's your pillowcase. The last time you were here you left it in one of the washers. The next people found it, held it up, and asked if it belonged to anyone. I took it for you. You looked like you were missing something." He didn't know I always check the machines to make sure I got everything, but it must have been stuck to the top side or something. I did know I was missing it and hoped it would show up.

I replied, "Oh, thank you so much! I was wondering what happened to it!"

Then my instincts got the creepies. Has he been parking out in the parking lot every morning for the last two weeks waiting for me to reappear? I hadn't planned to do laundry until the last minute. He had no idea when I would be there again. Hmmm...my spidey senses flared.

Then he says, "I know where you are camped. It's very crowded there."

I said, "Yes, it is crowded. More so than last year."

OH GOD. Has been watching me? Did he go looking for me? Did he find me? I can't tell you how much that creeped me out! Am I just paranoid at 4 in the morning in the dark? I decided to trust my instincts. I sat in the van with the doors locked while I finished my load of sheets, and then left! I went back to the campsite,. I did not want to be there all of a sudden! I collapsed my tent and pack up. I was outta there and did not look back!

I headed northwest to look at Ash Fork. 

On the way I stopped in at Spooky Swirls, the gluten-free Halloween bakery in Chandler! It was quite by accident going through Chandler and I always wanted to see this year-round spooky-themed bakery. What a unique concept! I bought a slice of cheesecake!! It was gluten-freely delicious!

I drove north through Prescott and into Ash Fork. There are some tiny houses on land up there that have been listed for a long time. They are in my budget. I understand now. The town is ugly and run down. The landscape is desolate. Not sure this would be the place for me, but I might come back through and look again.

I continued through Kingman to a BLM site outside Chloride. So peaceful and quiet out in the middle of the desert! Very different from camping in Tucson with the constant noise of the highway. The weather is lower to mid 80s (Tucson is in the 90s now), cool at night. No one around.

Nearest van neighbor...can you even see him?

Just as I was sitting down to dinner, I had some visitors! COW CAMPING!

I feel a lot less stressed this time. This is a good thing! I did kill my phone and almost ran out of gas. I'm out of practice. 

The next morning was leisurely and relaxed. I drove to Dolan Springs - a town I heard has a lot of chemically sensitive people. It was UGLY! What is the attraction? Blah!

Then on to Nevada!!

Physical Therapy of the Best Kind!

My orthopedic doctor suggested on the first visit to find a heated pool and swim everyday. I was so happy since I was already doing that! Unable to walk or speed walk, it was a lifesaver keeping my back toned so it wouldn't become painful. Swimming in the sunshine, breathing fresh air (if no one is trying to poison me), gazing up at the mountains, and sometimes seeing red tail hawks flying above. I love it!

I hadn't swam in a pool for about twenty-five years due to chemical sensitivity. In colder states, indoor pools are more common, but asphyxiating due to all the chlorine in the water and air with no way to escape. This outdoor pool is sensational. Yes, there is a tiny smell of chlorine, but after each swim I head into the shower to wash it all off with a long and very hot shower.

Another issue with this pool or any pool are the stinky people. They aren't allowed to spray sunscreen on themselves in the changing rooms, but some do it outside at the edge of the pool. Whew!! Why can't they do this in the privacy of their own home? Others use sunscreen lotions or just smell of perfume. It makes me sick to think they are getting into the pool and it's washing off in the water we all share. People are so thoughtless and self-centered.

The showers are dangerous. The women's shower is often populated with stinky women spraying themselves with deodorant, slathering their bodies with smelly lotions, lathering up with putrid shampoos, and throwing baby powder all over themselves and the floor which makes it slicker than snot. Why can't they do all this priming at home?

I discovered the family changing rooms and showers. First, the stalls are huge - a whole room to one's self that not only has a shower, but a sink, toilet, bench, garbage recepticle, and blower. There are only two of them in this larger room so sometimes they are filled, and not with families. I swim during the week so children are in school. Still, sometimes I'll walk in and there is stink in the air and baby powder all over the floor! It's so frustrating!

