Before buying my Airstream, I did very little research on the type of models available. I mean, I knew the difference in length, but that was about it. At the time, all I cared about was owning a piece of Americana that would give me a chance to explore the U.S., while learning about myself. Over the years, Airstream “Bambi” has become an integral part of my life. I have gained skills that enhanced how I experience the world around me.

Surprisingly, the quiet moments I’ve had in Bambi have been just as rewarding as the grand places I’ve seen. In the Bambi, I learned many things. For one, I learned how to write about traveling; to be in the moment and take in my surroundings so I can capture what I was seeing and feeling. I sat at my makeshift writing space/dinette and poured my soul out onto thick stacks of binder paper.

During the early travel days, Butters and I bonded. She and I learned how to exist in what others might call a strange environment. Sometimes, Butters would sit at the dinette and stare at me… as if to question what I got the two of us into. Once she became comfortable with our space, she would curl up next to me while I read books on what it meant to own an Airstream.

When Jay and Rosie came into our world a little later, I learned that the four of us can be happy living in a trailer and we were all adventurous spirits in our own ways.    

There were many mishaps while traveling over the years. I won’t list them all here, but some instances were stressful. On the upside, there was always a way out of a situation: nothing was ever impossible to fix.

In the small kitchen galley of the trailer, I learned how to make vegan meals. The fact that I was preparing meals was a feat in itself, as I don’t remember if I ever cooked before owning an Airstream. If I didn’t cook, I would have starved, so I guess it was a matter of survival at first. But eventually, it became a fun experience. It helped that Jay liked the meals I cooked and was very encouraging.

Most of all, I’ve learned how to take in a broader perspective. I’m slowly satisfying the curiosities I had about the people and places in America. This is not to say I know it all, because who can really say that and mean it? All I know is that there is much more to learn about me and the environment around me.

To all of you who have read and followed along on this journey, thank you for being there for me. I could not have come this far without you.

Butters and Bambi, during our first camping trip.

Butters… so over it.

Writing and planning on the road.

Vegan chow mein.

Vegan kimchi tacos.

Veggie burrito.

Our camping fur babies.

Reading while camping.