I'm guessing I'm not alone in the nightmare of 2020, but long story short, I've basically failed at blogging for nearly a year. Truth be told, I've also failed at vanlife. I did manage to get Vandora ready to roll, and yes, I got her bling on! (She looks so fancy!) But that's about where the story ends.
If you've read any of my earlier posts, you may recall I sold my house, and I set off on this journey in mid-February... only to have Covid 19 waltz in in early March! So new to the game, Ashur, Vandora and I headed home to ride out the shutdowns. Little did we know, the Covid drama would continue for MONTHS! Though we made a few van trips (to Ohio, New Hampshire, and TN to visit family), the majority of the year was spent sitting in an apt in Williamsburg. (So not how I saw this year going!)
As the summer came to an end, I once again began venturing out on day trips and short excursions. Still somewhat afraid of encountering Covid restrictions / shut downs, I chose to keep the apartment as a home base (which now that I have it, I will likely continue to do). The goal this time was to explore Virginia until Covid was more under control. And explore I did. Most of the summer went well, I hiked and biked all over the state. But on Nov 4th, (the four year anniversary of my father's suicide no less), I fell while hiking alone in Great Falls National Park. (And yes, the irony of the park's name is not lost on me! )
I heard a crack and knew instantly I was in trouble. Unfortunately, I wasn't wrong. I'd fractured both my Fibula and Tibia at their insertion points on the ankle. There was one was around and no one who knew where I was. (Huge vanlife - and hiking safety faux pas!) I stayed put for nearly an hour, but with no cell coverage and no help in sight, I finally decided to hike / hop / crawl the remaining 1.2 miles back to the van. ( In retrospect, that may not have been my best decision, but honestly I had no idea what else to do.). Anyway, long story short, I've been stuck in a boot cast for 5 weeks and have required extensive physical therapy to walk even the shortest distances. So... yeah... this exciting first year of vanlife did not go as planned!
2020 in a nut shell! Ashur and me... temporarily grounded in VA.
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