Not all those who wander are lost
Date published 11 August, 2019
One Rainy Day. Followed by more rainy days
All 'vanlife' pictures must be taken in glorious sunshine, with amazing backdrops, of course.
Now wandering around, living in a van, is brilliant. We obviously think that. But it is not sunny every single day.
I am writing this in the van, listening to very heavy rain bouncing off the roof. This is the third consecutive day of doing this!
And you can see the picture of the field which is home this week. The brook at the far end of the field has become a little too full, and some of the water has fallen into the field. It is not like this today, of course. You cannot see as much grass as that today! We were going to sit it out, but the rate of water rising increased and we had to move to higher ground, and here it is fine. But still raining.
We have not actually stayed in the van for all 3 days, though. It is wet, but not cold, so a pair of plastic flip flops and shorts seems better than boots, and we have managed the beach, a walk into Seahouses, and a walk into Beadnell. Legs dry quickly, and your get used to sploshing through puddles - or into the sea - very quickly!
But the reality is that you spend more time inside the van if it is like this. Walking outside in the rain is fun, but eating out in the rain is less fun!
On days like this you remember why you choose the interior layout you did! And why you put the stuff in that you did. A few games. A couple of decent books. In our case, a laptop so I can write and keep pace with work tasks.
I noticed something else, though, as day 3 of heavy rain unfolded. Whilst the pace of this kind of life is hardly stressful, it had slowed down another gear. I was actually resting from my resting. You learn not to be bored. You can read. You can write. You can reflect. Well, actually, I could reflect in the surface of the rising flood water now, too!
So hear we are. Parked outside the field on some gravel, listening to the rain, watching the field disappear, and planning another expedition into the weather. The rain eased slightly whilst I was writing this too.
Although, as I hit the end of the last paragraph the soothing noise of rain on the roof increased back to its earlier volumes.
Obviously, I preferred 4 days OK when I was sat in that field with hot sun on my face. But this is still a situation that can be enjoyed, if I so choose.
And I do. I choose to enjoy it. I reckon I could take that way of thinking into other areas of my life.
We are happy snappers!
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