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Settling Into Simplicity: Finding Home by the Willapa River

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  After the storms, the snow, and the road miles—peace finally finds me between the river and the sea. After months of chasing clear skies and dry ground, I’ve finally landed somewhere that feels right. The past stretch through Eastern Washington was beautiful but rough being snowed in for what felt like forever. Cabin fever began setting in as I waited for roads to clear and fingers to thaw. Then came a soggy stay in a small ocean town in Western Washington, where the rain felt endless and everything seemed to drip, from the trees to my patience. Now, I’ve settled into a quiet little spot nestled between small towns, tucked up on a mountain near Willapa river. It’s rural, peaceful, and the kind of place where time seems to slow just enough for you to catch your breath. A new house is being set up as I write, a fresh start that feels long overdue. My son is homesteading on the property, and I’ll have my own space right there with him. There will be a cozy bedroom and a small flex l...
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Back After Pausing for Life, Travel and the Road

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 Sometimes, you just need to step back. Writing, reviewing, posting — all of it takes time and focus, and lately mine has been pulled in a hundred directions. Between hitching up the trailer, setting up at new sites, and learning the ropes of camp hosting, my “quiet writing mornings” have turned into coffee-fueled scrambles to find where I last packed the notebook. Traveling full-time in a trailer sounds dreamy — and honestly, it often is. There’s something freeing about watching the world change outside your window every few weeks. One day it’s the cool mist of the Oregon coast, the next it’s the red dust and wide skies of Eastern Washington. I explored new spots through my Harvest Hosts membership — wineries, farms, even the occasional museum parking lot. It’s such a unique way to travel; you meet real people, not just other campers, and you get a taste (sometimes literally!) of local life. But it’s not all sunsets and s’mores. Let’s be honest — living in a travel trailer tests ...
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Food! A Nomad's Choice

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 Surviving as a nomad or in a zombie takeover, aka, apocalypse, is about the same. One difference is having food that can be eaten right out of the bag or can. My list is combining both since occasionally, I'm sure, I'll have a way to fire up a grill, propane burner, build a campfire or have electricity to brew a real cup of coffee.  It will depend on my nomad set up once I hit the road, but in truth, this works for whatever I'll be living in. My food needs to be easy to store and easy to fix.  I have a large tub of Ready Wise dehydrated foods. I have two buckets with a variety of breakfast lunch and dinner but also individual packets I pick up with chili and even teriyaki chicken.  Most of these you add water, except for the dehydrated snacking peas (very weird tasting), but most the time, heating up water to make these won't be a problem; however, there may be bad weather or can't use the tiny propane burner days, so something ready to eat will come in handy. Mayb...
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Making Lists Checking Them a Bazillion Times

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 I'm trying to plan my upcoming nomad days and making lists. It started with just a few lists like necessities, but little did I know. that list would expand depending on who you talk to and what they feel is a must.  I have a huge notebook full of plans. For instance: foods to have. Then that expanded to foods to have if no way to cook but can boil water, no electricity so can't brew coffee, no way to build a fire...you get the picture.  Then there is the list of survival must. I had maybe 10 absolutes and now, that has grown to 22 and counting.  Then there is the list of things that are creative such as a large bug sprayer to use as a shower when boondocking. That has grown quite considerably. I have to remember, starting out will be in my truck with a camper shell. A trailer will come later and allow more room. Sure, I can store things in the shell, but I also have a cat and she will need space back there and be able to climb through the back window in and out and...
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 Here's the thing. I'm procrastinating with my blog. I killed my last blog even with a lot of followers since I just couldn't keep up. There were some really hard life lessons since 2018 and I gave up. I began this one to connect with others, share tips, awesome sites, blogs and just chatter...and then, I let it sit.  Sitting down to talk about my current situation isn't easy but I know, I need an outlet. Whether someone even reads this or not, instead of my head being full of rambling cloudy craziness, maybe it should go on paper.  Maybe I should blog daily about what is happening on the nomad plan. Is it even interesting or worth it? I don't know. I do need an outlet.  😐 Why in the world would I tell the world my business? I'm trying to make sense of where my life is going, especially at my age (63), and disabilities. Maybe someone else is affected by today's recession (yes, I believe we are in one), and may help them knowing they are not alone.  I have s...
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Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas Sailing August 29, 2022

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 Royal Caribbean Sailing Date August 29, 2022  Please excuse any grammatical and other errors. I'm slowly getting better and not quite up to editing. It's been quite a while since I've blogged and want to get back to it. Before sailing, it's required to answer questions and do prechecks on the RC app. Your sea pass will be loaded with your muster station and time for arrival. You will upload your covid vaccination, passport and answer health questions. A final email with your travel information will come with luggage tags showing your room number/deck, required to go on your suitcase(s) so they will know which rooms to drop them off. We opted to pre-pay for parking to the tune of $208! at the terminal (for RC, it's pier 91), since there are only 1,000 spots. A shuttle picked us and our luggage up and dropped us off at the terminal entrance. Our luggage was taken before getting into line. We went through three check points and then security somewhat similar to airpo...
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Free Samples and Recycle Ideas

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 Free samples are always welcome. Maybe you don't need the sample but a friend would appreciate trying the item.   Please keep in mind samples may run out-of-stock or the offers may end.  Enfamil is offering a Toddler Nutritional Drink  Free Sample . Fill out the form and the child's birthdate. They do not sell your information to others. They only use your information to send you gifts, discounts and information and you can opt out anytime.  sisalrugs  recommends ordering samples before ordering a rug and the first six samples are free. Just click on  Style Profile  and fill out a style profile telling them what you are looking for in a rug. They will send you six curated samples of sisal rugs they feel are the right fit. No obligation but if you love them, you can purchase on their site or give them a call.  Carpet Bargains  will give free carpet samples with a toll free call 1-833-383-0581. They offer over 150 styles of luxury v...
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