Other negatives not associated with chemicals: men picking their noses and wiping it on their swim trunks (eeewww!), men washing out their mouths in the pool and spitting it back in, and used bandaids that I'm convinced are also left all over by men. So gross to think all this human excrement is in the water I'm soaking in, BUT it makes me thankful it is chlorinated! Then there are the men who swim  so violently and slap the water so agressively, they splash all the way across the pool. Women are so much more graceful and considerate.

Other than the dangers associated with chemical exposures, I love swimming. It's so relaxing, well, if the water is warm and the air isn't cold. I started slowly, building my stamina, but now I'm a powerhouse! My ankle loves it, but my back loves it more! And due to living in a van with no bathroom, the shower is a bonus!

2025: REVIEW & RESOLUTION

 2025 was weird and wild!

GOOD...MAYBE EVEN GREAT

The Great Adventure: What an adventure! I saw places I always wanted to see! Alaska! The West! East Coast! New England! Midwest! Canada! 50,000 miles, twenty-five states and five Canadian provinces in a year! I look back on this experience and think, WHAT THE HELL??? Did I really do that? It demanded self-sufficiency, resilience, resourcefulness and a whole lot of patience. I survived the good, the mediocre, the boring, the frightening, the terrifying, the amazing, the best of times and the worst of times. The most memorable, positive experiences: 1) Walking past Brad Pitt on the streets of Bozeman 2) The Bright Blue Ferrari covered in mud on the AlCan Highway driven by the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen in my life, 3) Three bears trying to break into my van in Idaho, 4) The Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves, 5) Campfires and River Dipping in Montana. Wow!

Big Blue : I finally found a van! She never broke down once. Kept going on the worst of roads. Rescued me from sand, mud, monsoons, thunderstorms, lightning, bad drivers...and she just kept going. Many times I slapped my palm on the dash and screamed, "Excellent job, Big Blue! You did it again!" What would I have done if I never found her? In what toxic apartment would I have been forced to live? How much in rent, utilities and general expenses would I have been forced to pay? Maybe I would have ended up in a tent on a sidewalk? She affords me freedom and adventure, most importantly, a safe place to live.

Friends: I really appreciate the good people in my life and the fact they continue to keep in touch even as I gallavant all over North America. They don't realize how much their constant communication helped when I fractured my ankle. I struggled with overwhelming fear, depression, and anxiety and I felt so utterly alone in the world when it seemed like everything was crashing down around me. They kept emailing, asking how I was or where I was which kept my spirits from sinking.

Strangers: I am still so grateful for the strangers who helped me when I fractured my ankle. They could have walked away and left me at anytime. Instead, one offered to take my van to a safe place, another picked me up from the hospital, found free crutches online, and cared for me for a week. As I painstakingly made my way back to the states driving with my left foot and unable to walk, a few strangers volunteered to pump my gas for me since I couldn't get out of the van. One woman in Colorado volunteered to shop for me (the electric cart wasn't charged)! The Park and Ride guys at the hospital were kind and helpful as I convalesced in a hospital parking lot. I don't know what I would have done without the kindness of strangers.

NOT QUITE SURE WHERE IT GOES

Tucson: I've had some bad experiences in Tucson that haunt me. The city is filled with psychopaths who still give me nightmares. However, when I rolled back into the city after my travels, I felt like I was coming home. The desert smelled glorious, the sun was shining, and the mountains glistened gold. Still, too much traffic and too many assholes in one place. Time will tell.

Pen Pals: Hmmm...I started out with eighteen pen pals. Some naturally fell by the wayside; others switched to email long before it was necessary. However, when I hit the road and became unable to get mail, many of my pen pals opted not to email. In many ways I don't blame them. There is a difference between getting a real letter and getting an email. I did discover pen pals are not friends. What I thought was friendship through months if not years of written confessions was too easy to throw away. I enjoyed decorating envelopes and stationery, but now that I have zero motivation toward creativity and NO art supplies, I've lost interest in pen palling. I now have one pen pal and she keeps sending me scented letters so that's going to end!

