a night in the van

Can you believe this? Look at where we're staying tonight! What? According to my journals, I've stayed overnight in the van in approximately 93 different locations since the beginning of this year. In van life, there's a saying, home is where you park it. For me, these spots have been cracker barrel parking lots, a few rest stops, a handful of paid campsites, but mostly just a lot of free dispersed camping, otherwise known as boondocking. And every time I find a new spot that's both free and has an incredible view, I'm reminded yet again that I've only just begun to crack the surface. Look at this view! What the fu- Here we are. Parked, just off the highway, this gorgeous view. I think that's probably like the absolute best thing about van life, car camping, living out of your vehicle ever, is you just, you just pull over. That's it. You just pull over, and you park, and you're stopped, and you're there, and that's it. Wow. I can't get over this view. I'm so distracted right now, I'm trying to reel it in. This is where we're staying for the whole night, and get a wake up to this. It's a little ridiculous. It's a little ridiculous. Since making the decision to live out of my van full-time, change truly is my only constant. Everything around me is always changing, and for the most part, I really like that. I ended up only staying one night here, it's just a random pull-off on California's Highway 1. I was heading north and decided I was done driving for the day. Every night, I always put up my window coverings for privacy and a little extra insulation. I call this my sorta van life evening routine, because depending on the day and where I am, a few things sorta tend to change. Surprise, surprise. Sometimes I dance, sometimes I sing, I really love drinking tea, but on this particular eve, I went for a hot cup of cocoa. Maybe two. Some nights, I wanna rock out to my favorite tunes, while other nights, I just want silence. Many nights, it's a bit of both. For me, I've found that my evening routine is far less about what I'm doing or when I'm doing it, and way more about how I'm doing and how I wanna feel at the end of the day. This isn't a rule of mine, rather, it's just something I've noticed since being on the road, which is that on the nights I have little to no cell service, I'm just so much more present. Some nights, I do tuck in early and zone out watching YouTube videos or a show on Netflix, ain't nothing wrong with that, but the truth is, I'm happier out here, cheersing the sunset, reflecting on the day, and giving thanks for all the people I love and all that I have. I've struggled with mild acne my whole adult life, and for a long time wasn't in the habit of washing my face at night, but now I'm really trying to look out for future Anna by taking better care of my skin. I use a simple face wash and moisturizer, and that's it. Anything that's more complicated than that, I just never seem to stick with. I wish I had better vision so I wouldn't have to deal with contacts, but unfortunately, I've been blind as a bat since second grade. When it starts getting really dark, I'll set up my blackout curtains and instantly my tiny house on wheels feels more like a cozy home. This is all my heart desires. I wish you could smell this right now. I don't know if anyone else can relate to this, but it seems I'm somehow both a night owl and yet also an early bird. I really only need about six or so hours of sleep each night. Maybe it's just the way I'm wired, but for whatever reason, I've found that some of my best ideas or times I feel most inspired come after the sun has set. I can be editing a video until two in the morning and not even realize how late it is. I enjoy getting lost in a good book late into the night or I'll watch a favorite movie to unwind. But above all else, I've found that writing in my journals before bed is the most cathartic practice that works well for me. When I don't do it, I feel like I struggle a lot more to get to sleep because of all the thoughts still swimming around in my head. Eventually though, it's time to brush teeth, floss, put up my last window covering if I haven't already, and call it a day. Then it's back on the open road tomorrow. California, I love you, but you are killing me with these gas prices. $52 on 11 gallons of gas. Ouch. Okay, okay, okay. I need some poppin' music to lift this mood. All right, can I figure this out? Oh, you are so dang beautiful. That literally was the end of my floss. I can't floss with this. What? If you're wondering, did she spill her hot cocoa on herself? Yes, yes indeed I did. I did do that. That's chocolate on my leg. Oh, it's that golden hour, baby. We looking nice. We looking nice. That ocean view with the sun going down. Chef's kiss. Oh, here we go. Here we go. Here we go. The best things in life are free. Don't sing. Don't sing. Don't sing. I'm getting so distracted. Oh, I can't stop smiling. My cheeks hurt. Life is so good. Life is so good.