The First Night Alone

It’s midnight when I finally stop, so wrung out that I stumble a bit as I drop down on the steps.

Dancing on an Empty Highway

Trial RunCarson CostaOctober 28, 2019Canada, British Colombia, Nowhere, Highway, Driving, Nice Drive, long drive, Scenic Drives, Scenery, Beautiful Scenery, Beauty, Nature, Wild, Writing, Inner Thoughts, In the Moment, Adventure, Discovery, Self, Self-discovery, Zach, Vanlife, Views, Experience, Learning, Travel, Trial Run, Time Crunch Comment

Stepping Back in Time in Seattle

Basically, it’s educational, fun, affordable dining with great theming and a better view. If you’ve only got a few hours in Seattle, Smith Tower is the way to make the most of them.

Everything's Turning Up Roses

Arriving at Dave and Nancy’s house presented a slightly-terrifying challenge. And by “slightly-terrifying,” I mean I was fairly sure it was going to put a swift end to the trip.

The Problem with Jumping in the Deep End

I’m not writing this post to complain. I realized that this — everything being a total mess — is part of the whole experience.

I’m not failing at it, I’m doing it.

Trial RunCarson CostaAugust 23, 2019Self-doubt, Self, Self Improvement, Reflections, Problems, Mess, Mishaps, Advice, Crater Lake National Park, Overcoming problems, Solutions, Corvettes, Driving, Nice Drive, Smoke, Seward, Alaska, Learning, Library, Gordon, New Friends, Friends, Fairbanks, State Fair, United States, Experience, Changes, Ways of Doing Things, Writing, Catching Up, Rogue River Gorge, Casey State Recreation Site, Ocean, Travel, A Peek Inside My Weird Brain, Blogging, Cooking, Dirty, Exhaustion, Excitement, Goals, Giving Up in the Best Way, intervention, I'm late again, Inner Thoughts, Sink, Late, Losing my mind, National Parks, Oregon, Panic, Snow, Stress, Trial Run, Time Crunch, Tiny Living, Vanlife, Adventure, Zach, Amazing People, Blockbuster, Dream Come True, Dreams Comments

Spontaneous Side-Trips in Ashland, OR

The road took us past a large lake, then sloped up into the mountains, winding tightly along the cliff’s edge, bouncing up and down as the terrain demanded, tilting in places.

The Final Days Before The Pacific Northwest

Everything that I’ve been thinking about just to keep myself going for the last year and a half. The life I’ve been dreaming about is eight hours away.

I've Named the Van, and I'm Nearly Set to Go

The last week before I left was just as insane, because all of that was still going on, but I also had a lot of goodbyes to get through.

Cabinet Planning

No promises how long this will last. I think it’s both one of my biggest assets and greatest faults that I’m easily distracted and go through regular phases of serious over-achieving.

Pre-TripCarson CostaJune 26, 2019Appliances, Vanlife, Van Build, Blogging, Reflections, Self, Blueprint, Carpentry, Cabinets, Wood, Wood Working, Travel, Trial Run Comment

Progress Easing into Summer

Despite the distractions, I’m trying to stay on top of the build and figuring out how to work with some of the delays.

Pre-TripCarson CostaJune 17, 2019Electrical, Walls, Wood Working, Wood, Wedding, Travel, Trial Run, Planning, Heat, Warm Weather, Family, Visits, Tiny Living, Ceiling, Recesses, Charge Controller, Fuse Box, Curtains, Nancy, Neighbors, Amazing People, Thanks toComment

Construction 101: My Journey From Clueless to Clued-In

I don’t think I’d ever so much as touched a saw of any kind, I had no idea that 2x4 really meant 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches, and the descriptions of some of these screws sounded like gibberish to me (how can a screw be both a Phillip’s and flat? Why is it a #8 but it’s 2 inches long?).

Pre-TripCarson CostaMay 31, 2019Carpentry, Wood Working, Drills, Things Breaking, Progress, Problems, Walls, Flowers, Vanlife, Van Build, Furring, Framing, Learning, Sealant, Subfloor, Self-doubt, Inner Thoughts, Planning, Mishaps, Time Crunch, Tools, Layout, Trial Run Comments

The Open Road is an iconic image.