What a year 2022 has been. A year of more firsts than you’d think, what with the varied experiences we’ve been dealt across all our years on the road.
Each month surprised us with joys and tragedies we never could have predicted, not with even the most accurate tarot cards, and with offers and setbacks that could we never could’ve prepared for, not even with the most prescient, responsible mindsets.
The first six months of this year were the strangest we’ve had on the road, ever, because we found ourselves doing the almost-unthinkable… *flying* to locations, away from our beloved home, Sunshine.
You see, we usually drive everywhere we want to go. After all, we live in this lil orange bus full time, and honestly, we rarely leave her behind. So you see how utterly strange it was to bid her goodbye, board multiple flights (some of them international), and hop around with only backpacks for awhile. I thought we’d fill you in, briefly, on our year, because it’s kinda been all over the place.
This is the quickest catch-up we can offer, a full nine months in more or less twenty-two paragraphs. A lot can happen in a year—and maybe we’ll take the time to tell each of the following stories in depth in the upcoming months. But for now, let’s go.
Buckle up…it’s gonna be a ride.
January: New Year, Lots of Old Buses
Just so you know, 2022 started on January 13th. Or, at least, that’s when the celebratory party was thrown.
Over 500 VW buses lined up in Lake Havasu, Arizona for a four-day gathering—and, seriously, what could be a better New Year’s party for two bus lovers than that?
This was our second time joining the VW madness that is Buses by the Bridge, which is the largest Volkswagen campout in the country. If you own a VW camper, and haven’t yet attended BBB, I highly recommend you make the journey out. The magic of seeing that many buses in one place is, alone, worth it.
Perhaps the best part of BBB was the after-party we attended, which is pictured above. Hanging with Dave Manning, the premiere Volkswagen troubadour, and his bus Vincent, was a two days damn well spent. We were like a coupla modern-day cowboys out there by our VWs, building a fire pit on the Arizona range, talking art and poetry and dreams of social transformation.
My, was it good to see our VW family again.
February: Swimming in the Winter
It was so pleasant and warm and dry near Lake Havasu that we couldn’t bear to leave. So, for most of February, we remained in the dry desert, among the Saguaros, in land so warm and sun-baked that we could swim daily, even in the midst of what should be the coldest month of the year.
March: A VW Pilgrimage
March hit us like a tornado we didn’t see coming. In a frenzied invitation from Volkswagen themselves, we journeyed to Germany for a pilgrimage to Sunshine’s home country. VW is releasing a brand new take on the classic VW bus, the ID. Buzz. It was our duty to attend the world premiere of its release off the factory line—and to learn all of Sunshine’s history while we were at it.
This trip was Volkswagen-tastic, and there are too many stories to tell here. Stay tuned for a follow up on this trip, as it’s well worth its own post.
April: Fish Outta Water: The Big Apple
New York City is not a place we ever thought we’d visit. Too urban, too crowded, and well, from what I’d seen, the stars are all on the ground. Not exactly our slice of pie.
Yet, our Volkswagen pilgrimage continued to just that spot.
We were to attend one of the largest automotive events in the world, The New York Auto Show, where the ID. Buzz would be making its debut in the USA.
Our flight took us from Germany directly to the Big Apple. There, in the fluorescent lights of the Jarvis Center, we went *deep* into the world of modern automotive releases and hung with everyone on the Volkswagen America team.
We were in New York like a marmot would be in a spa. Wild and reckless and clueless. JR ate way too many slices of street pizza, we shot a commercial with the Volkswagen crew, and, yes, we kept our clothes on (ya can’t skinny dip in Central Park, we learned.) That was the most urban period we passed since our pre-Vanlife days living in Los Angeles. I even wore shoes, people, for 16 hours out of every day, so you know it was serious.
May: A Family Affair
It had been a year and a half since either JR or I had seen our families, so we decided to stop by the green rainy pastures of North Carolina to say hello.
JR’s parents own an organic farm in the center of the state. Meeting their baby chickens and walking their rows of kale and spinach made our spring hearts sing.
It’s been rare we get these chances to visit, so we opened our hearts to that special moment in time. Being there to give his mom a squeeze on Mother’s Day was something that hadn’t happened in, well, forever. Sometimes the scarcity of moments like those make us realize how precious they truly are.
June: Kit’s Caribbean Fam
My mother grew up in the Bahamas, which means the maternal side of my family are all native Bahamians. To this day, they still live on the island on Nassau.
JR and I first visited my family in the Bahamas together when we were 15, and we hadn’t been back to say hi since 2013.
