Dispatches From the Campground
We're Tworking (Trailer Working)!
Today’s earworm:
It still seems like we just bought our travel trailer, but the truth is she is three years old this summer. In those three years we’ve had some pretty fun adventures. We’ve always wanted to see if we could do actual remote work while on the road, thereby adopting a much more geographically carefree lifestyle. So this week is a true test of that hypothesis We’re out at Golden Gate Canyon State Park Sunday through Thursday to see how remote working or trailer working, a.k.a. “tworking”, goes. (This is Greg’s term, BTW)
It’s Wednesday and I would say “so far, so good”. We are constantly tweaking our set-up to insure success. My work (such as it is) doesn’t require day-long Zoom calls and high-speed Internet access like Greg’s does. So in anticipation of this trial run, he purchased a cell phone boosting antenna. It’s called weBoost, if anyone else is interested in a similar set up. We’ve also been bringing our home internet along for the large amounts of data needed for his workday. Although it’s working, this is probably not the final solution. There is something called TravlFi that we’re going to test out next. Perhaps all this is just to say that we’re doing everything possible to avoid purchasing Starlink, an Elon Musk-based product. We see a ton of Starlink in the campgrounds, BTW. Ultimately, this may be how we have to go, but for now we’re testing out the alternatives.
I have been busy with my “awakenment” activities, which are largely creative in nature. Reading, journaling, planning my writing class curriculum, creating crosswords, being in tune with nature. Today I attended a haiku writing workshop given by a naturalist here at the campground. It was so good! I’m not entirely new to haikus, but it was still a very fun morning activity. Here is one I wrote:
nature’s grip is strong
the twisted pine sags earthward
bent by unseen force
The haiku is based on a tree I saw on our first day here while out for a short hike. It’s very dramatic and you have to wonder just how this happened. And it’s still green!
Anyway, it was a really nice way to spend the morning. Nature has such a way of providing healing and just a few minutes spent listening and observing can make a huge difference in one’s outlook. And bonus: I met a woman who is part of the Denver Bicycling Touring Club and she gave me information to learn more about it. Sounds like it could be a fun group for some casual rides.
I was also able to enjoy some time in our new camping hammock today. Mom and Dad got it for us for our recent anniversary. It’s collapsible and really quite comfortable! I’m reading a great book called Playing Big by Tara Mohr. This book was recommended in a nine month long seminar I attended online. It’s about how women often fail to trust themselves and find excuses not to follow their dreams and put themselves out there with authenticity. It’s got a lot of good practical advice, so I am definitely recommending it to anyone who needs to hear this type of guidance.
In between haikus and hammocks, I gathered some rocks and made a little surprise for future campers on our site. I know that a lot of people consider dragonflies a “sign” and I hope that this finds its way to the right person.
An intention I set for myself for this week is to create a new crossword puzzle. I crafted my first one a few months ago with the goal of getting it published in the New York Times. Well, back to the drawing board. I mean, it’s not realistic to think that your first try could hit the jackpot. I also submitted it to Apple News and they said it was a “near miss”. Not bad! You might think this sounds like a failure, but to me it’s encouragement to try again. I know I can do it! But because it’s a new process with a bit of a learning curve and there are so many steps involved, it’s a bit intimidating, so I figured being out here in the solitude of nature would help me clear my head enough to get started on a new one. Looking at the blank page is always daunting.
But I’m happy to say that it worked and I have the beginnings of a new themed puzzle. I built the grid and put in the words (the hardest part, IMO). Next, I need to add the clues. My dream is that I can “twork” on crosswords from anywhere we travel as my little side hustle.
For dinner tonight: Sloppy Josephs. It’s a Sloppy Joe, but made from scratch, so much, much more formal. Ha. It may actually be more of a Sloppy Josephine! It’s pretty amazing what you can do in a tiny camper kitchen.
Goodnight from Golden Gate Canyon State Park!