After dreaming about it for several years, trying out different styles of camping, and perusing used sales since last summer, we have finally taken the plunge and purchased a camper for ourselves. It’s a 2022 Coleman Lantern, it’s 25 feet long, and it’s got all the amenities we wanted: a permanent bed, a couch, and air conditioning. It’s got plenty of other things, too, but those were the things we identified as most important to us.

Let’s look at some photos!

This is to the left of the door. Kitchen and dinette on the left, sofa and bathroom on the right.

To the right of the door is a queen sized bed. I’ve already got it set up with our own bedding, including this quilt that I made with my quilting group many years ago. I love it in this space, it adds a lot of color to a very neutral color scheme.

Directly opposite the door is the bathoom, which I have also already personalized with a colorful shower curtain and towels. It’s tiny. Really tiny. But it’s got what we need and it will do.

A detail shot of the kitchen area. The sink is silly big, I’d have preferred more counter space. But there’s a 3 burner stove and an oven and a microwave overhead, plus a decent amount of cabinets.

A dinette was something we had decided we could take or leave. As it turns out, this floor plan included it and I’m not sorry. It will be a good place to sit and eat but, even more importantly, a good place for playing cards and other board games.

A couch was something we really wanted. It’s perfect for coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening. The center back cushion folds down and has 2 cup holders and a flat surface, perfect for snacking while watching television – which is directly opposite the couch and above the dinette (you can actually see the edge of it it in the photo above). And the refrigerator is there to the right of the couch. It’s nice and big and there’s a tall cabinet next to it that will serve as our pantry.

There are a lot of features to learn and we haven’t towed a camper in quite a while but I think it will all come back to us. Plus, a lot of things are automated now like the stabilizers and awning which will makes things easier. We don’t have definite plans yet for a camping trip but we’re hoping for at least one short and one longer getaway this month plus a weekend in September and hopefully October, too.

And if you’re wondering about the name, here’s the story. Our song is Moon River and there’s a line in that song about my huckleberry friend and wherever you’re going I’m going your way. Huck just seemed like the perfect name for our new camper and all the adventures we plan to have.

We’re very excited!

Dale and I were married twenty-five years ago today. It’s our silver anniversary and it truly feels like a milestone. And, while I can distinctly remember thinking that we’d be old if we made it to the 25 year mark, now that it’s here I have to say that I don’t feel one bit . . . older . . . than I did on our wedding day. I feel wiser. I feel more confident. I feel respected and seen and heard and loved. But not older.

I don’t recall anyone ever asking me what the secret to our marriage is, although I know there are people who observe us with awe and envy, who remark on the joy we find in each other, who say that they want what we have. My only advice for anyone joining their life with another, is to find a partner who makes you laugh. Find that person who can turn a tense or difficult moment around, who can do something silly to lighten the mood, and (probably most important of all) can make you laugh at yourself.

Why is this my advice? Because things are going to go wrong. The car is going to break down. The kids are going to get sick in the middle of the night. The job you thought was secure is going to come to an abrupt end. Family and friends are going to die, often unexpectedly. Someone might even . . . ahem . . . get hit by a car. And when all of those things happen you need someone by your side who can help you get through it, who can make you see the humor, who can help you find your joy again.

Dale does all of that for me and so much more. He is my rock and my helper, the person who listens to all of my stories (even the ones he has heard over and over again), my sous chef, garden assistant and bartender, and he loves me with every fiber of his being.

There’s a song from The Sound of Music called Something Good and I’ve thought about it so often since I fell in love with Dale and he fell right back in love with me. The lines go:

for here you are, standing there loving me,
Whether or not you should
So somewhere in my youth of childhood
I must have done something good

I don’t know what I did to deserve the love I have from this man but I sure am glad I did it.

Happy 25th Anniversary to my huckleberry friend, the kindest and most loving man I know, my Dale.

A long time ago, Dale and I were regular campers. It wasn’t something I grew up doing (my mother thought a hotel without room service was roughing it) but I was really excited to go camping with Dale. We had a small trailer and he taught me everything I needed to know about camping. Over time, our lifestyle changed, we started Civil War reenacting, and eventually we sold our camper. We’ve talked a lot for the past few years about getting back into it so when Hannah said the plans for her bachelorette weekend were to have everyone go camping we decided to go all in and . . . rent a camper van and see if this is something that would work for us!

The van I found was in NH so we drove up to pick her up on Thursday, camped that night on the north shore of MA, and then camped for the weekend in Plymouth with Hannah and her friends.

This van is a converted Chevrolet Express and I’ll say right up front that it’s small for 2 people. And, while there’s good storage for a lot, there’s no storage for things like clothes and extra food. Also, Dale couldn’t stand completely upright and that right there is a deal breaker in terms of what we’re considering for a purchase.

Those drawbacks aside, it worked out perfectly for the weekend. The bed is very comfortable and the solar panels gave us enough power for lights and other onboard amenities, like running water and charging capabilities for our devices.

We were mostly off the grid as there was very little cell phone service and no WiFi. Once I got used to not being able to check my phone for email and Instagram it was very nice to just be unplugged from all of that. And, while I had forgotten how much work camping is, and how much of camping is rummaging around looking for stuff, I really enjoyed myself. We learned a lot about what will and won’t work for us and, while I don’t think we’re quite ready to make a big purchase just yet, I will say that I’m fairly certain camping will be back in our life in the next year or two.

I mean, how do you resist something like that?

As for the bachelorette, Hannah’s friends went all out for her, decorating the campsite and planning special activities like tie-dye t-shirts for everyone. I didn’t take pictures of any of that but I did snag these two of my girlie that her friends took.

She’s very fortunate to have friends who get her and want to make her feel special and celebrated. And, as you can see, I think it’s safe to say she had the time of her life.