LIFE TO THE FULL

Our life is “on full” right now. It’s that feeling when you have a tank of gas and the open road, or when you’ve just finished some carnitas tacos and your stomach feels full to the brim. It’s not that we have this “completeness” feeling (I don’t think anyone arrives there) or like life is all sunshine and roses, but it feels full. Our bus is packed to the max with our entire life in 60 square feet along with three people and a business. So needless to say, the bus is full. But beyond physically overflowing, Shelby and I have this feeling of fullness. Full of life, full of joy, full of emotion and, just like our life, it’s stuffed to the top.

Something I learned over the last year or so is that babies require a lot of stuff. For being such a tiny person who doesn’t take up a lot of real estate, they sure do come with a suitcase bigger than anyone else. And so obviously this journey would be significantly easier without a little one running around. Shelby and I laugh about how much more space we would have or how much easier it would be. But we both agree that with Daisy on board, this adventure feels more full… in a good way. Doing something like this with kids is not the easiest route by any stretch of the imagination, but there is a sense of abundance with having her here. Like our cups have been poured to the top. And so our exhaustion is packed to the top and our bus is loaded up, but also our joy feels like it has a newness, our laughter takes on a new light. Yes it is stressful and we have had to get real creative sometimes, but our love for our little one is filled to the brim as well and it just makes everything feel like you just ate those delicious carnitas tacos and all you want to do is sit by the fire with some good friends and have a good laugh.

I was reminded of this a couple weeks ago when we were in the little town of Manistee camped out on the beach and we met a guy who worked for the city. He was working near a parking lot that we were staying in and he noticed my bike so he came over to check it out and we got talking. He had quite the adventure story. I noticed his Scottish accent, so asked how he ended up here. He said in his epic, old Scottish voice, “oh thats a long story.” He proceeded to tell us that he came to The States to do some climbing in the Northeast. After being here for a couple months, he and a friend purchased a cheap, small car and headed west to climb across the country, ending up in Yosemite Valley. He was a big wall climber out west for years. He told me he was retired most of his life and so now he’s going to work till he’s dead. We were telling him about our adventure we were beginning and how we have a little one and in his poetic Scottish accent said, “ahh that’ll just make it more fun.” And I was reminded that I really wouldn’t want it any other way because the way that kid looks at you, you couldn’t trade it for the world. I think our new Scottish friend knew what a full life was all about.

For Shelby and I, it’s the little things that build up and become something beautiful that the idea of what full is to us. We know for sure that a life without modern conveniences, a washer and dryer, for our ever messy baby and full kitchen will be and have proven to be difficult. Its funny when we pull into campgrounds and people stare, maybe ininterest, maybe reminiscent like our scottish friend, and probably simply weirded out by us, ha. But these are the things we document in our brains, and remember as a little family, and laugh together. Because sitting around a campfire and taking this step back, and looking at the life we have in front of us, with few material things, it actually is a lot. It is actually packed full.

So we have made some tweaks to the bus this past week and now we are off again, headed north for the Upper Peninsula and for some climbing, sight-seeing, and hopefully to sell some art as well. The bus has a few upgrades like solar panels and some new organization to it. We are looking forward to some quiet middle-of-nowhere campfires and late night snuggles with Daisy in our little green bus. We will post current pictures on instagram @greenbusandus- follow along!