Monday, July 15th. 11:30 AM
It has taken a few weeks of practice and effort but this camp life is very nicely coming together. Good timing, to coincide with some better weather.
Each day, the first thing I do is a full body tick check, some situps and pushups.
Then I check on my water supply. If I were out of water, then I would hop on the bicycle and head on down to the car, where I have my 19 Litre reserve. I fetch 7 Litres at a time. I’ve got about 1.5 Litres left right now, which will be just enough to see me through the day. There are spicy lentils left over from last night, for supper.
If I needed to fetch food, that would be on my list of things to do and I would plan my day around it. I have enough food here to get through until tomorrow afternoon, gladly.
Whether camping or not, I have learned a while back that I need to plan out my meals for the day, first thing in the morning. Make sure I have everything planned and ready to go for lunch and supper time. Otherwise, I will be anxiously spinning my wheels about meals for too much of the day, eventually procrastinating in a panic at supper hour, until I am exhausted and starving and still without a solution by 8 PM or even later.
If I do not have a set plan for meals from the get go, it will always be in the back of my mind, weighing me down all day long. To make a habit of planning meals first thing in the morning is something that helps manage my eating disorders, just one part of a larger puzzle.
There are a few chores I will do every morning, while camping. First thing is to get the kitchen area ready, with everything I need out of storage, so that I do not need to walk around the camp back and forth. Put a pot of water on to boil right away; we will need hot water each morning for coffee, dishes and bathing.
The bedding needs to go out into the sun for a couple of hours. The weather has been very damp and this definitely helps to keep the mold and mildew at bay. I have mold allergies and I need to take care.
Last but not least, the solar panel and battery need to be setup in the sun for the day. I rely upon this energy for computer work, for the phone and the flashlight.
It took me an hour and a half to do breakfast and a few chores. 15 minutes to bathe. If I can get everything ready and eat inside of 2 hours, that is a fine enough morning, camping or not!
Now, I am at work in the tent, enjoying my coffee while I try to quickly write this post. The mosquitos are vicious, this morning. Perhaps later, I will carry the chair out into the shade and continue my work out there. Soon, I will need to make my daily trip to the latrine.
The tent is not too bad this afternoon; it is a bit warm but it is half in the shade, even at half past noon! The sun shines down through the leaves; lights and shadows dance on the walls. The wind in the trees sounds beautiful and there is even a tiny bit of a breeze blowing through here. It is a bit sweaty but not unbearable. This makeshift recliner is quite comfortable to sit back in with the little laptop. I am really enjoying it, for the moment.
Optionally, Tuesday through Friday, there is the comfort of the library in town; I can bike there in the morning and then back again in the evening. It’s a very beautiful bicycle trip through farm land countryside; a bit extreme on the way back, pedaling up the mountain in the July heat.
My water reserve at the car is empty so that means a drive to the spring, later. Perhaps a trip into town with the car, too! It’s kind of exciting to drive into town, when it’s only once a week.
On a rainy day, this here morning routine is a bit different, as you can imagine. In extreme weather, I can carefully setup a little stove in the tent vestibule and boil my water there, out of the rain.
Simple meals with minimal dishes are best, for now. A few boiled eggs each day. Hempseeds, chia seeds and peanuts with a cup of milk to make a very nutritious bowl of cereal. An orange and an apple, maybe some berries. There’s nutritious breakfast and lunch taken care of with minimal fuss.
Supper is planned out and the evening is mine to do however I feel. Midday, for me, is perfect for focusing, as long as I have such a routine in place.
1:00 PM
It is very challenging and important for me to keep a very tight, efficient morning routine; if I do not have that in place, the rest of the day will fall in suit. So I make it a practice, almost like a dance routine, if you can imagine. When my mood is good, it is easy enough to achieve. I can handle quite a lot of extra stress when my day-to-day life is in check.
My mental state and mood has not been that great these past few weeks; just trying to keep afloat, really. When my mind starts to go in that way, I need to focus moreso on becoming well. Mindfulness, meditation, considerate thought and writing are where I will focus my attention when I am not feeling well. Without putting enough effort into settling my mind, I will not be able to get to sleep and I will lose control of my healthy habits and start spiraling down into a very dark place.
Unfortunately, I have a variety of disorders to manage. Stress and anxiety are just a couple of things that I need to constantly assess and keep in check, in order to stay happy and healthy. Without effort, I will descend into total chaos.
Pretty sure I have avoided disaster, once again; it has taken time, focus and effort. Friends have helped. Once again, just today, I am feeling optimistic and constructive. Out now, to build, for the rest of the day.
3:00 PM
It is breezy and beautiful in the shade, under this pine tree. Very few bugs, right at the moment. The battery, computer and the phone are all plugged into the solar panel. Happily working away on websites until supper time and maybe after.
I have had difficult days but today is better. Please enjoy this small photo album. That is all for today.