So, when my grandfather passed away, we decided to extend family time to attend his funeral. We flew from North Carolina straight to the islands—with the same luggage we hauled to Germany and New York. We had coats and boots, not sunblock and bikinis! Safe to say—we bought sandals from a beachside hut first thing when we landed.
Seeing my Ma’s family was precious. It was also surreal and difficult given the loss of my grandfather. We ate conch and rice and beans, went out on the boat for spear fishing, and sat with my grandma as she spoke of my grandfather.
It was healing to celebrate his colorful life as a Calypso nightclub singer, to laugh over photographs; and to grieve alongside my cousins, aunt and grandmother. As we flew out, over the blue blue ocean, I made a note in my journal that maybe we’ll wait less than ten years to return again.
July: We Sold Daydream
The day we flew back to Sunshine and Daydream in Phoenix, it was 116 degrees outside. I wish I could say we immediately packed up and drove off. But that’s not what was in the cards for JR and me.
You see, we had not one but *two* buses waiting for us—a whole other story that will take a number of blog posts to catch you up on. Short story is: we’d been traveling in a two-bus convoy, and that wasn’t quite working out for us. So, we took it upon ourselves to sell our second bus, Daydream. The process took three weeks, during which we stayed in our buddy Richard’s yard. It was a challenging and relieving process.
Sunshine also had a host of issues that were keeping her off the road, and we needed to address them before moving north. So, yes, in July we melted like two orange creamsicle snow cones in Phoenix. I’m amazed that with all our work over asphalt, the wrenches didn’t melt to our palms in the heat of midday.
August: Alpine Trails
Late July to mid September found us in one of our favorite summer haunts. We love the high Rocky Mountains in the warm months, for slow days of aimless idling.
Really..do we need more than these photos to explain why?
September: Red Rocks instead of Red Trees
Early September lured us south with the promise of, yes, another vortex of Volkswagens. The thirty-first annual Jerome Jamboree was happening in the haunted hills of Arizona, and we’d never attended, after all these years of promising ourselves we would. Plus, it had started growing cold up in the Rockies, and this year, we’d decided to err on the sunny side of south. So we said hi to our VW fam…and drove a squiggled road down into the flats.
Which led us to Sedona, Arizona, red rock paradise. Our most recent leg. A perfect segway into a warm fall, complete with swimming for the inclined. Safe to say…you know we both were. 😉
Fantastic 22 paragraphs! Wonderful to catch up with you here in blog form. I love the way your stories weave visual beauty and words. Stunning. Captivating. Alive and idling. Such JOY. Thank you!
Oh WOW 😳 It IS y’all! Hall•e•Freakin•Luyah
I’m so very glad to see this post.
Yes, we recently do communicate more frequently on IG (usually on my *cuid.chaval* handle – remember the exchange about unexpected suddenly severe weather / flash flooding that was forecast for the San Juans in CO a few weeks ago?) and I even pop over to Patreon once in a while, wondering if there’ll be note scrawled in that dust, but this [as you said] longer-episode format is always a treat. This smooths out the choppiness of the Instant posts where things can drop into the cracks when life gets in the way, despite slowing down.
I’m just happy to still be on the distribution list(s)!
Kit. You have such a way of story telling. I almost wonder if you’d ever venture to NE Tennessee and join in the amazing Storytelling Days in Jonesborough TN. The first city in Tennessee and the story telling capital of the world.
I am very curious as to why daydream didn’t work out and I am also thrilled to have read you both took time to see family.
I know the open road and living in the bus isn’t sunshine and roses (see what I did there?) but you both are inspiring. Your way words, his photography, both of you with the sense of adventure and love that you both have.
Peace. Love. Sunshine. Continue to be amazing and beautiful you two. Above all, stay safe as well. 🤙
–
BristolTraveler
Loved delving deeper into your story of the last year… and love seeing you here again on this more intimate medium… always joyful and sunshiny! Thanks Kit n JR… Amber from @summerofseventyfive xx
OH, There U R , kind’a thought you got abducted by Aliens👽, It’s been a while… WELL, FIRSTLY, I don’t have or use Instagram , and certainly not FACEBOOK, and I don’t use blogs , So 📧📪 is really the only way I have of hearing or staying in touch in with anyone with my ipad… I never had any interest in all that other stuff, So Thanks for the UPDATE, it was kind of cool… My days of going to VAN 🚐 IN’S & cruises in my FULL Sized CHEVY🚐 VAN have pretty much dried up …
Just the expense of it and other considerations… AND thanks to COVID, & the resulting slowdowns & Closures and all that riff – raff , our son & I don’t even get together to drive it up to INDIANAPOLIS for the INDY 500 anymore☹️… So, I’m just staying close & at home planting gardens & RIDING 🚴♀️ my Bicycle around and Going on my 5 & 10 K WALKS🏃🏻♂️!
