Life Notes in the Margin

“Cmon Grandpa, walk with me through the Barefoot Kid Kingdom!” Landon took my hand as we stepped through the mid-summer’s grass at Base Camp K. It was soft on his bare feet, warmed by the sun. He expertly avoided each thistle hazard, as if tracking a carefree guidance system. One lap, two laps, then a third around the yard. I looked at my feet, sensory input muted by manufactured soles. My grandson chose the right foot gear for overland lawn travel. So I joined him! For the first time in many years I walked barefoot through the grass, childlike discovery rekindled.

We are an object in motion, rolling down concrete paths on our truck camper adventure. We stay in motion until we decide to rest. We have a few Base camps around the country, strategically located near friends and family. It’s a chance to refresh relationships and do work that’s piled up on the road. Base camp K is located in Southeast Wisconsin, where Marcia's parents are our generous hosts! I’m reminded of traditional housing benefits and costs at each base camp. We can shower with more than 6 gallons of hot water. We relax our diligence over fresh and waste water conservation. The dining table has more than four seats. I sink into a buttery-soft leather sofa. A big screen lures us with our favorite NetFlix and Hulu television shows. Reliable WiFi is pure luxury. There are many opportunities for accidental meetings and partings. I also see the cost of a sticks and bricks house. Lawn care, cleaning and unexpected repairs are continual challenges. Stuff is carefully acqui...

I love the warm glow of our camper nightlight. It was a farewell gift from our daughter Elizabeth, a little decorating touch with well wishes for safe travels. The soft glow of love and life shines through the heart shaped window. The trailer is off the hitch, symbolizing a home at rest for the night. There we are grounded, held in hearts and thoughts from far away. When I see it, I’m reminded that wherever we are, we are home.

On July 14th we stood at the starting line with thoughts, visions, dreams and goals for this truck camper adventure. We set out to hunt for cleaner air. Phoenix is a geographic basin, not a valley of sun, that swaddles lungs in a fuzzy brown cloud. We intend to be closer to family, friends and places that move our needle. We hold the spirit of adventure while we’re still durable. Our financial compass is set toward a tax friendlier state, to stretch our retirement dollars. We’ll do this truck camper adventure for at least a year, maybe more. We think we’ll find a new home base, build some kind of fixed shelter, and travel during the worst weather to someplace more pleasant. We hope to find our forever place, a place that feels warm, soft and comfortable, like a well-worn flannel shirt on a winter day. We are committed to being present with the adventure, not to worry about where cash flows. We adopted a travel mindset to flex our plan as needed, not to have a fixed destination or c...