Tuesday, October 25, 2016

October RV Trip


This past week I did something I had always wanted to do, but felt so guilty about wanting to do it. I rented a 30ft RV and drove it down the California coast with my dad and two kids. It was a guilty pleasure and I enjoyed it very much.

My secret wish was that my husband might join us if we had an RV with a bed, stove, and bathroom included. He has some PSTD surrounding camping due to his time in the army. It is not the relaxing joyous experience it is for myself and  the kids. For him it is a stark and intense reminder of a time in his life that he would rather forget. Or it is a very believable and untouchable excuse for him to get out of camping with his family.

Whatever the reason I have come to the conclusion it is not an activity I can force upon him. He will have to decide it is worth the mental effort to overcome his past and make new and happy memories with us surrounding camping. I want him to do it now. I want him to come with us to the mountains and the coast and enjoy being away from home. But considering the stress of his job and how happy he is to be home feeling safe and secure I don't see it happening anytime soon. In the meantime I have figured out how to do camping on my own with my kiddos. It isn't the same without him, but it isn't so bad.

As I drove that bad boy out of the parking lot and started down the highway my heart was pounding and I was on the verge of tears. What in the world was I thinking! I am driving a 30ft vehicle in mid-morning traffic in the middle of Silicon Valley! I started singing to myself and worked on breathing. I stayed in one lane and went a reasonable speed. As I pulled onto our street and in front of our house I felt like I was going to be ok. I had taken on something I wanted to do even though it scared the crap out of me and I did it!

I got much better at driving over the next few days. My husband drove down to meet us one morning and we did a beautiful hike all together. He drove home and slept in the security of his own bed. My dad enjoyed the time with the kids and they had a blast exploring the outdoors and enjoying the comforts of driving down the road sitting at a table putting together a puzzle. It was a good week.

I realized after the trip that my dad had to overcome a level of stress regarding RV's and their menace to the general public and earth. He was able to put aside his bias against such vehicles and enjoy being with his daughter and grandchildren despite his negative emotions surrounding RVs'. I realized that my husband had made a great effort to support my wish even though it was not something he wanted or could even imagine enjoying.  I had overcome my fear of driving a ridiculous sized vehicle on my own. And my kids had managed to just have fun.

This past week was a reminder of how many blessings I have in my life. Often I forget how lucky I am to have people who support me.  I sometimes get caught up in my version of 'how things should be' and forget to appreciate 'how things are' and that often they are much better than I realize. Yesterday was my first day back to 'reality' after a week of vacation. I was very much caught up in 'how things should be' and wanted to forget all about 'how things are'. This morning after some mediation I realized things are just as they should be. I am moving forward, slowly staying in my lane, and working on my breath. I am carving a path of my own and I am so blessed to have the support and love of my family for every step. It isn't always easy, but it sure is fun.

I hope you are having as much fun on your own RV trip!!

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