Van life with Scout: April 2023 recap
Last fall I started doing a monthly recap to keep track of what we’ve been up to at a high level here on our blog (alongside our regular sharing on Instagram). Here’s our April overview!
We drove through more states this month than any other, reveling in a huge range of America’s natural landscapes—and somehow not feeling nearly as tired as I might have expected. Here’s hoping it stays that way!
TLDR: Top April highlights
We covered so much physical ground this month, bouncing around from place to place at a speed that’s unsustainable in the long-term but felt exactly right for this period of time.
Scout seems even more comfortable in the van. I didn’t think that was possible given that she’s loved it pretty much the whole time—but her napping ability has reached a new level!
April involved a lot of reflection through changing scenery and seasons. I’m feeling renewed, energized, and extra thankful for this dog ownership community.
Van life: More than three months on the road?!
Okay, somebody tell me where the time is going. How on earth are we already four full months into 2023 and more than three full months into our journey as full-time van lifers?
We started this month in Utah visiting sand dunes and a slot canyon; made our way into Arizona for the Grand Canyon then hiked through Petrified Forest National Park; enjoyed some public land in New Mexico; watched the SpaceX Starship launch (and explode) in southern Texas; meandered up the gulf coast to Louisiana, sweating and swimming all the while; and finally cut through Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia as we make our way to Pittsburgh for Sean’s college friends’ reunion tomorrow.
April was a lot—a lot of physical exertion and parking lots, not to mention the endless sand in Hermes—but it was incredible all the while. We’re ready to slow things down a little and visit family again this month, but I wouldn’t change a thing about the sense of adventure we’ve felt so far this spring.
Some favorite April destinations included:
Conquering my claustrophobia in a slot canyon… after trekking more than four miles through deep sand to get to its entrance
Wilderness hiking in Petrified Forest National Park’s Painted Desert, where Scout could join us everywhere so long as she was leashed
Basking in the sun, sand, and salty air on the gulf coast of Texas—and watching the SpaceX Starship launch with a crowd of energized strangers!
Getting new tattoos and enjoying the lovely art scene in Asheville, North Carolina
A full roundup of where we slept:
5 nights in national forest land / backcountry boondocking spots
3 nights on remote private property owned by a friend
3 nights at Harvest Hosts
15 nights in public parking lots (like Walmart, rest areas, city parks without overnight parking restrictions)
4 nights at traditional designated campgrounds or RV parks
Figuring out what I want this blog to look like moving forward
April found me a little unmotivated on the Paws and Reflect front. We’ve had multiple supporters cancel their subscriptions (something that I logically know isn’t a big deal but emotionally experience as a form of rejection). I’m not making the progress I was hoping for on writing a real book. I kept going back and forth on what I should share, and when, and if it was good enough.
Basically: So many things have changed, both in Scout’s life and in mine outside of her, and I struggled to find my voice for a while.
Thanks to some incredible friends and Sean’s ceaseless support (and willingness to be a sounding board), though, I’ve been feeling a lot better over the last two weeks. I’m embracing the ambiguity! I’m writing more journal-esque pieces that make me feel personally fulfilled! And I’m reveling in the simple joy of sharing life with a creature I love so much, even if we aren’t constantly training new things or thinking revolutionary thoughts.
If you’re reading this… thank you, thank you, thank you for being part of it 💛
What’s new with Scout specifically this month
Still no seizures since we’ve been on the road!
I’m thrilled to say that Scout hasn’t had a single seizure since we’ve moved into the van. Her epilepsy has been pretty well controlled since we put her on medication over the summer, and I knew we had the resources to handle if anything did go wrong… but it’s been such a relief so far.
While getting her prescription is a bit of a headache each time (since phenobarbital is a controlled substance) we’re making it work. Shoutout to our incredible veterinarian down in Florida who’s been willing to provide doctor authorization for every single refill as we adventure through different spots.
Handled our constantly changing scenery like a champ
Scout traveled with us through ten states this month. We slept in a new spot almost every night, only staying parked for more than 24 hours on two separate occasions. Our climate was ridiculously variable and called for both the heat & air conditioning a bunch over the past few weeks.
And through it all? Scout was flexible and sweet and seemed pretty darn content.
She hates peeing in crowded public spots. She still gets overwhelmed if a new environment is really chaotic. I’m sure sometimes she misses her quiet, calm, predictable yard with its deck for sunbathing. But she’s played with us every time we’ve offered, and she’s slept through the night no matter where our house is parked, and she’s rolled with the punches when we go from hiking several miles to simply lounging in our small space… and I swear I couldn’t be more thankful for her flexibility.
One of the best parts? She’s fully comfortable in the van and fine being left alone when Sean and I do humans-only things. That enables us all to have so much more freedom! Three cheers for an increased quality of life all around.
Fast recovery from off-leash dog and drive-by pet incidents
Speaking of flexibility, I’ve been especially proud of Scout’s resilience navigating some not-so-ideal situations recently. We’ve handled multiple off-leash dog approaches in campgrounds—in one I was outside alone with her so she had to hold a down stay while I intercepted the loose collie, which she nailed despite being pretty uncomfortable!—as well as the commotion of a crowded RV park with barely a few feet between rigs and an unsolicited face grab while at Petrified Forest National Park.
I knew that van life would present us with more challenges than we had living in a house. In a given day, we encounter so many more people and environments now. It’s inevitable that something will go wrong. But it’s wonderful to frame those experiences as an opportunity for training and growth rather than the end of the world.
