We've been on the road for one week today.Its so strange but that week seems like it has been going on for ages and we have been living in this caravan forever and at the same time, it feels like we have only just left home and there are still so many lessons to learn and adventures to live.
Like anything in life, this past week has been filled with bads and goods.
This is some of what we came up with over lentil bolognaise at dinner tonight:A bad is when it is raining, when the campsite is muddy and cold, when there is no jumping pillow and playground at a camp site, when Pepper wets the bed, when Jazzy snores, when Indi is moody, when you have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, when someone hands you your crop top and says they found it on the road, when little freezing feet wake you up too early in the morning, when someone stinks out the caravan, when there is no personal space, when the caravan feels like an obstacle course, when you spend half your life looking for things, when your heart is not in the project you are crafting, when all you want is ten minutes with noone talking to you or singing...
A good is when the sun is shinning, when it is warm, when everyone sleeps through the night, when no one coughs, when there is no code or key for the toilet, when everyone is happy, when we discover amazing places along the way, when Jazzy learns to ride her bike in Mildura, when I stop half way through a bike ride and look at my family ahead of me and realise that we are that family and I am one lucky ducky Mummy, when I get handed the first latte of the morning, when we ride six kilometers into town and realise we only have two dollars and then find fifty cent ice-creams and buy four, when there are no farm chores, when there is a glass of beer with dinner, when Miss Jazzy rides to the caravan shop with her purse dangling over the handle bars to buy herself a cup of mixed lollies, when we snuggle up and watch movies together, when the caravan feels as homey and comfortable as I'd hoped...That was one week, I so look forward to seeing what happens next.
Have a fab, adventure filled week you guys. x
Photo one - walking around the lake at Maggie Beer's Pheasant Farm.
Photo two - hanging out with Maggie's recipe developer in that kitchen.
Photo three - the gorgeous dresser filled with vintage odds and ends behind Maggie's kitchen.
Photo four - look at us embracing the caravan style. (But only after discovering that my Camper boots do not like camping).
Lovely to hear how its going, glad you are living the dream.... To many more happy adventures... xx
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping there is so much more good than bad (and I am sure there will be). Being in Maggie Beer's kitchen is pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Pheasant Farm just gorgeous, and I recognised that kitchen straight away. One day I'd like to have a kitchen with a dresser like that in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the good days will outweigh the bad days and you will all adapt. When you go home you'll probably all miss each other terribly!
Could you institute a bit of quiet time or solo time each day? For all of you, and don't forget Mum & Dad quiet time too.
So glad to know you are human!!! hehehe, cold feet and wet beds sound very familiar from this end of the world too! xxx Rach
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear how your first week went Kate! Sounds like more goods than bads, and luck you guys in that kitchen! Jealous much! Hope week 2 is exciting for you.... and you get a few moments of quiet for yourself. Julie:)
ReplyDeleteSo great to see (and hear)what you've been up to! I recognised the kitchen too - how exciting to be there!
ReplyDeleteLiving in each others pockets will be 'interesting' but will make you even closer in the end. Hugs to you, Jxxx
As long as you can have a laugh at the bad times...!
ReplyDeleteA money jar is going up in my house tonight to save for such a venture. It's just your first week and your hanging out in Maggie Beers kitchen, that is insane.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful week, except for the wet bed, cold feet, snoring and so on. In Tassie I went and thumped on a stangers tent to stop him from snoring!One word for some quiet time "hammock" go for a walk on your own and put it up in a quiet spot :)
ReplyDeleteahhh yes, having to go into the cold to the toilet I know it well. You are that mummy. the one on holidays for six months not rushing to preschool pickups and work and wondering if there is bread for lunches and milk for coffee in the morning and dog food and the one who has escaped her little town for an adventure.... even though she missed the place of turning right and coming to see her friend in her small town... Maggies place looks amazeing- Chef excited when I told him you went there.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! I can't believe you were in Maggies kitchen - lucky duck indeed!
ReplyDeletewow ... I so want a feature wall like that to have all my vintage kitchen stuff in!!
ReplyDeleteIt takes a while to adjust living in such a small space, soon you will be like a well oiled machine and some of the bads will disappear (although I don't think you can do anything about folks stinking out the caravan, except steer clear of baked beans?).
ReplyDeleteWow what a first week....you'll forget all the bad's if all your adventures continue like this week gone.
ReplyDeleteGreat to have an update from my favourite little caravan troop.
ReplyDeleteIt's natural and normal living so tightly knit together is bound to have it's hairy moments and the downs as well as the ups.I think Jennie's right, even the downs ( tho it may not seem like it at the time) will bring you closer together as well as all the wonderful times together.
Hope for another awesome week for the 5 of you, for warmth and no rain and plenty of jumping pillows xoxo
Maggie Beer! cook and gardener extroadinaire, what a great way to start your trip. You'll feel more comfy as the weather warms and you can get out of the van a bit more. A good camp kitchen can be a godsend.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful adventures, Maggie Beers kitchen!! Whoa! Awesome stuff.
ReplyDeleteThere is always going to be good and bad, so long as there IS some good, the bad will work itself out.
Lovely pics! xo
Thanks for sharing your adventure. It sounds like great fun. I'm sure all the good stuff far outweighs the bad. Enjoy the rest of your journey.
