Sad But Thankful
We’ve been in Texas for awhile now. We left Carlsbad, NM nearly a month ago and have been sucked in by this big lone star state. It’s been a really crazy month for us. We’ve noticed a huge shift in these last few weeks. It’s kind of hard to explain.
Since coming into Texas I’ve honestly been a pretty down in the dumps. I knew it was coming…our trip heading East for a few months. We had planned last fall to come to Indiana for a specific reason, but then those plans changed and we were left with having to decide if we stay West and explore the area that we love so much, or do we keep the original plan and head East to visit family and friends.
The truth is, there is something special about being out West that just makes us feel alive. The endless hiking opportunities, the dry heat, the dusty roads, the free camping. We’re missing it big time right now.
Of course we are super excited to see family and friends - but honestly I feel like we’re more ourselves when on a back road in the middle of a dusty field surrounded by the mountains and creosote bushes, hiking among the towering sequoia and dodging the jumping cholla.
The thought of leaving that is really bringing me down. Our food and campground budget is all out of whack due to the lack of free camping in central Texas and honestly, we’ve gotten lazy. There is no appeal to hiking in suburbia. There are so many people, so many houses, so many businesses and I just feel a little suffocated.
If you’re on our email list, you may already know that we’re on our second week of not being in our Airstream which is just amplifying all the negative feelings. We’re jumping around from one AirBnB rental to the next and it’s exhausting. We’re currently in a HUGE house and I haven’t seen the kids yet today. They’re somewhere upstairs enjoying the space and the multiple TVs before our day gets started. Some would love that but not me. I miss our home. Our sweet, simple, tiny home. There’s something so special about being so close. Having everything you need inside a 28x8 foot trailer and surrounded by the ones you love so dearly. Fingers crossed we get our shiny home back this weekend.
I’m trying really hard to be thankful. To find joy and beauty where we are right now but it’s hard y’all. Traveling has, in a sense, ruined us. Being able to just hitch up our home and move when we don’t like an area has seriously ruined us.
We are so used to the simplicity and freedom of our tiny shiny life that every facet of the suburbs grates on every last nerve we have. We miss being able to choose what climate we want to be in and what view we want out our front door. If it’s hot, we head to higher elevation. If we want to spend a week at the beach, no problem. If we want to hang our hammocks among the towering pines, let’s do that! But this being stuck in one busy, VERY BUSY, town has seriously taken a toll on my mental state.
What do you do when you’re feeling so down about the situation you’re in?
Today I’m listing things that I am thankful for! Light streaming through windows, quiet moments in this huge house, the smell of honeysuckle bushes near by, a truck that runs, healthy and happy kids, a husband who loves his family and works so hard to make this life possible, a washer and dryer on site, gas in the truck and food in the kitchen. There are so many things to be thankful for and listing just a few can have the power to change the course of the day.
So, while we’re still a little sad that we’re not out exploring Arizona, Utah and Colorado right now…we are looking forward to spending some much needed time with family and friends. Just 30ish more days until we’re parked in Knoxville and I’ve already got some hikes planned! Until then, we’ll keep our list of thankful for’s close by and remember that soon enough we’ll be back in our tiny home, heading west to explore all those canyons and mountain tops once again.
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About the Author
Ashley Longnecker is the fiercely independent tattooed and dreaded half of Tiny Shiny Home. She's a woodworker, photographer and maker of delicious baked goods. She loathes schedules and makes every day an adventure.
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