Day 0 - Leaving Our Comfort Zone
My Birthday Treat and Day 0 of our new life.
Yay!!!… We have finally made it out with our now fully functional (and legal) caravan. Time has passed since our last update, ‘Where The Adventure Begins (Update)’ when we thought our adventures were soon to begin. However, a lack of knowledge on our part meant more delays.
Birthday Treat
As soon as we got the caravan back, we knew we wanted to get out with it as soon as possible. It just so happened to work out perfectly for my birthday weekend. We decided to try out, our nearest coastal motorhome parking spot (that we know of) in Puçol. Technically, I don’t think it’s an official one, but it seems like motorhomes (and caravans) are welcome. The area is quiet and has a breathtaking view. No facilities, but as it was only going to be for a couple of days, we took our chances, we managed to take extra water with us and knew we wouldn’t be needing to empty the toilet (caravaning life isn’t all glamour). It did, however, give us a small glimpse of the life we’re planning on leading, and we were not disappointed. (edit: as it is right by the beach, they do have foot showers there, so technically you could get water there but definitely not for drinking. Also, the beach is a doggy beach so your furry companions will have the time of their lives)
Day 0
Over two weeks have passed since my birthday, and we have finally gotten out of our comfort zone and started our new life. We’re probably the one in a million that start their caravanning life by going as far as going up a hill from their previous home. But after nearly 6 months of staying in our friend’s garden, we have finally made it this far:
Yeap, 11 km so close yet so far from the garden that once comforted us for so long (2 months were spent in another friend’s house while the caravan was getting fixed. If you didn’t know about that, you can read about it here: ‘Where The Adventure Begins (Update)’) So, yeah, we swapped the comfort of a house for the comfort of our friend’s garden, and now we’re out of our comfort zone. But, as people say, that’s the growing zone. And it’s very exciting, my friend.
We left with all the courage that we had, and our first stop was to weigh the caravan at our local weighbridge in La Turisana, in Turís, for only 3€. First, the caravan. Second, caravan and car together. Well, let’s say that was a little bit revealing. No real big surprise, but guess what? We were a little bit overweight:
Well, no problem, we can get detached from more of our non-essentials and keep moving. But after 2 weeks of organizing and saying goodbye to our friends, we decided to just stop in a small, but functional area by our home town of Turis. Get some rest, eat a bocadillo con jamón (or ham sandwich in English), and write this blog.
Service Area Review
We’ve driven past this motorhome service area many, many times. Each time we have driven past, it has always been pretty much empty. The day we want to use it, however, is typically the day it is near capacity! If we were rolling up in a motorhome, it wouldn’t have been too much of a problem, but driving in with a caravan, you kind of feel like everyone is watching and thinking, “Why are you here!” It would have been nice for our first time stopping in a service area to be just us, so we could get ourselves organized without the feeling of everyone gazing upon us, but it turned out OK in the end. By the morning, we started feeling like we belonged and were probably more organised than those around us.
The motorhome stop is small but functional. There is a small wooded area for your furry companions, although it is still right next to the road, so it is probably best to keep them on the lead. You can empty your grey water and fill up your water supply. We can’t find anywhere to empty the toilet yet, though. There is a fuel station close by where you can pick up essentials and find a place for your rubbish. There is also a mechanic next door, so maybe if you're having problems they might be able to help you out. During the day, the road is a little noisy, but we didn’t have much trouble sleeping in the evening. The parking areas don’t really have any shade, but I think you might be able to park under the trees if you come out of season. If the area is full, and you really needed a place to rest, you could probably get away with parking around the back of the petrol station. The road has a slight slope, but when we walked Chewie at 8 am, the road was still quiet.
Talking about ‘maps’ You might find this read interesting by our good friend Yasmin. Yasmin is the owner of the garden we have spent much of our time in while we have been trying to organise ourselves for our journey.
It’s not about the destination…
…And it’s not actually about the journey. It’s about all the people that you meet on the way, it’s about all the good that you see in people and actions that can’t be described in words. It’s about how you touch people’s lives and how they touch yours.
So, our big thanks go to Yasmin, Keith and Joan, Simon and Nicky. We couldn’t do it without your help.
Any Questions?
Do you have any questions about the nomad life, caravan travel, pet travel, or anything travel-related? Then ask away! Although our adventure is just starting, it has been a long time coming, so we feel we might have already learned a few things along the way that may help others.
We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP
The link below should show the caravan and pet-friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure. - It’s a little empty at the moment; we’ll update it soon.
OR if you’re feeling very generous and want to help us continue with our adventure. We would very much appreciate the help.
You can also visit us at www.lasideasmkt.com for all your website, social media and branding needs. (Our Day Job)
I loved reading this post about the start of your journey for 'real.' There's so much for you to explore on the road while earning a living with your online marketing business. Lots of challenges ahead as digital nomads, but you make such a great team I'm sure it will be enormous fun. It must be exciting and scary at the same time. Lots of luck and good wishes. Looking forward to receiving your updates.
Great to see you out on the road and looking forward to seeing what you get up to. Enjoy!