Starting Van Life ... With A Little Help From Our Friends

Since we picked up our new 2019 Hymer Aktiv 2.0, summer has been speeding by. We made a fun but quick dash up to Minnesota in order to see family and friends, celebrate graduations, and fulfill my work requirements as a supplemental nurse at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. With this quick "pack up and go", we didn't have much time to figure out the logistics of our new, more nimble lifestyle.

So as we got closer to the Minnesota border on Memorial Day weekend, I realized that I had more questions than answers ...

• Where would we park Baby Minne Beest?
• How will we take care of basic needs like a showering, doing the laundry, and cooking??
• How are we going to live in such a small space???

Yes, I am good at letting questions get the best of me sometimes.

As He has done many times in the past, God once again calmed my fears ... first through the smile and new sense of joy that shines on the face of my husband. Doug has been over-the-top in love with Baby Minne Beest since he drove her off the lot. She is easy to maneuver, fits into (almost) any normal size parking space, and promises us a lifestyle of less planning ahead and more exploring.

Overlook at Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area, Lodi, Wisconsin

The second "gift" of reassurance came via a text message from a dear friend a few days before we arrived in Rochester. She did not just invite us to stop by for a visit, but she and her husband opened ...

... their driveway,

... their kitchen,

... their garden,

... and their home to us!
(Only one catch ... you need to be NDSU Bison Fans :-)

Go Bisons!

We met our welcome crew consisting of ...

Luna,

Louie,

Archie,

Callie,

... and Zoey.

Doug quickly became Zoey's favorite friend since he took her for afternoon walks while all the other humans were at work. Even the deer passing through their yard in the evening seemed to like to hang out a while with the new visitors.

During our time in Rochester, my days were filled with getting back up to speed at the hospital, taking a few classes, and catching up with friends. After busy days, it was sure nice to come back "home" and take in the beauty of the flowers in Mary Beth's garden ...

... and spend time laughing and reminiscing while cooking up a feast or debating the "art" of downsizing.

Doug and I have learned a lot in the past few weeks about living in the smaller space of our new "home". As we start to figure out this new and different RVenture style, I look forward to sharing our experiences. But, to start out, I want to share our first valuable lesson that we have learned about van life ...

...that we are grateful to be able to get by with a little help from our friends!

Thank you to all of our dear family and friends who, through your kindness, have welcomed us "home".

From our first "campsite" in Tami's Panama City driveway,

to a reunion with cousins in Wisconsin,

to a silly tribute to a special graduate,

to numerous gatherings of friends,

we are blessed with friends

who help us smile brighter,

wander longer,

ponder deeper,

and pause for that perfect picture.

They plan future travels with us,

and make us feel part of the group.

They wine and dine us,

and just let us hang out in their back yard.

Friends are the people ...

who always welcome us back.

Cheers to you, dear friends!

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