When jammed together in a compact space, you learn to negotiate how to use the space by coordinating who moves and when. It’s a carefully choreographed event. Between the four of us: Umma, Apa and Butters, I’m the only one who learned how to dance so naturally, I ended up scooting and shifting when someone else moved around in the Airstream.

We set up Bambi at a full hookup facility near Shasta Lake. There were other options closer to Mt. Shasta, however the temperatures in the mountain area were in the 30s at night. I opted to stay in a warmer climate 45 miles south of the grand mountain and we could take a day trip when the sun was out.

Mountain Gate RV park was decent and charged $30 a night (includes fees for extra people and dog.)

A friendly employee named Andrew guided us to our campsite in his golf cart.  When we got to number 31, the Bambi set up began. I hooked up the power, water, sewer connections. Tried the cable but it didn’t work. I put wheel chocks down to prevent Bambi from rolling back. Then unhitched the Toureg and set up a mat for Apa to keep himself entertained by playing Sodoku.

Meanwhile, Umma was busy in the kitchen (galley) organizing the food. She complained earlier she forgot olive oil but the thing she didn’t forget was the rice cooker.

As the three of us were doing our thing, Umma realized it was 6 o’clock and 6 o’clock in my parents’ world is dinnertime. We cooked some hamburgers and ate at the picnic table outside. The warm breeze felt good. I was happy to have made it to Shasta and looked forward to what the next few days would bring.

After we finished dinner (in under 15 minutes), Apa asked where the bathroom was. I told him it was in the Airstream. He clarified and asked for the public bathroom because he wanted to use that instead. When I asked why would he use the public bathroom instead of our own private one, Umma interjected there would be less for me to clean if they used the camp’s facilities. I wasn’t going to challenge that rationale so I left it alone.

Bambi, at dinnertime. 

After dinner, you would think it was getting close to midnight but in reality, it was only 8:00. Apa was in the public bathroom brushing his teeth while Umma washed the dishes. There was a frantic energy, as if we (my parents) were trying to get to sleep by 8:30 pm.

So how do three adults and a dog sleep in a Bambi?

Well, I wanted to sleep where the dinette turns into a bed big enough for a small child or someone like me. This way, my parents would sleep comfortably on the regular bed. Umma protested and said she wouldn’t be able to sleep with Apa because he “moves around a lot in his sleep.” The bed is 48 inches across so I understood her point. So I shared the less than full-size bed with Umma while Apa slept in the converted dinette/bed.

By the time we (my parents) were finished with nightly rituals, it was 8:45 pm. Apa laid down in his bed and Umma in ours. Seeing them lying down made me want to sleep, however, my bedtime is usually 11:30. I split the difference and tried to sleep around 10:30.

So I laid down.

To my right ear a soft buzzing sound came up. Umma was snoring.

Within ten minutes, down toward the dinette, I heard more snoring.

As I placed ear plugs in I thought to myself, so this is Thursday…we leave on Sunday?