Plans - at last

I finally narrowed down and booked a plan for my birthday trip in mid-July that was supposed to be Kauai. After weeks of trying to make an RV trip to Northern Cal work (kids can’t ride safely in it, all stops along the way are closed or booked solid), I remembered a website for unique camping experiences called Hipcamp I used once years ago and was able to find three spots for us. We’ll start with two nights in a yurt near Monterey, then two nights in a tipi near Paso Robles, then the final night, my birthday, in an abandoned water tank in the Cuyama badlands.

I can’t think of a more appropriate place to turn 48 in this shittiest of all years than this:

Again, thanks to my long-suffering boyfriend for continually indulging my hippie bullshit. And the kids for going along with it, too, and not complaining *too* much. I’m hoping two nights in a crazy Futuro home in Joshua Tree before they start school will make up for whatever goes down on this trip.

Looking through Hipcamp definitely gives me an idea for my elderly future. Buy some cheap desolate land somewhere, arrange a series of wacky spaces to sleep, hang some dream catchers and throw some mason jars around, and voila! Hippie bullshit camping site for aging hipsters. It’ll be a cash cow. Assuming people are still into that sort of thing 20+ years from now (assuming there are still people 20+ years from now). 

Yesterday we had a delightful Malibu beach trip while for once someone else cleaned my house (hooray!). I’m happy that despite the ridiculous amount of screen time these kids currently enjoy, they are still capable of having fun outdoors and playing with sticks and sliding down dirt hills and playing in waves. 

The BF is currently having a bit of a meltdown about work. I’m worried for him - his industry is showing no sign of return, his boss has effed off to Iran without telling anyone, and his pandemic unemployment supplement ends in a month. He thought he’d be back to work by now. Boy, did we all have a different vision of this summer! I’m not sure what the future holds but I have been preparing for my life to get more difficult - right now he does the lion’s share of the childcare, which feels like an endless vacation, but that’s going to end. Either his work will pick back up or he’ll be forced to get another job, which will keep him away long hours and make him miserable. This strange life of having two adults with literally nothing else to do all day but care for children cannot last forever. Eventually at least he will have work to return to; me, it may take a year or two. Last night I sat down with my finances and tried to figure out what will happen if I can’t run an event in 2021, either, or (more likely) have to run one at a loss or barely break even...it’s scary. I have the money because of the SBA loan to make it, but 2022 has to be better. So many what ifs. Maybe I should think about building that hippie camping compound now.