Togetherness 5.23.21
On this, our 35th wedding anniversary, I thought
I would give a glimpse into our home life on the road.
We are still learning about how to travel for a longer
period of time. We have learned, for
instance, that we don’t have to live out of a suitcase or use a small travel
kit for toiletries. There is enough
storage space in the trailer for these items, for two people. We have learned to occasionally get out of
each other’s way even in such a small space (the Burro has about 22 square feet
of floor space, not counting the dining and sleeping areas). After all, throughout most of human history
people have lived in small houses of one sort or another – igloos, tipis,
thatched huts, log cabins, dugouts - so we should be able to adjust. It is a question of getting used to a
different way of doing things and a different way of finding personal space.
We have a distinct division of labor. LCR takes care of the hooking and unhooking
of utilities, physical and plumbing issues with the trailer, though I do know
how to do those things if necessary. I
take care of keeping the interior clean and tidy, laundry, dishes most of the
time, and brushing out the rugs which must be done every few days, especially when
it is wet, muddy or dusty.
When we’re not driving or sightseeing, both of us have work
to do on the road. LCR has a law
practice that involves research, court filings, the occasional zoom meeting and
client communications. I just brought my
law license into active status so I have to catch up on CLE requirements, which
must be completed at the end of June. I
also spend time writing, reading and working on craft projects. We each have an
“office” – his in the dining area and mine in the sleeping area. As the attached photos attest, this
arrangement is quite comfortable.
In very nasty weather, we have even learned to exercise at the same time in this small space, trading floor and bed space when necessary. The current cold, rainy Midwest spring is testing our tolerance with our accommodations.
One adjustment that is an ongoing issue is that we move at different speeds. LCR says I need to perfect “the art of the dawdle.” He is a master at just sitting and being, which he says everyone should do from time to time. I concede that I am not as able to be in the moment, that I spend too much time being preoccupied (worrying is such a strong word) with whatever comes next. Therefore, the same tasks take us very different amounts of time. One of my goals for retirement is to learn to slow down, take it easier and enjoy the here and now.
Another factor is that we eat at different times in the
day. I’m a breakfast person. He is not.
I’m a three meals a day person.
He usually is, but eats his first meal at anywhere from 11 a.m. to 1
p.m., “lunch” at 4-5 p.m., and dinner … sometimes as late as 10 when I’m
thinking about brushing my teeth and turning in. One strategy around it is that
we keep nutritious snacks in the car, such as nuts and raisins, tortilla chips
and bean dip, dried fruit and my new favorite snack, salmon jerky, so that one
of us is not uncomfortable when the other does not want to stop for a meal.
With those insights – surely more than you ever wanted to
know – I’ll sign off. It’s 5 p.m., time
for … late lunch? Early dinner??
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