BAD AND UGLY

The Great Adventure: Good god, the stress and worry nearly killed me. The expense! I was paying at least $1,000 in gas a month! One month I paid $6,000 in van repairs and maintenance. Contrary to popular opinion, living in a van is not cheap and for me, rarely relaxing. The worst experiences: 1) slipping in beach mud and fracturing my ankle, 2) stuck in deep mud in Flagstaff for five hours trying to dig my way out while wearing a cast that I wasn't supposed to get dirty or wet (mud is a constant theme and will be the death of me!), 3) scary, beer-guzzling, asshole mansplainer in Idaho, 4) thunderstorms like waterfalls and ceiling leaks, 5) driving on an almost flat tire through Canadian mountains with a drop-off cliff praying the tire would not blow out before I got to the dealership, 6) driving straight up then down a very narrow, icy mountain pass in a blizzard 6) not being able to find healthy food and driving for hours and hours in search of food, 7) scary overnights, 8) freezing overnights, 9) hot and humid overnights.

Van Life: Living in a van is fun if everything is perfect, but it rarely is. When the temperatures are reaching in the 90s to 100s, it's not fun. When the humidity is high , it's not fun. When temperatures are below 50s, it's not fun. Almost running out of gas because there are no gas stations, not fun. If the thunderstorms are so violent one has to pull off the freeway, it's not fun. Being stuck in the mud for five hours, definitely not fun. When there is a dead rat in my walls and the stink is unbearable, it's not fun. If the van isn't running well, it's so damn stressful it's not fun. Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear at night makes me insane and is not fun. Peeing in a bucket is not fun. Missing the bucket, not fun. No showers or bathing for over two months, not fun. 

Ankle Fracture: I'd never broken anything in my life. This was traumatic. More importantly, being alone in a foreign country, living in a van, unable to walk or fend for myself, and finding out insurance doesn't cover the emergency room was a nightmare. The vulnerability was frightening. The impending medical bills were stressful (but ended up not being that bad, it was worrying about the unknown that was the worst). Health care is bad even on a good day.

People: I hate people. I hate liars. I hate rude, disrespectful people. I hate manipulative, controlling men. I hate sociopathic women. I hate thoughtless people who stink. I hate bullies. I hate people who disappointment me and they always do...I've encountered all these types and more in the last year.

The PURGE: Swedish Death Cleaning is traumatic! Getting rid of childhood memorabilia, sentimental objects I've had all my life, art work I loved, clothes I've loved, antiques that were in my family for generations, the cutest car in the universe, an incredibly expensive organic wool comforter that I have exclaimed was the best purchase of my life.... The last two years I emptied a four-bedroom  two-story house full of STUFF and then this year I downsized a10x10 then a 5x5 storage unit. Some items I was able to sell, but much of it at the end was either donated or thrown away. I often see things in stores that are objects I either used to have or similiar and it makes me very depressed. I think of things I could have kept and I'm wondering where was my brain? Why didn't I keep it? Damn. Now that I'm considering finding a new home, the thought of all the money I'll have to spend to replace needed objects is daunting. But I did it. I feel cleaner not having all that STUFF cluttering my life and van.

Real Estate Shopping: This relates to the above "People". Real estate agents and sellers are so dishonest, unethical and sleazy. They lie their asses off so desperate to get a sale. It's hard to trust anyone and I don't want to buy something toxic that I'm stuck with for years and not able to sell if need be. I hate it. I've been ready to give up a few times.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: FIND A BASE, a new home, property, something so van life can be a luxury not a requirement. PLEASE!!! 

New Year's Eve I BURNED away 2025 and then watched it smolder. I felt incredibly relaxed. Well, I did fall into the fire once...symbolic of 2025, I guess! I love campfires!!!

