Perfection in imperfection: one month into the caravan life
Updated: Aug 29, 2022
Post-break up I've been trying a new type of mindful living, one where I don't try and be perfect. One where, if I haven't got everything in order and functioning within 5 minutes of arriving, I don't beat myself up.
And you know what? No one has died, the world hasn't stopped turning and people don't seem to think less of me.
In every one of my relationships, I've found myself changing to be that person's 'perfection' and ended up losing myself and my confidence in the process.
Trying out the caravan life has been the 'perfect' opportunity to practise just being in a state of disorder and enjoying the imperfect journey.
I'm exactly one month in as I write this and, today, I finally got gas for cooking as well as running water. And a bin.
Younger-me would have fretted and stressed over the lack of cooking and washing facilities. Slightly less young-me just ate fancy cheese and crackers whilst listening to jazz music, and showered at work.
Dancing is a great way to keep warm when your heating doesn't work in March...
It helps that I'm living in a very peaceful place with a bunch of really lovely (more experienced) caravaners. The head of this pack is a true socialist - let's call him The Wolf - and he embodies community spirit.
The Wolf is also supremely practical and ordered me a gas canister, water filter, water pump, and moved my rented caravan to the sunny side of life on the site.
Things you need when you start living in a van
Took half a day to clean this "cupboard"
The Wolf did initially explain to me how the toilet cassette worked when I first arrived. In my complete caravanning ignorance, I mixed up the 'toilet flush' with the 'broken water pump' and concluded that that meant the toilet. didn't. work.
Thus I spent the first two weeks doing my ablutions in the Heath with the dog.
Life has improved since then.
Stay tuned for more caravan adventures and the mishaps which are inevitable in the coming months.
