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October 04, 2020

Home.

It’s been a few months since I’ve posted an update. I just haven’t really felt like sharing. 2020 is continuously proving difficult to navigate for us all, and updating my blog hasn’t felt that important. It still doesn’t really, but writing has always been an outlet for me, and in times when the words don’t come easy are the times I find I need it most. Plus, one of the better things I’ve done in the last few months is build a fancy new desk in Fran and it’s giving me all the motivation I need to sit and write! I can’t promise it will be any good or worth reading, but I’ve never cared too much about that anyway :)

When we quit our jobs, sold everything, and left our home in San Francisco, we thought of our van solely in the terms of our adventure vehicle. An all-in-one accommodation and transportation vessel that would take us, our dog, and all of our things from Canada to the bottom of Argentina, providing shelter along the way. In our minds, Fran was a means to an end; strictly utility. We fully anticipated that when our journey came to an end and we made it back to the states, we’d jump back into "normal" lives. You know, move back to the city we love so much and jump right into the tech scene again. Settle down, have babies, yada, yada. But our journey didn’t come to an end. It got cut short because of COVID-19, and the world as we knew it when we left in March 2019 is no longer the same. To be clear, we’ve fully accepted the fact that the South America portion of our trip isn’t going to happen, and we’re completely OK with that! Trip being cut short = not an actual problem. But the whole returning to "normal" lives thing… we’d be lying if we didn’t say we weren’t struggling with it a little. What I mean is… what’s normal anymore?? There are mass exoduses from cities across America. Densely populated areas are not exactly safe or enjoyable to be right now. Most tech jobs have moved to WFH models for the foreseeable future and therefore aren’t conducting in person interviews. Seeking stability in a city where nothing feels "normal" just doesn’t feel right at the moment. Enter our change of perspective on Fran :)

Since returning from Panama, we’ve been spending quality time with friends and family (read: living with them :)) while taking some time to come up with a plan for what’s next for us. The truth is, we still don’t fully know. But what we can say for certain is that, as of right now, Fran feels like home. Our means to an end has been our only constant the last 1.5 years and offered us some semblance of stability which is exactly what we need to move forward in this next season of our lives. She may not be stationary, very big, or have a seemingly unlimited supply of water but she can take us to beautiful places, provide us shelter, and the rent is very cheap- which is great! Because when you don’t have a job, cheap is necessary.

When we made the decision to continue living in Fran for the foreseeable future, we also decided to give her some TLC and upgrades we’d felt would make her more comfortable to live in. On Zach’s wishlist was a propane system so he didn’t have to worry about the battery health so much. Note: induction cooktops are power hogs! Also note: I never looked at the battery ha. We under mounted a 30 lb. propane tank and inserted a stationary two-burner stove top. Now we can practically cook anything we want, as long as we want, whenever we want. We also wanted a passenger swivel seat and additional table/desk. I’m currently sitting in the seat that I installed, writing on a table top that I made, and I couldn’t be happier with it! Maybe I’ll take advantage of this remote working environment that the entire tech industry has seemed to move to and I can WFV (work from van) at my new desk for a little while :) And lastly- a toilet. If we were going to keep living in the van, I needed a toilet. So we did that too! It’s not like an actual toilet. It’s more like a chair with a hole where your butt goes and a toilet seat on top, and it’s LIFE CHANGING. (Thank you, Kevin, for listening to my horror stories, aka bathroom emergencies, I've encountered over the last year and a half and immediately sending us our sweet toilet. Everyone deserves a dad as great as you. Even if it was so you'd never have to hear another bathroom story again :))

It’s almost been a week since we’ve been back on the road. I don’t know what it is about the van, but being in it makes everything feel OK again. GOOD even. Like I have something that resembles control over my own destiny in a year that seems to be spiraling so far from reach. In 2020, I’ll take that as a win.

PHOTO DUMP FROM THE LAST THREE MONTHS:

Our first stop was Washington DC to spend time with my best friend, Clarissa, and her husband Evan.

My best friend, Clarissa. Hiking through Great Falls Park, Virginia.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington, DC

Hiking in 2020. Shenandoah National Park

Clarissa making me pose with her in frigid waters. Shenandoah National Park.

Expectation.

Reality.

Shenandoah National Park

BLM Plaza. Washington, DC.

Brick side walk, bricks were taken during protests.

Whitehouse in the background. Trump got his wall.

BLM Mural. Washington, DC.

One of our many delicious dishes made in DC.

Crab boil....

Zach's New Orleans BBQ Shrimp.

Clarissa and Evan's cute backyard. Washington, DC.

Zach having a very serious conversation. And me being very serious.

Game nights with the Hughes.

Zach <3

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Washington, DC.

Clarissa and Evan

Love them.

Then we made it to Alabama to visit with Zach's family.

Blakely State Park. Spanish Fort, Alabama.

Survived my first hurricane!

Mobile Bay. Fairhope, Alabama.

An old friend from Arizona, Shari, who now lives in Coastal Alabama. Loved catching up in Magnolia Springs!

Mobile Bay. Fairhope, Alabama.

Our first socially distant concert! With Zach's momma and step-dad.

We were giddy to be listening to live music again!

Socially distant date with Gammy.

Miles was loving all the snuggles and AC he could get.

And of course hanging out with his uncle Joey!

Having drinks with Jay (Zach's dad) on a Tuesday, cuz he's newly retired!

And couldn't visit Alabama without visiting the barn.

Got to meet and hang out with Zach's aunt, Nita, and her family!

Zach and Jay went on a camping trip in Northern Alabama!

I also flew out west for a few weeks to travel around with my brother in his Subaru. We mostly camped and spent time with some of our Colorado family.