Tucson on the Rebound

I've had such bad experiences in Tucson, I was kind of dreading the return, but the nonstop thunderstorms raged in Flagstaff and I had had it with the wet and mud! I drove through two more storms on the way to Tucson at one point pulling off on a "scenic view" to watch the water on the cement wondering if it would wash me off the parking lot while the hurricane winds were blowing the bushes sideways. I kept chanting, "Another adventure..."  

As I approached the town of Globe, Google News started flashing emergency alerts covering the maps telling me no driving in the area unless you are escaping! Jeez! What do I do, park and wait to be washed away? I proceeded cautiously, but most of the water was gone leaving piles of debris. The devastation in Globe from the flood the day before was pretty shocking. (There is news footage if you are interested.) It was hard to find gas because most of the stations were shut down. The thundercloud forming on the far side of Globe as I was leaving via Highway 77 was scary looking, like hell had opened up, and once the storm hit, it pounded with little visibility.

It only lasted about twenty minutes and I chanted while slowly driving those highway curves, "Another adventure...." I could see the blue skies in the distance and that gave me hope.

Then everything cleared! The sun shone brightly. The skies turned bright blue with big, fluffy, white clouds. Beautiful all the way into Tucson. I arrived to 75 degrees and cool 60s at night! (Keep in mind that changed the next day and the temperatures climbed to 99 degrees, BUT the nights cool down to 69-70!)

The desert smelled SO GOOD! My campsite was still there looking beautiful as ever:

The Catalina Mountains and Oro Valley scenery were spectacular:

Now I remember why I moved here in the first place before PEOPLE tried to ruin it for me! Can we get rid of the people now?

Bonus: Sinuses started clearing up the moment I reached Tucson!

The Great Adventure comes to an end! Back to ground zero.

Arizona!!! Is it the End of the Adventure?

I spent a week writing this post and in a flash of an instant, it disappeared! I've had this happen before, but due to utter exhaustion I failed to remember how to rescue it and instead screwed up. The post is gone. So I'll attempt a short summary.

I left Colorado and headed west on Highway 160 repeating part of the drive when I headed to Arizona a few weeks ago. This time I kept going west for Flagstaff. I love this part of the country with the red-orange dirt, a variety of plants in many shades of green, and brilliant blue skies with huge mesas! As usual, there weren't many pull-outs or I would have taken too many photos.

I'd love to buy land here and build an orange cob house, but this is Navajo Nation reservation land and they don't sell to non-natives. The temperatures south on Highway 89 climbed to 85 degrees, but I could see the mountains in the distance!! Cool weather is ahead!

Humphries Peak - highest point in Arizona

Flagstaff cooled to a wonderful 72 degrees. I didn't realize there is BLM land for camping all over outside the city. I began sampling the offerings with first night at Road 222 and second night at Road 700. Lots of tall pine trees which made internet and solar charging difficult so the next three nights I headed down Mary Lake Road to Marshall Lake Dispersed Campground which was a little better. 

Marshall Lake Dispersed Campground for the first two days...
so beautiful, peaceful and quiet!

The third night 35% chance of rain was forecasted for 8pm. OK. Just one hour of rain. No problem. Between the clouds and the trees, I could barely get my solars charged so all of a sudden I had no internet and no way to prepare food. I figured I could brave it until morning then leave the woods for civilization.

At 3pm the lightning and thunder show started with hail the size of marbles! It sounded like glass snapping and I feared for my helpless solars! This was followed by "normal" hail the size of a small fingernail. Sound effects:

The rain and hail pounded all night and the thunder got so close it shook the van. Nights are hard for me anyway since they seem to drag on and on as I wait patiently for daybreak, but I've never had issues with thunderstorms. This one was rather scary as I imagined those tall pine trees falling on Big Blue. I'm guessing it lasted until 4am. I was excited for the new day as my doctor's appointment with my new orthopedic doctor was that afternoon!