LATER, And thanks again for the update , DAVE…
Wonderful to hear from you and my goodness what a year it’s been!
Your posts and photos brighten my day. Always like a bit of a Christmas gift when I open your posts!
Keep living your dream and taking us with you.
It’s great to hear from you all after a long hiatus. Glad to see Sunshine is still alive and kicking too. Best of luck to you and if you ever make it out to New England give us a holler (we’ve got plenty of room for you to park)
Wow!! I am glad I checked out the blog page. I felt as though you all disappeared a few years back and went your separate ways. Love your journey and your mindsets, I have left most social media behind and wish you had more on YouTube to follow, so glad can at least see updates here! Please share more!!
Hi Kit & JR,
Good to hear from you (by email); and “hello” from the far north west corner of Scotland!
We had a 1974 VW Camper 30 years ago; we have a 2015 T5 Camper now.
I write a few blogs myself, and think I originally found you when I was looking for inspiration to write my first one 5 years ago, and have been following you ever since (so thank you!).
I did want to buy your book, but then I discovered the postal charge to the UK, and it really was too much, I’m afraid.
What do I like about what you do?
Living the outdoor dream
Fabulous scenery
Blogs about little adventures on the way
Great photos (we go skinny dipping too, yes, even here!)
And I think that, personally, I’d like to see more stuff about things like the hikes you do, the work you do along the way.
What about some information about the scenery, wildlife, geology?
Some Milky Way photos, campfire in the foreground….. lifestyle things to make us envious?
Of course, I’m certainly not suggesting less skinny-dipping-pix!!!
Us over here?
An odd year: most of the UK had a heatwave, but for us it was 15 centigrade and dull, very dull, for months.
We live in quite a remote place, amongst mountains and overlooking a beach; very nice it is too!
I’m a photographer and my wife is a painter, so we have amazing material on our doorstep, but 2022 has been difficult to maintain momentum because of miserable weather.
The first blog I wrote was commissioned for to cover the repair of a mountain path:
https://www.coigach-assynt.org/2017/04/suilven-a-baptism-of-fog/
best wishes!
Chris
Hey guys,
I was just very happy to find your message while checking my email. Since I deleted Instagram in the past year, I have unfortunately heard nothing more from you. Even though deleting Instagram was generally good for me, it does have its drawbacks….
I like reading your words so I was very happy to see the blogpost! I wish you lovely remaining months in 2022 and look forward to more news from you.
Greetings from Germany
Great review. What a busy year! Thank you for sharing and best of success to both of you.
Great to see the and read the about the journey you two . Keep it coming . Aloha
Great reading about this year’s adventures!! Please keep us on your email list!
We are starting our own adventure or I should say test into the world of full time campers and roamers. About six years ago we packed up our truck camper and left our jobs for a moment to travel west from NC. To say that 30 days was life changing is an understatement!
After that trip we returned back to the daily life of what everyone expects you to do , work , pay bills put your kids through college. And that’s what we did. Also sold our home on the beach in Hatteras and moved to of all places a gated community in Hertford NC. Truck camper parked in the driveway waiting for the next trip… it never came. We bought a boat thinking we would do some traveling in that. A couple of overnights that we really enjoyed. Waking up on the water early in the morning. Was great, it still wasn’t equal to our mornings when camping.
So about three months ago we were sitting in our living room and Jeanette said what are we doing?? I was like what do you mean? She says why are we working? And I replied to pay bills and to pay for the house. To witch she replied why and for what? Now she’s starting to sound like this could be it. So at this point our three kids are all basically on there own, the only thing at this point is we are working to pay for the mortgage and day to day bills. Jeanette said the time that we spent traveling those 5-6 years ago were some of her happiest. And I would have to agree. Now it’s going to start to sound like many other peoples story of getting on the road. Sorry I am sure you have heard it over and over. So here’s one more time, we rented our house bought a 15′ tag along camper and an old ford Excursion to pull it. Our foot print has grown over our truck camper but we thought it would give us a little more room. Anyway we moved out of our house the end of September. Hopeful to get on the road by mid Oct but that’s been pushed back to mid November. We both are quitting our jobs. To be clear we don’t have a trust fund or pension or even a dead rich uncles inheritance. We think we might have enough for a year saved. Surprisingly neither of us are worried. The rent on the house is paying all the bills and mortgage , so we just need to worry about our expense while on the road. We figured what was a year , a blip!
