And in Conclusion…

Brrrrr! We had frost on our awning today, but we were cuddly-cosy in the caravan! The coldest November day for 6 years, apparently. We are reflective as our first year of unexpected adventures draws to a close and we head towards Christmas at Hunter’s Moon Caravan Club Site, Wareham.

And in conclusion – it is really difficult to write a conclusion.

We thought that we had lost everything when our working lives ended unexpectedly, but as that chapter closed, we realised that adventure starts at the end of your comfort zone.

After more than 30 years of targets and deadlines, we are getting better at not feeling guilty about getting up late, relaxing and doing as we please. One thing that we can’t drop from that ingrained working mindset, however, is that when we finish one trip, we need to have the next trip booked, so that we have something to look forward to.

It is – and always has been – The Law!

Mark told me that he had booked “The wol-SER-tl” for the winter. It was some days and much interrogation later that I realised that this was somewhere that we had stayed before – twice!

“You mean the VALSER-tal!” I asked. “Yes!” he replied. “That’s what I said!”

It was The French Batmobiles (battlefields) and The Bed Shovels (vegetables) all over again.

You would think that having spent four months in a caravan together, our communication skills might have been better! Perhaps that is why Ernest Hemingway said “Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.” Certainly we have weathered the breakages, near death experiences and, well, extreme British weather without so much as a cross word. We have also accepted that we are not smart enough to avoid getting stuck in the mud and that neither of us is sensible enough to take charge of keys.

So now that we know we’re going to the Italian Alps for the winter, we have been planning; stocking up on winter doggie clothing, researching doggie booties, paw wax and trying to buy wheels and winter tyres for our van. Although we had to go and pick them up in a storm, the wheels from Gainsborough were a lot more straightforward than the winter tyres, which were delivered, eventually, from Berlin (after 3 orders sent to 2 separate companies – who turned out to be one and the same company…!)

They say that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs and it would seem that you can’t make a caravanner without breaking quite a lot of other things – and that includes the rules!

Our lifestyle is unconventional, but we love it and are not sure that we will be changing it any time soon. We travel not to escape life, but so that life does not escape us and, although we haven’t been everywhere yet, it’s on our list!

So join us as we continue our travels into their second year – this time, taking our Pups on Piste!

We found it very difficult to find information about taking small dogs to a cold climate, so if you too are thinking of heading to the slopes with your furry friends, you might find Winterised World Wide Walkies – 10 Tips to Keep Chilly Canines Cosy! helpful!

A Guide to Getting Out of your Comfort Zone

We probably got too far out of our comfort zone due to circumstances beyond our control, but here is my handy guide to pushing your limits!

To follow our adventures in the Alps, please see Pups on Piste or see my Ski page for resort reviews and advice. 

And if you want to see if there is anything left to break, join us for our 2nd Year; From Calais to Slovenia – with Germany, The Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia and Italy thrown in!

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