We live in a van! Move-in day on Friday went surprisingly smoothly. It took us far less time than expected to lug all our stuff down the four flights of stairs and into the van as it sat sketchily parked next to the loading zone, which was occupied by several cars that shockingly did not seem to be loading at all. The bike rack was a bit fussier than expected but Jacob persevered and got both bikes securely fastened. Once again, our first stop was IKEA to pick up those last few necessities - pots and pans (sadly uncommon in Edinburgh charity shops), a cutlery holder, and some fake plants to liven up the interior. My preference of course would be real plants, but with all the border crossing we figured it would be best to avoid soil altogether.
Our next stop was an RV retailer to pick up Calor propane, which runs the heat, hot water, fridge, and stove. Unfortunately we learned that there is currently a Calor bottle shortage in the UK, and the only way to get a full bottle is to exchange it for an empty one. Thankfully a Facebook Marketplace search turned up a used 13kg bottle for sale an hour’s drive away from where we were camping that night, so we made arrangements to pick it up the next day.
After stopping for groceries we were finally on our way to Loch Lomond, where we had two nights booked at a campsite. By the time we got there it was around 7pm, and we were both pretty tired (having not slept at all the previous night due to excitement!) so the realization that we barely had room to move around because there was stuff everywhere was not a welcome one. The van actually has quite a bit of storage, but with nothing put away it was a disaster area. We got our hiking, cycling and camping equipment “below decks” (underneath the bed) which made a big difference already. Then we piled everything else into the front of the van so we could make the bed, eat some sandwiches for dinner, and turn in early.
Twelve hours later, we awoke after mixed sleep experiences. Jacob slept really well, which is fairly typical for him. I, however, am an incredibly light sleeper; my usual setup involves blackout curtains and an eye mask, as well as a white noise machine designed for babies turned up to full volume. Thankfully my white noise machine can run off the 12V battery in the van, but even that was not enough to drown out the thundering rain that came down overnight. (Did I mention how thankful I am to not be sleeping in a tent?) Based on the weather report for Gairloch (where we’re headed next), I’d better get used to the pitter-patter pretty quickly or I won’t sleep at all!
We had two primary aims for the day: organizing all of our stuff, and ending the day with a full gas bottle in the back. We started with some organization, and as it stands we have almost everything put away, although not yet in their rightful homes. The kitchen needs the most work still, as we haven’t decided which drawers will hold what, or where dry goods will live. Shoes are also tricky: I have been alternating between hiking boots in the rain, sneakers in town, and slippers in the van. But I also brought crocs, sandals, flip flops, and running shoes. Jacob has a similar number of pairs of shoes. We probably only need two or three pairs accessible in any given climate, but I haven’t found a good place to keep them yet. Thankfully we’ll have a few days to relax in Gairloch and we can use that time to sort things more fully.
We set off for Dunfermline midafternoon to pick up the empty gas bottle we found on Marketplace. It was over an hour’s drive, and the guy was really sweet and gave us some money back for making such a long trip to get it. We were so relieved, but it was short-lived: the first two stores we stopped at to exchange it for a full bottle did not have the size or kind of gas we needed. Thankfully, third time’s the charm: a small gas station in Stirling had a shiny red 13kg bottle for us. We were ecstatic!
When I imagined this weekend by the lake, I thought we’d be walking the section of the West Highland Way that passes the campsite, or strolling along the beach, or going for a short bike ride. Instead, we have been completely focused on making the van liveable, which makes total sense - I just feel a bit naive for not anticipating how much effort goes into finding a place for everything, making sure you have everything you need, and learning how everything works in the van. Hopefully though, after the first week or so, we will have things figured out and can start venturing out to explore.