So I am writing back to you sitting outside our camper witch is parked near a lake in Edenton NC. The midge’s ( little gnats) are flying around my ears and We couldn’t be happier. The campground is full of workers that travel from job to job, like cowboys following the heard. In 3 weeks we will rearranging the camper again scaling down what we brought and now know we don’t need. Then heading out on the road to find new places, see new things and start living our new lives.
Our friends say we will be back in our house at the end of the year, somehow I don’t think they are right. We don’t know were we are going or what we are going to do, but one thing is for sure it will be different then they could ever imagine.
Maybe one day our paths will cross. Would love to give you guys a big hug and say thank you for sharing your lives with us. JR’s pictures and your writing have helped keep our dream alive. Now we will get the chance to live ours.
Thanks you for reaching out, your timing was perfect. Hopefully you don’t mind me rambling on your blog.
Safe travels, much love !
John & Jeanette
Red Rover ( truck and campers name)
Hi Kit and JR, I have been well, went on a three week motorcycle trip from Ohio to the Rocky Mountains, enjoying the most beautiful scenery in the country. I am following on instagram but your blog is good to read, seems more personal. You guys take care. Don
Hi to you two, optimistic adventurers. It’s nice to hear from you.. We’ve been following you for a few years now, and if we don’t take the step of “living on the road”, time in time, often, our old “YeS” westy takes us on the roads of France, either on the nearby beaches, or further to visit friends who think the same way as here, on this blog. keep hitting the road, keep giving us great pictures, keep making this world a better place for us , we all need that .Ah! yes, very happy to return to a more ‘roots’ formula such as this blog, and even I hope that the time of the classic forums where everyone exchanged freely will also be back. It’s more user-friendly to follow and it makes it easier to archive, to come back to it to draw ideas and inspirations From France with love,schoolish english but from heart , and , well : Orange is definitely the color of optimism! Phil , North France…
I am just so beyond happy for you guys. Reading this post has my heart bursting for you two. So blessed <3 I cherish people who create sacred moments and live life the way it is meant <3 thank you for the inspo and connections for all these years<3 Every morning when I meditate, I have 2 of your old zines by my altar to gaze at – always makes my heart so happy
Hi, what a pleasant surprise to open my mailbox (or should it be called an emailbox) and receive this pleasant post from you guys!
Was a great way to start the week and remind us that life is out there to be enjoyed, with some highs and lows thrown in.
Thanks for this wonderful post.
Lots of love
As the others have said, it’s so good to hear your heart in this longer writing platform. We also made the choice to see family more this year and haven’t regretted it at all. Much love to you both, and the absolute best wishes for your happiness.
Kit:
I just loved reading your blog and your adventures are wonderful and the pictures are fabulous. Your trips to AZ sound awesome and know you have cousin Michael in the Phoenix area. Don and I come her for several months at a time and love it here. Hope we can see you in person one of these day. Safe travels, Cousin Betty
Hi. Good to hear of your adventures. I have been patiently GRRR waiting for my Josie’s new engine to be finished. Bought the parts last Spring-they arrived in early Summer of this year-and work is still in progress…
In the meantime: new paint, upholstery, curtains, front seats and tires….
Hope to get her together before time for winter storage here in Michigan. 🤞🏻
Hi Kit and JR!
Thanks for the update. Was starting to worry about ya’ll. Seen you at BBB but you looked busy chatting with new and old friends. Jerome Jamboree is on my list of places to go as well. See ya soon! Planning on BBB again next year?
Forever my “Internet RockStars”!
Robert
No Budget Garage
Hi Kit & JR,
Loved following you for years now do like this bio really enjoy a bit of reading and email was really nice surprise but do love the Instagram pictures. Hopefully I’ll be able to afford your book this year really want to read it rubbish pound means book really expensive with postage. But definitely get the sunshine love and so glad you keep going definitely give us some joy. Also inspiration to keep Barbara 💙🚎🤍
So wonderful to see you are going strong. Not being one to get on social media, I am so happy you shared on the email chain. My family met you and Sunshine at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone I can’t remember how long ago. We travel in Wanda the blue ’80 Riviera. Don’t know if you remember us, but it will be great to cross paths again some day. We are hoping to follow your lead and spend longer stints on the road with Wanda. Thank you so much for your inspiration.
Thank you for this! <3
Love to read your stories about what happened in 2022. Of course I follow you on Instagram so I knew a lot of it.
Thank You
Much love 🙏♥️