Notes from the road...

So some of you may remember Milly, from one of our earlier posts. Milly is my 1964 Avion project, that's currently sitting on the back forty collecting dust... and dreams. I started work on her, stopped work, started work, stored Christmas decorations and despair, and am now starting work on her again. These vintage camper projects are work. And some of it is fun, and some of it is just work, and the end result is worth it. I realize I won't find much sympathy here though, because a lot of you are saying, "If I had that awesome trailer I would work day and night on it, and never complain, and just be completely pleased as punch. I wish I had one, but I can't even call myself a glamper because I can't afford one, don't have space for one, can't find one on Craigslist, work too many hours to even think about it..." or whatever your reason is. And they are all valid reasons, my friend. But my concern is this... the idea that you can't be a "glamper" until you buy your camper. That simply isn't true.

Just like Milly here, I hate dreams that sit on shelves and collect dust. Dreams are meant to be lived. I see the phrase YOLO everywhere, and admit I had to go check the urban dictionary (buyers beware, there is tons of stuff on there you DON'T want to know, but I digress) and it said that YOLO means "YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE." Well, I can get behind that sentiment a thousand times. You only live once, and if you're here reading this blog, if you've joined our Facebook group or liked our Facebook page, if you've ever seen a camper pass you on the highway and been tempted to follow them to wherever they are going so you could ask if they'd adopt you... then you my dear ARE already a glamper.

I don't think you have to own a camper to be a glamper. You don't have to own a tent. You don't have to buy a kayak, or a pair of boots. What you need is a sense of adventure, an appreciation for the stars in the sky and the great outdoors, and a dream of hitting the open road. Sunday or someday, it doesn't matter. If you have a gypsy heart beating in your chest, and the desire to hang a chandelier anywhere Martha Stewart would balk at... you my friend are a glamper.

You don't need a budget or vacation time to join the Glamping Nation. You don't need a destination or a bank account. You don't need a road buddy (although it's sure nice if you have one), or an air mattress. As far as I'm concerned, you can work with what you've got, and go glamping on your lunch break if that's what floats your boat.

What do I mean by that? I mean taking that old quilt you have in the closet and building a blanket fort in your own backyard. Making s'mores on a Sterno can while you look up at the sky and see if you can find the Big Dipper, or one last glimpse of that hunk Orion before he goes away for the summer. I mean you take your lunch to the park, and eat it off real dishes in the middle of the day, with a vase of wildflowers. I mean you buy those camper dish towels at TJ Maxx, and put them by the sink in your kitchen, and dream of the day you have your own. I mean you put a piggy bank next to the bed and you put your pennies and wishes in it, so someday you can live the life you want. But here's the catch, if you wait until SOMEDAY to live the life you want... you're going to be living a looooooong time in a life that isn't the one you dream about at night when you fall into bed exhausted, wondering if you locked the front door and remembered to put your phone on the charger.

You are a glamper, sweetheart, and you deserve all the best the road has to offer. You don't have to go far, being a glamper is a matter of soul - start where you are and see where your journey takes you. And don't forget to be completely fabulous along the way. And that thing about not talking to strangers? Yeah... remember that. Don't talk to strangers, only say hello to new friends you haven't met yet instead.

Keep calm and glamp on sisters. We're chasing some amazing dreams down the road to share with you, as we prepare the first issue of Glamping Nation Magazine. I can't wait for you to read the stories we have to share... but you have to have a subscription. Lucky for you, we're giving them away for free right now - click back to the home page and fill out that itty bitty "Subscribe Now" form, and if that won't work (because sometimes it just hates us) send me an email at blog@glampingnation.com and I will personally put you on the list, because trust me, you will not want to miss it!!