There have been so many things I’ve wanted to write about this week, and I think that if I could do this daily, I would. Maybe someday I will. Today marks our first week in the bus with the first day being our anniversary. I think it’s a bit romantic but mostly I am happy to have an actual reference point to help me remember what day we started this adventure. The bus was finished just in time before it got too cold, and we are realizing now just how cold this winter is going to be. Luckily we invested in a couple of negative degree down sleeping bags that we use in addition to our down comforter, down jackets, and fluffy pillows. It’s a cozy little nest of awesome. Sleep is important, and we are definitely not shorting ourselves on comfort even with our limited space.
Something that’s been a little disappointing is that our wood burning stove, albeit badass, has a hard time staying ahead of the cold that seeps in through the metal of the bus and the single paned windows. Today while it’s sunny we are adding foam insulation on the metal, and window insulation to see if it helps at all. Hopefully it does, or I might be trying to convince Matt that we want to head south for the winter. I’m sure once I strap on my new ski boots and start exploring the backcountry, I will be completely convinced that it’s all worth it.
I feel really blessed to have such an amazing support group as we’ve started the bus life. As much as I want to consider myself a dirtbag climbing bum, I love hot showers and clean clothes. We are lucky to have amazing friends and families that meet these needs. I think Matt could survive all this in a bit more primitive style, but I have appreciated everyone’s generosity.
We are currently enrolled in a WFR (Wilderness First Responder) course, which is has been awesome, but between the certification course and work, we have kept pretty busy this week. Hopefully, over time, things will slow down and we can spend more time living simply. My favorite nights have been setting up camp early, starting a fire, and listening to Matt read to me. These are the moments when I realize just how lucky I am to have such an amazing partner. I’m excited for all the time we get to spend together this year. I’m excited for the bus life and where it will take us.
Simply Mountain People 