ReplyDeletexx
Leah x
You were in Maggie Beers kitchen - how many people can say that? Even so, I am certain that really all you will take away from this great adventure are fond memories, good or bad.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous post! I adore that kitchen and all the fabulous storage for treasures!! Enjoy the rest of your adventures.
ReplyDeletei thought i recognised maggies kitchen, don't you just love the pheasant farm. i hope you stocked up on delicious goodies. i agree middle of the night toilet calls are the worst in a caravan park, especially if you forget the *^#!#*> key!
ReplyDeleteyou know what though kate, all of the rainy,muddy,cramped,stinky days will be forgotten and what will be remembered for years & years to come is the bonding,loving,exciting,funny adventure that you are setting off on. have a fun day
Wow! And it's only just begun! It still all sounds fabulous that's for sure. Loving that gorgeous dresser & everything in it. Hubby would LOVE to be there in that kitchen, what a treat!!
ReplyDeleteYour good and bad are a mix of life in general aren't they :) and the good always outweighs the bad.
ReplyDeleteLoving Maggie's Kitchen.
Happy trekking guys.
Xx
You went to Maggies? You're just up the road from us! Hope you continue to enjoy our part of the world.
ReplyDeletethe first week in a caravanning adventure must be full of learning experiences. After a few more weeks, you'll be pros at this.
Cant wait to hear more.
wishing you lots of sunshine, playgrounds and happy, lucky times (and more amazing experiences like Maggie's kitchen...)xo
ReplyDeleteSurely you can live with the bad if you're also experiencing amazing things like hanging out in Maggie's kitchen!! What a fabulous adventure you are having.
ReplyDeleteGlad there are good times in there too, Kate. Perhaps everything has its rhythm and it takes a while to settle into the new way of being? I know whenever school holidays come around my girls fight like cats and dogs for the first week but then they find their rhythm with each other and the rest of the holidays go fabulously. Your photos are just wonderful :) Kx
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update, I was hoping there would be one when I turned my computer on today. Looks like you are off to a good start, love the boot line up. Sent you a tweet yesterday to see if Jazzy would like to be penpals with Sunday? If not that's fine :) Missing you here in the Big D xo
ReplyDelete"When there is no personal space."
ReplyDelete"When Miss Jazzy rides to the caravan shop with her purse dangling over the handle bars to buy herself a cup of mixed lollies."
These summed it up for me.
Happy week two to you all. You really are THAT family. Quack! x
Dear Jazzy,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on learning to ride a two wheeler!! That is by far the best news I have heard all day. I'm so very very proud of you and I look forward to riding next to you at a Critical Mass when you get back. Love from aunty Mogus. xx
Oh WOW, just called my husband over to "look at this blog" which he really loathes as it's normally some amazing craft that he is not interested in but then he did the "is that, is that, Maggie Beer, her kitchen, how did they get in there??" Jealous!! Love Posie
ReplyDeletei understand what you mean about ten minutes of silence. I'm finding it hard enough in the holidays to get that peace and we are not sharing a caravan!
ReplyDeleteI love the image of riding to get a cup of lollies - that's something I did when I was a kid - that sense of freedom and independence :)
enjoy your travels.....
l
x
Lovin this camping life, thank you for taking us on your journey. Wow Maggie Beer's kitchen!! Love where all the plates live. Your girls are going to come home very different to the little ones that left.
ReplyDeletex Sandi
Looks like you are having lots of fun. What a many things to explore and find along the way. I am enjoying your journey so far and looking forward to seeing more. We are heading your way (can hear your squills from here:)
ReplyDeleteWill have to organise a visit in the new year - so excited (we are only 121kms away) Yes I checked. Maybe we can pull carrots for a cuppa and a campertrailer spot for the night:)
It wouldn't be a real adventure without a few little hiccups along the way. All of the good stuff will far outweigh the bad. And I really love that you all came up with the goods and the bads together over dinner :)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to read your post and be part of your adventure.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds spectacularly fabulous.............keep enjoying your journey!!!
ReplyDeleteLove to be there Kate...I can imagine that begin in that kitchen would have been so amazing...Adore the plate cupboard too...
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the late night toilet calls...that's the worst...but I am sure the open road and adventures are making up for it...
Oh Darling good and bad lists are phenomenal ... I'm green that you were in THAT kitchen ... hope the boy spread his supplying genius there. ♥♥♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteThanks for the snapshot of reality. Highs and lows. May the highs outnumber the lows... that's all we can ask really!
ReplyDeleteAnd I recognised the kitchen immediately - something of a cook-and-chef household here. It cracks me up when my 2.5 year old boys requests to watch a 'cook-a-da-chef' dvd!
I've been meaning to pop a comment in all week about you heading into MAGGIES kitchen!!!! OMG that would be a dream and as for all those plates....MY TYPE OF HEAVEN!!
ReplyDeleteI hope the travels are sailing smooth and you are settling into it by now. I couldn't believe how quick you got to red dirt!
Tell Brendan he really must see a specialist about that fart gas!!!
xx
Hurray for the good! It does appear more substantial than the bad :-). Keep on having fun. (so jealous)
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