Evelyn created a name some time ago for the new baby: Sayla.
She originally wanted to name her “Trailer”—that’s just how much she enjoyed
camping in our old trailer—but when we objected, she was proud to have found
the solution as a name that sounded similar to her first choice. As we’ve
transitioned into a Fulltime Trailering Family, we suggested that her creative
name for the baby instead be bestowed upon our new home. She was really
excited! She said our new trailer could be named “Sayla”, absolutely! And so,
we have a name for our new home, and we’ve officially “Set Sayla’n”.
Of course,
Evelyn was most excited that now she could name little sister “Fettuccini” instead, but
that’s another matter.
We are nearly two weeks into Sayla being our new home now.
It’s been a crazy month of sorting, packing, donating, storing, and organizing.
We’ve had as many emotional bumps as physical as we’ve compartmentalized nearly
twenty years of living in a home in order to transition into this life. It was
not an easy ordeal, and for me at 7-8 months pregnant through the process,
helping to make it all happen and keep the waterworks under control had its own
challenges.
 |
| Our House is Officially in the Rear View Mirror! |
But here we are. I’m typing this sitting on the couch in the
trailer—Sayla. I’m looking out the windows over a field that spills into
wetlands and then crawls up into the hills. The sun has not yet risen and the
sky is a soft shade of periwinkle spreckled with soft clouds. Emmy, the sweet pit bull, is snoring in her
bed at my feet. Crows are cawing overhead and birds are just beginning their
first songs of the day. The baby is kicking the day into gear from within,
seemingly as content with the peace and quiet as I am. We have arrived.
 |
| Home, Sweet Home (for this week!) |
It’s nice to enjoy the quiet and simplicity now, but the
first week out wasn’t nearly as serene. We started our journey by pulling the
new trailer away from our newly vacant house on Sunday, July 17. Our
destination was Doheny State Beach, the very familiar locale of our annual
camping trip with friends and family. We pulled in after dark and Brent did
beautifully parking the 42 foot home in a blessedly larger spot for the
campground (and our favorite, site 3). Friends and family immediately welcomed
us despite the late hour and were excited for the official launch of our new
life.
The days that followed were filled with the challenges of settling into a
new home—one that needs electricity and water hooked up to function at its best
in a place that does not have those things to offer. Brent drove 150 miles in
the next couple of days just gathering the parts he needed to get the solar
panels up and running enough to keep our residential fridge running on battery
power. Then, he spent hours either on the roof or under compartments getting
the wiring in place. I sweated and swelled up in the heat, cursing the lack of
air circulation in our new trailer, keeping fans running when and where I could
to find some comfort in the new home. Evelyn’s dog, Heidi, got sick and
christened our new bedroom with two urine stains and three vomit stains. I
cursed a lot. Cousins and friends kept Evelyn busy breaking in her new bedroom
and play loft, adding a fair amount of healthy chaos to the week, but their
presence and role in helping her find pride and comfort in her new home were
priceless. The week didn’t start to feel like a vacation until the last two
days but we knew all along it was different—this was our new life and home, not
just a vacation anymore!
 |
| First Camp as a Fulltime Family-- Site 3 at Doheny |
 |
| Some Family Fun at Doheny |
 |
| Us at Doheny |
When we pulled into Prado Regional Park in Chino on Sunday,
July 24, it was like a breath of fresh air: open spaces, rolling views, a
concrete patio pad, and most importantly HOOK-UPS. With the air conditioning
inside breathing new life into us, we turned on “Monsters Inc.” and enjoyed our
first down time as a family in our new home. We enjoyed the evening as the city
lights of Corona emerged in the darkness, shimmering over the hills and
wetlands behind the campground. We were finally getting settled.
 |
| Our View, Day One at Prado |
It’s been 100 degrees this week. I wish that could be
different. Despite this, though, we’ve visited the splash pad here twice and
have had welcome visitors from cousins to friends to enjoy the time with us. We’ve
spent time outside, playing baseball, throwing the ball for Emmy, taking walks,
riding bikes, and playing in the small inflatable wading pool we brought as
Evelyn’s make-shift bath tub. We’ve taken in sights we wouldn’t have seen in a
normal day at home: peacocks, skunks, coyotes in the fields behind us. We’ve
seen lots of cows as there are more dairies still here in Chino than I’d
imagined. We’ve stopped to look at the old planes at the Chino Airport and are
planning a trip to the museum there next week.
We’ve actually visited the house a few times this week removing
the last of our belongings. It’s vacant. It feels as familiar as an old friend,
though it feels good to have drawn a line and set it off on its new life as we’ve
set out on ours. Evelyn has asked when we’ve been there if we can go back to
the trailer, making me happy to know she’s making a smooth transition into this
new home.
 |
| Enjoying Her Bed and Best Friend, Heidi |
 |
| Evelyn's Room, Decorated Herself |
 |
| Enjoying the Play Loft |
We enjoyed a supportive and love-filled celebration
yesterday. Our family and friends held a “Great Adventure Party” for us,
helping us celebrate our new home, upcoming travels, and new baby—all a recipe
for a great adventure, to be sure! We left with a labeled map of locations
recommended to visit, an annual pass to America’s national parks, lots of
generous gifts, and most importantly the love and support of the people we are
blessed enough to call our closest friends and family.
Of course, the first huge step in this transition has
officially been climbed and staked: moving out of our house and into the
trailer. We still have the next huge transition on which to focus: having this baby!
I’m 36 weeks along yesterday and she’ll be here in four weeks (give or take, of
course). We can finally start shopping for the bare necessities we’ll need to accommodate
her now that we’re getting the lay of our new land. Maybe we can finally put
more thought into what her name will be! That might be nice!
 |
| Brent, Me, and Baby at the Adventure Party |
What is our plan from here? I canceled the week we would
have spent again at Doheny this week in favor of extending our stay at Prado,
though we did keep the upcoming weekend at the beach. From there, we’ll move on
to a two week stay at Jurupa Regional Park, where we’ll be a bit closer to
Yucaipa if the baby should arrive early. For the last two weeks in August, we’ll
be at Yucaipa Regional Park, which is two miles from the birthing center. We’ll
be there during the window she is actually due, so we’ll see if she cooperates
with our scheduling. Labor Day weekend has us settling back in at Prado, where
we’ll stay through the middle of September. After that, with a 2-3 week old
settling in to our family, we’ll hit the road.
Our first leg of the trip for the Fall will take us from
Arizona up through Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Then, we’ll
head back south with the destination of Oklahoma in our sights, where we plan
to spend some time parked on my dad and step-mom’s ranch through November into
December. We’ll set path back to California for Christmas. As winter descends,
we’ll plan a new path, either sticking to the west coast or traveling along the
south where the weather remains moderate. As for specific destinations, we don’t
have many original thoughts!
Would you care to add to our “Bucket List” destination
guide? To where should we “Set Sayla’n”??
