It’s been about 5 weeks of learning to live on the road and there are a few things I’ve learned, mostly about myself. From parking in a local campground so I could get a bit more comfortable with Silver Girl to wandering through the mountains of New England there are a few things that stand out for me – besides the scenery, gorges, waterfalls, and gardens. Here they are in no particular order.  

1. I’ve been driving more than I prefer. There aren’t a lot of places to boondock for long periods of time in the Northeast. So, my boondocking stays have been 1-3 days. I use Harvest Host and Boondockers Welcome. They’ve been awesome, but I feel I’m moving about more than I’d like. Campground fees add up…so I keep those for when I want a little more convenience.
   
2. It’s taking me a while to get a rhythm to this. I’ve been settled into home living for so long, I had a regular morning practice that I continue to do on the road…but not everything always fits my morning depending on if it’s a day I’m leaving a place and the departure time. I haven’t figured out when or how to shop for this yet or how to keep the space tidy.  This reminds me of when I was working and in school. Each semester felt impossible when I started until I got into a rhythm with work, home, and classes that felt natural. It’s not feeling natural yet. (also not judging this as good or bad…it just is).
   
3. The mountains are gorgeous and the waterfalls and gorges are incredible AND I MISS THE OCEAN!! I’ve always loved living near the ocean, and for me, there is something about being able to see for miles that gives me a sense of vast possibilities and the comfort of home. What can I say…darling, I love you, but give me an ocean view! 
   
4. My method for travel at the moment is to choose a location to boondock and then find interesting points to stop at along the way. Since I am driving more than I thought I would, I’m now looking for boondocking locations that are in close proximity so I can do more exploring in one area. 
   
5. My gut is better than my GPS. I stopped at Valentine Farm Conservation Center, part of the Mahoosuc Land Trust off Route 2 in Maine. They have really great walking trails but for me, the icing on the cake was the pollinator garden. Remember, I’m a gardener without a garden at the moment. No dogs are allowed in the garden…but I was able to get some photos and videos. They have tropical milkweed there and hundreds of monarch butterflies. It was amazing. Anywho…following my GPS out of the parking lot, I thought I should go right but GPS said left. I followed the GPS even though I was sure taking a right was the shortest distance out of where I was. Mu gut was right. 

This got me thinking about how we often dismiss our own intuition in favor of popular opinion or cultural norms. I laughed when I got back to Route 2 and saw that I was 8 miles back from where I’d come from. My gut was spot on! Not that going back a few miles is a big deal at all…it took me out to a rest area where I could stop and see what else we could find along the way. It just so happens another waterfall was on our route.

Learning to trust your gut doesn’t come naturally to most of us. We didn’t learn it as children, and it’s not practiced in general in our culture. But what I know, although I forget too, is that my feelings are important, they matter, and tuning into them is the real GPS for life.

I am truly missing the ocean (almost as much as I miss Brian). So, I’m boondocking my way to the coast of Maine and will spend some time in Acadia and then meander down the coast making my way to RI for some mid-September appointments.

Happy trails with love,