After viewing seven vans, test driving four of them, and researching countless more online, the perfect one immerged! It’s a 2003 Chevrolet Express G1500 and is tall enough to stand upright in it, assuming you have a tiny stature. It also has Bitxh Love carved into the side, which feels like an appropriate name.
It’s currently in the shop, getting its clean bill of health, and the anticipated cost, purchase price and repairs, came in way under budget. The mechanic said the van is solid, and after they fix the minor things, it’ll be road-ready as early as tomorrow.
There has been bursts of needed downtime, a trip to two of the old schoolhouses, one turned into a high-end coffee and tea shop, and the other a pizzeria and winery.
This shift in the journey wouldn’t have been possible without the parents. They provided housing and food for the last week. They’re taking in Solo. My step-mom turned what could have been a week-long transaction, and countless hours of driving back and forth, or even bus ride after bus ride, into a one day stop by donating her time and energy, driving the three hours one way, and waiting patiently while the van was test-driven, negotiated on, and purchased.
Because of all this graciousness, the road has now come into focus faster than anticipated, but with the world currently turning on its head, there are some new obstacles.
Everything and everyone is shutting down. The original landing pad for a couple of months is homing two compromised immune systems and an elderly woman. While my health has been good, it doesn’t negate the risk of exposure that comes with traveling. Even if that wasn’t a factor, their driveway is also in the deep throws of mud season, and the Bitxh Love is rear-wheel drive.
Thankfully, there’s are temp situations for shelter upon arrival, but this still puts things up in the air more than my writer brain is comfortable with. The original plan was to land in one spot until the semester winds down, which would free up the needed mental space for all the intense work Goddard requires. Yet now, all this gray matter is trying to figure out how to live comfortably in the van almost immediately.
Is it possible to self isolate, stay warm, fed, and get school work done? Getting Bitxh Love registered in Vermont has to happen in the next week, as the temp tags expire on the 22nd. Heating is also a factor for the next two months so getting a space heater makes sense, but it needs to be safe, so that takes research, as well as setting up a make-shift kitchen. Then there’s finding a safe place to park that’s near public facilities, like a gym.
It’s so much, but it’ll get done. It always does. It also means visiting people when Vermont shines its luscious face through Bitxh Love’s windshield might be more than a hot minute, so be patient. Things will unfold as they need to, as they always do. Until then, stay warm and wash your damn hands.
My Year In Motion 