Am I ready to try winter vancamping?

Our poor Paddy Wagon looks so forlorn sitting in the driveway. Cold, empty, and abandoned, it has no choice but to brace for an onslaught of freezing rain and ice coming our way today.

I miss traveling in the Paddy Wagon. I miss the sense of freedom and adventure and watching the constantly changing landscape roll past our windows. I miss the satisfaction of seeing Maya lying contentedly on her dog bed behind our seats as Pat drives, knowing she is so happy to be with us no matter where we go.  I miss finding fun places to stop and hike when we need to take a break. I miss the routine of being somewhere new every morning, sipping coffee from our travel mugs, and looking forward to whatever the day might bring.

As fond as these memories are, I can’t help but feel wary about traveling and camping in the winter, especially because the past month has been so dang cold. I’m not sure how comfortable it will be in the van if the temperature was in the single digits or teens, which has frequently happened in the past month.

Pat and I have watched YouTube videos showing bundled up vanlifers, who whoop with joy as they jump out of their vans with snowboards and skis in hand to hit slopes that appear to be conveniently located right where they are parked. I suspect Pat might be warm blooded enough to enjoy subfreezing snowy weather activities like that, but Maya and I would be sorely tempted to crawl under a mountain of blankets to avoid feeling the chill.

Nonetheless, Pat recently bought an electric space heater for the van and we have talked about searching for the electric mattress pad that is hiding somewhere in our house to put on the bed in the van. I think that as long as Maya and I can get warm and sleep warm, I am willing to give winter camping a try!

However, that’s not possible at this moment. I saw on the news this morning that RVs and trailers are not even allowed on the roads during this storm, which is so big, it encompasses states all the way from Texas to Maine. Even if we wanted to hit the road, we couldn’t possibly outrun or drive around its massiveness.

So, for the time being, we’re staying put and I’m grateful that our house has electricity, heat and a refrigerator full of food.  In fact, we are quite warm and cozy right now. Maya is curled up in front of the heating vent and Pat is baking his famous chocolate chip cookies.

Later today, we might find the Paddy Wagon encased with ice, but when I cuddle in front of a fire with a cookie and a cup of hot chocolate, I won’t be complaining.