Well, when we embarked on this journey it was with very little knowledge or experience, sure I have been camping and caravaning in my youth and former marriage but it is not quite the same as suddenly having nothing but your campervan, no home to go back to, no base to unload and restock supplies – it is very different and does take some adapting.
Initially it was filled with excitement, an amazing amount of excitement almost childish joy on the wonderful new life adventure we were embarking on and where it was going to take us, but then things happen. Firstly we were lucky to get a job in a caravan park in Scotland, this was perfect as it meant we had a base, earnt enough to pay our bills & fuel costs, and were able to go out exploring on our days off – perfect! That was until Fred had an accident, fell off a ladder and hurt his back – this has subsequently brought a lot of problems – first and foremost his inability to work and as the job was a joint requirement for us both, it has meant I was also forced into unemployment and subsequently we no longer had a base,
He then had the devastating and totally unexpected news of the sudden death of his ex-wife – this has been incredibly hard to deal with, particularly as he has been ostracised by the ex’s family and their influence on his son, but it also put pressure on our new lifestyle and raised questions on the suitability of this new venture we were on. A small silver lining was the return of Fred’s dog, Megan, back in his life. He had suffered greatly losing his dog in the divorce last year, so it was with great joy that she was able to be reunited with him.
A brief break away visiting my family in America to celebrate my nephews graduation was again met with sorrow as yet another sudden and unexpected death in Fred’s American family occurred, this meant him having to stay in the US longer than expected and again brought home the reasons why we had originally set out on this adventure in the first place – “life is too short” - so here we were back at the start again, embarking on an adventure of campervan life, but this time, no job, no home, no base…. Well, that wasn’t strictly true, we were welcomed back into Em’s mums’ arms, and allowed to park up temporarily in her garden in Lincolnshire whilst we worked out our next plan of action.
Then disaster number three…. Megan, her time had come, she had been diagnosed with an inoperable tumour last November and was given weeks, maybe months, to live. The fact she had lasted this long was amazing, but she had suddenly turned, after being with us a month, making some amazing memories and sharing our adventures, her once happy go lucky face and natural bouncy spring had suddenly fallen flat and we knew it was time. Time to say goodbye and this was yet another crushing blow to Fred, another chapter coming to an end.
So we sit in our campervan, reminiscing old times but also realising how quickly things change, how fleeting life is and how suddenly it can end. This just makes us even more determined to ensure our new life’s adventure continues.
But how is campervan life? Well…. we are still adapting to the restricted size and space available to us – not helped by Fred’s 6ft 2” height and his head gets a fair beating!! We are beginning to perfect our dance around each other when we want to move around in the space we have – I am sure in time it will become almost graceful in appearance! The daily chore of having to make and put the bed away, fold all bedding in a particular way, to ensure it fits in the limited space available is almost therapeutic. Learning to cook meals on just 2 gas rings and a grill with a limited capacity fridge and freezer – which is only allowed to work when you are either on mains power or travelling on the road, as otherwise it drains the leisure battery – yep we found that out the hard way! To be more resourceful with water, as you can only carry so much onboard. Food shopping is easier though as you can only buy what is really needed, so no impulse purchases as again space is very limited. Showers are a luxury and to be savoured and then there is the “how do you fund all this”.
The "how do you survive and make a living?" question is one we get asked a lot, which at the moment, is something we are still trying to adapt to and make work. With no regular income now and Fred suddenly unable to work because of his back, he has been forced into early retirement. We are hoping his pension pot will be enough to keep us afloat and enable our travel adventure to continue, but only time will tell. However, not one to just sit back and do nothing – something I have never been very good at - I have set up my own company in the hopes of working remotely, so fingers crossed on the success of that - feel free to go check it out HERE - and I welcome any work if you have any.
But in the meantime, do we ever wish we had not given up our jobs, our house and general 9 to 5 humdrum of life – heck NO! We have no regrets in what we are doing, the adventure we are on or where it might be taking us, there are some things we miss, but this life is making us understand more and more that your supposed needs for possessions is not essential to a happy life. We have experienced more in these last 3 months than anticipated and yes we are loving it. I know this life isn’t for everyone, it takes some adapting to, many sacrifices and adjustments but this lifestyle can be so rewarding both mentally, spiritually and physically and that is worth way more than the humdrum of my old life.
So, our adventure continues….
Thanks for reading 😊
Em & Fred x
Footnote: We would also like to give a shout out to a certain facebook group who have helped us in our quest, the information, and kindness of this group has been invaluable at times, so if you ever feel drawn to this lifestyle then check them out!!
This is a social media group and we do not have any affiliation to any individuals or organisations in this group.
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