May marks the entry of month two in the van. I could not be more excited to leave all of the chaos and excitement of April behind.
4/20 marked the turning point in my journey, a beautiful symbol for me.
I leaned heavily on the support of my family and friends when every day brought new challenges that I swore would make me lose my mind. They each gave me something different to hold on to. My favorite perspective on the chaos came from my father, who remarked that my journey was shaping up like the Odyssey – with an unexpected delay. I can’t resist a classic literature comparison, and it made me laugh about everything even when I didn’t want to.
But I can say now with certainty that it was worth it. The last two weeks have been spent adventuring through forests and beaches, fitting in hours of work in between walks, meditations, and glorious downtime. From the mountains of Shenandoah to the beaches of Delaware, it’s been what I dreamed the van trip would be.
I’ve been reading more again, which is always a joy to get back into. I love to read but easily fall into the trap of wanting to consume entire books at once, and ignoring them entirely when I can’t do that. I had plenty of time to read a book in day in high school and college, but less so now. But going months without reading even a single book is disappointing to me, and indicates that I’m likely spending too much time on social media.
I’ve been journaling more, but I haven’t been creatively writing yet. I’m trying to be patient with myself, to allow this adventure to unfold without pushing my expectations of what it should be or what I should be doing. This is, of course, significantly easier said than done but it is a practice I continue to return to.
I’ve meditated more this week too. Everywhere I’ve been has been colder than I hoped, which has made outdoor meditation and yoga challenging. I had high hopes that I would be unfurling my mat at every destination, keeping on top of my chaturangas and downward dogs. That has not been the case, but twice this week I’ve sat on the beach, soaking in the sun and listening to the waves for 10 minutes. My mind is out of practice and still the stillness feels good.
Honestly, that’s all I have for this week. It’s easy to pour out pages of rage and frustration, but contentment is quiet. And I am content.
