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Happy Vaniversary, Coach Betty! . . One year, 15k miles and countless memories of incredible sights and opportunities! I'm unable to count the number of nights I spent in this van. At times I've called her home for just one night and at other times, she is home for a week or entire months. I worked tooth and nail to keep my house in AZ after getting divorced. It was the location that brought me peace, comfort and where I felt safe. And yet, in the spring of 2019, I continually found myself sleeping out in my backyard- hungry for nature, adventure and a big sky overhead, that beckoned me to pursue infinite exploration. With that wanderlust, I scrimped and saved - with the goal to afford closing costs, savings for maitenance and the cash to buy my van outright. Wasting no time, I flew to Missouri the same day I refinanced [to own my house solely outright] to buy this van. This old 1992 beauty set my soul free last year. By calling her home, I was able to rent out my house for extra income, allowing me to afford travel, chase ideal weather and meet new people. When I lost my job, it was the financial answer I didn't know I'd need. Like a true house, her walls have held laughter and tears and yet her wheels have rolled over terrain that many will never see. Mouthwatering meals have been cooked in her kitchen, while the view out the window is rarely the same. I've closed the curtains on mountaintop sunsets, peeked out the blinds as the Milkyway spilled over the desert and opened the windows to greet oceanside sunrises. Whether amidst towering pine trees, soaring saguaros, crashing waves, cracked salt flats or rolling dunes of sand, Coach Betty has confirmed that home truly is where your heart is. I have no doubt future adventures are in store and I look forward to what lessons she has to teach me in the coming year. . . 2nd picture was from my first day with her, taken one year apart (May 17) . . . . . #vanlife #vanliving #vanlifegirls #vantravel #vanlifedogs #vandwellers #econoline #coachmanrv #coachmancaravans #forde250camper #fordvanlife #fordvan #econolinevan #vanlifeadventures #saltflats #bonnevillesaltflats #bonnevillespeedway #saltlakecity #saltlake

A post shared by Angela | Resilience Educator (@outdoor.angventures) on May 22, 2020 at 3:51pm PDT