Observations

For those that can’t imagine the pleasure of Rving, let me describe the gratification. When I awake in the morning, I have that pleasant disorientation of not knowing where I am but I savour the plush comfort of the feather bed below, the warm duvet on top and the cool breeze from the open window. The desert gets quite cold overnight. As reality clarifies, I realize that the day is to be spent purely on pleasure with none of the responsibilities and worries that creep in at home. Housework is minimal; cooking is simple. We’ve found ourselves fairly tired of restaurant meals and delight that we can easily prepare our favourites in the tiny but efficient galley. A fresh fruit bowl is always brimming with our favourites. On a travelling day, we stop for lunch at a scenic spot, put the kettle on, make a deli sandwich or salad and glory in our freedom. Each day, we discuss whether we should stay put another day or so, or move along. We pull out the maps and decide where to head. Nothing is mundane; every day is unique. And all this is experienced from our home with our little dog beside us. We still dream of travel to exotic destinations but that will be our holidays; this is our life.

When the wind blows in the desert, it whips up sheets of sand that suddenly bombard you. You end up with grit in your eyes, ears, hair, and teeth and inside your clothes. At night, it howls mysteriously and the sand creeps in the vents and any open windows, leaving a coat of grit over every surface. It is like walking on sandpaper. Luckily, the days we were there were mostly calm.