Settling into our Compact Nomad Life
This whole experiment might resemble a huge vacation to some. And, to be fair, it often feels like one for sure - we are getting to experience so many new things, visiting parks that have been on my bucket list since I was a kid, and the kids having lots of outside space to run around. I love saying to them, when they are out of breath from climbing a hill, that their lungs are so happy to breathe in the clean air of the forest.
This is not all vacation though - this is our new home (which we are still setting up), Aaron is still working full time, the children are needing to be educated, they have music practice, and I am still trying to work as best I can, even if its mainly personal projects now. And the 4 of us are together, ALL OF THE TIME, in a very limited amount of indoor space. We have been training for this, right? Brooklyn was not spacious. I always said that in Brooklyn we had limited personal space, but the best public space. We’ve doubled down on this concept - since the best parts of NY are now unavailable (thanks Covid), we traded in even more indoor space for the great outdoors.
So how are we doing? Shockingly well actually. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Now, I’m not saying I’m Mary Poppins or the kids are angels - there is still bickering, there are still occasional tears. But to my amazement our family is much healthier than I feel we’ve been in a long time. We are hiking nearly everyday, exploring new places, learning new things. Found some tadpoles in the little pond - lets research life cycles of frogs. Need some more physical activity besides walking, lets grab the last two bikes at Walmart so you can ride around the RV park, asserting your growing independence.
The children are kinder to each other. They are generally more agreeable with us. We have time to enjoy them, watch them be kids, get silly with them - hell I even danced a few times with them this week. We are smiling a lot more. I don’t think this is because we are together all of the time - I think it is despite that. I firmly believe it is because there is no stress in our schedule. We don’t have school and classes and sessions and playdates and commitments. We are just doing what works each day, for us. And if the plan doesn’t work we change it. And it is so freeing and wonderful, and we are all happier and feel less stressed. We are learning some great lessons.
All of this together time can be distracting while Aaron works though, so I try and get the kids out in the morning for longer hikes. This particular hike here brought us through meadows, over dunes to the beach, and most memorably face-to-face with a herd of elk. Before setting off at the trail head we were warned by some locals the herd was afoot and to stay away from them. So when we turned the corner and caught sight of them - the does, the bucks, and the babies - we didn’t know how to best proceed. We had a 15 minute stare-down with them. Do we retreat, or tread carefully past them down the trail? A flock of about 12 vultures circled overhead - we were dead. After the herd displaying all of the territorial behaviors you’d see on a nature show I told the kids we’d have to backtrack and avoid getting any closer. At this point my kids were tired and hungry and argued with me. Only with the sound of me reprimanding my children did the elk finally bound off into the woods - but we remained on high alert for the rest of the hike. 5 miles this day - the kids did great!