Morning arrived and it didn't look that wet with maybe one puddle in the distance. I had to get out of the van to rescue my rat lights and it looked so dry I didn't even think to put plastic bags over my cast. The mud stuck thickly to the bottom of my shoe and cast and PTSD kicked in. This is how I fractured my ankle! OMG! But I didn't slip. I spent about an hour cleaning caked on mud off everything. 

Packed up and started driving out...I got about forty feet and my tires spun, the van slid sideways, and I was all of a sudden stuck in one foot deep ruts of mud! OMG! I got the bright idea maybe I should reverse, go back, and leave via the entrance to my campsite. Got stuck again and nearly slid into a tree. Now I'm about one hundred feet from the exit and gravel road. 

A homeless woman heading to the highway for some hitchhiking took one look at me and saw a free ride if she could help...nothing worked. She gave up and left me with the idea just wait until the sun comes out and it'll dry up really fast. I didn't think I had that kind of time as the doctor's appointment was that afternoon, but I thought that might be my only option. Then it started to rain AGAIN a half hour later. I felt like crying. I hobbled around with a plastic bag on my cast gathering anything I could use for traction...pinecones, tree bark, and towels. Eventually the plastic bag protecting the cast was sucked up by the mud...at that point I thought WTH? So what? PTSD be damned. I'm desperate. I'll be dirty. It can't be helped. I tried a variety of ideas and nothing worked. The more traction I gathered the more hopeful I became and then all of a sudden, the van caught hold and I regained forty feet before she slid sideways and spun helplessly. But forty feet! Hooray!

There was a woman (Amanda) walking up on the gravel road and she stopped to watch all of a sudden frantically waving her arms. I ignored her because if I hesitated, I would have lost traction. She thought I was going to hit the boulder close by. I thought I'd miss it unless I slid, but I bypassed it. She continued walking then returned telling me her husband was sick so she was walking down to where a missionary woman was (Tammy, who lives and travels to and from BLM land helping the homeless) to borrow a thermometer and this woman volunteered her traction strip. Amanda then spent the next hour helping me out of this mess. Her shoes ended up caked with mud, her hands filthy. I so appreciated her help if not just her encouragement and companionship at a time when I felt as any minute I would burst into tears. We made progress, maybe another ten feet, a little at a time, with me at the wheel and her running around the van adjusting the towels and the traction strip.

Then a pickup was driving up the road and we both started screaming and waving our arms. He stopped and with his teenage son continued to help by instructing me how to set the tires, reverse, then gun it forward with him and his son pushing from behind, readjusting the traction strip. After about four tries, Big Blue found freedom! When I reached the gravel road, I was screaming!!!! Literally! So very thankful and yelling my thanks as they jumped back in their pickup and left. I called Tammy because I wanted to clean off the traction slip before I returned it, but she said she'll just leave it out in the rain. Amanda volunteered to walk the traction strip back down to Tammy and I sent her off with $20 to give to Tammy for her missionary work with the homeless.

I made it to Flagstaff and my doctor's appointment absolutely exhausted, but with a clean cast!! It took about an hour to scrap, wash, dry, and then wash with rubbing alcohol, but that cast shone as if it were brand new! As I waited for the appointment, I started writing the day's events on this post and lost the whole post. I felt defeated, but I survived!

The next day I took Big Blue to the car wash. I had to pay for two separate washes to get all the mud off her and it had caked and dried in places especially the tires and around the tires. I used the pressure hose to clean the towels, hiking boot, and buckets that were brown with dried mud. The van is still a mess. It'll take a little more effort to get all the mud off everything! What a horror!

So the adventure is NOT over. Maybe it never will be until I'm in a house and out of the van?? Maybe I'll never be out of the van? I'll try to make more cautious choices in the future. I spent the night on cement at Walmart. I don't care how many beautiful BLM campgrounds they have here, I'll stick with cement!! 

I think I've had my share of adventure and now I want a peaceful existence. 

Please...