In the morning i will snuggle with the sun as she tries like an impatient lover to wake me. Her early warmth will seep in, slowly coaxing me from my bed. i like to wake up but not to get up, so i’ll roll around about it a while, taking the window covers down so i can see the new morning. Depending on where i’ve parked, this often ends with me simply tumbling to my feet out the rear passenger door, amused.

My day begins with a”morning spritz”, as they say, and simple sustenance—oatmeal and coffee—usually cooked over a propane flame in my little water-boiler. i’ve only recently started to build fires for only myself. A few months ago, camp neighbors treated me to the sweet joy of a morning fire; sometimes now i like to indulge in it alone. It feels like a form of hygge in this quaint, strange life. i gather the wood from around the site, arranging it to build a small combustion that creates warmth and heat unevenly but brilliantly, like a romance. Predictably, the fire goes to smoke before i’m quite ready to put it out.

Some days after breakfast it’s time to mosey on down the road. When i’ve found a good site, i stay put as long as i have enough drinking water to do so. Neither staying nor leaving limits the way i spend my days, which is not at all unique. i stare at nature a lot, especially birds. i talk and text with loved ones, go for walks, stretch, dance. i read, write, and create small beauties. i happily watch downloaded TV. i talk to myself all the time, and while driving i sing my little heart out. i always try to make sure i know before dusk where i’m staying the night.

Where i’ll park to sleep is a matter of locale. A lot of places are unfriendly to overnight freeloaders, so i will wander off the beaten path for something subtle. i understand that in this particular little vehicle i could probably easily park anywhere, but i am notoriously bad at being woken up. A knock on my window seems truly nightmarish. It’s not a risk i’m willing to take, if i can help it, though i expect it is only a matter of time before i face this fear.

i prefer to park alone in the wilderness rather than a well-lit parking lot, but there are too many other factors for any further blanket statements to make sense. Everywhere is different, and i won’t scoff at a truck stop. It’s ultimately a game of pros and cons, the variables of which are woven intricately. i like to be able to put my tent up and see the stars out my window. A private place to pee nearby is helpful. Other factors include, but are certainly not limited to: level ground for sleeping, facilities/water access, traffic, privacy, noise, weather, the intended use of the area, et cetera. The most exciting situations are when i have human neighbors, overnight or otherwise. (The notable among these usually get their own separate write-up.)

These past few days i found a stream skirting a tiny peninsula to make my home. It took me no fewer than three dance songs to find level parking; by the time i exited the car a nearby camper was coming to check that i was okay. We laughed at me together, and i knew i had chosen my spot well. i slept under stars especially bright as the moon waned to new.

In the dark that now settles so long after i’ve tucked in, i listen for animals. Often i am pleasantly rewarded with frog songs, coyote howls, night bird calls, and hooting owls. One spot had donkeys, another horses. Although it used to be a big part of my nights, no longer am i bothered by rodent guests—i finally found a way to make them feel unwelcome that doesn’t involve podcasts blaring into the darkened wilderness.*

Once in the depth of a waxing gibbous night somewhere on the Pacific coast, i went to scoot from my bed out the rear passenger side for a quick pee. When i opened the door, there stood a skunk, not two yards away and totally illuminated by the moonlight. We both froze before i quickly slammed the door again. It decided not to spray, and i gratefully chose a different exit to do my business.

Every day is similar. Every day is new.

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*See the post titled “simply brazen” for details.