I have a confession to make, a relatively new obsession that I can no longer hide from the world. I have this crazy fascination with trailers, RV’s, Airstreams and especially Volkswagen campers. There, I said it. Perhaps the seed of the obsession has germinated from my forty-something evolution (rebellion?) from too-big houses to smaller, more efficient, more intimate spaces. Or I could blame my friends, Amy and Charles, for letting me ride in their Eurovan. Or Jon and Nancy, for letting me stay overnight in their trailer before a trail race. I tucked into the itty bitty bed crawl space, cocooned by pillows and a down comforter and slept better than I had in years, even on a night where I would normally be plagued by race jitter-insomnia. I was like the princess and the pea, finding my perfect peapod in a tiny home with wheels. I love the word cozy and all that it implies. I like to be "tucked in," to "snuggle up," and I love a space where everything has its place.
My California neighbors have a Eurovan. I stalk it when I think they aren’t looking. I creep into their driveway and peer lustfully in the curtained windows. I marvel at how the seating arrangement can be swiveled to create a dining area. I love how a tiny closet hides next to the stove, which is hidden under a countertop, above a mini fridge. I love how everything efficiently stows and how the rear seats can stretch out to form a bed. But best of all (dramatic pause, to catch my breath), is the pop top roof. Oh my, yes. A simple turn of some thingy and up it goes, an instant tent on the top of your van! The very thought of sleeping up there under the moon puts me over the moon.