Trial Run #1
34.29210° N, 116.95951° W
I left my house around 4 pm. Initially I had a birthday I was supposed to be in town for, but it was cancelled, so I decided to just go for it. I know Fawnskin pretty well and it’s only two hours away with a good amount of backcountry I could find a spot in. I got in around 6:30 pm. Luckily traffic was brief and only on the 210. The 330 was an easy straight shot.
Once I got up there, I headed up Rim of the World Drive and turned right, right before Camp Whittle. We all camped out over there one night when I worked perm staff, which is how I knew about it. Can’t believe that was seven years ago. The road was rough and unmaintained. I passed a few other camps. Some were families, some were dirt bikers, and one was a right wing, conspiracy flag toting outlaw, probably living out of his car where no one will touch him. I turned down a side road that was so incredibly rocky that my car was teetering when I decided it best to turn around. I think that’s what ultimately caused the slow leak in my rear tire. I was honestly terrified in that moment, but Greta was a goddamn champ. Thank God for all wheel drive!
Driving back the way I came, I found a tamer turn off to the right. The campsite was mostly just a little clearing nestled into the trees. There weren't’t any great lookouts or views, but I tried to position my car to where I could best see the sun set from my trunk. I also wanted her nose to face the exit, in case I had to leave quickly. It took a while to set up the car. I’m concerned that tear down will take just as long, which could be dangerous if I had to make a quick exit for any reason.
Once I locked up and settled in for the night, I realized how dark and quiet it was. It was a bit unsettling. I realized right away that I had service. Big pro: safety. Big con: not what I wanted to be distracted by on this trip. I put it on airplane mode for most of the time.
I woke up at 6:30 am to the sound of a light tapping on the car. Though the forecast called for sun and heat, it was raining. I was ecstatic. Plus, I had just woken up from a dream where I was dating Kyle Gallner, so my day was off to a good start. I took my curtains down and relished the grey skies and water running down the windows. I fell back asleep and woke up a couple more times as the rain got heavier. The bed is comfy, but I think it’ll still take some getting used to. I finally woke up again around 11:30 to the sound of Forest Service volunteers picking up trash about five yards from my car. They had a truck and several other vehicles. It was a little alarming. I threw a curtain back up, but they were done in less than ten minutes.
The sun came out as I got up to make breakfast, which consisted of a coffee and an apple with peanut butter. I spent my day journaling, writing songs, reading, and trying to find a way to be okay not doing anything. I just got out of a toxic relationship earlier this year, and it was the first time I ever really wrote about how I was feeling. The journaling was so healing. The one and a half songs I wrote were incredibly therapeutic. I haven’t been writing or playing guitar a lot lately, so it felt rejuvenating. I began to feel so grateful for what I do have and how enriched my life has become since letting that situation go. Why would I spend my life suffocated by someone or seeking the approval of others when I could be experiencing the outdoors and all the beauty Mother Nature has in store?
Though I brought actual food, I decoded to just make a freeze-dried backpacker’s Chana Masala for lunch/dinner. I watched the sunset as I ate my dinner. I brought a half bottle of Cabernet from home and decided to have a small cup of that as well. Watching the sunset spawned another moment of intense gratitude. It hit me that I made all this happen. I got the idea to live/travel out of my car in June and here I was three months later, testing out my very own build. Something I had done entirely on my own. I always thought I’d be too shy or overwhelmed to make a TikTok, and yet it’s helped me be comfortable with myself again after the breakup. I’m redoing my website to log everything, and these things are keeping me on track to making my goals happen. I went a whole day without human interaction. I’m rewarded with one hell of a sunset and a chorus of crickets.
I woke up the next morning freezing. I grabbed another blanket, but it wasn't enough. Noted. Packing up was a lot quicker, but I still need to nail down a system where everything has its place. My tire light was on and I filled all of them, just to find out later that I acquired a leak at some point. I need new tires anyway, so I’ll be getting all-terrain tires. I went to Starbucks in Big Bear to plow through my work for a few hours. It also gave me a chance to charge everything and upload footage. I walked around the village after and bought a Big Bear sticker for my roof rack. I got a salad and beer at a restaurant called Fire Rock. I’ve always loved how friendly wait staff is toward me when I dine alone. I headed to Lake Gregory afterward and made some coffee before walking around and snapping a few photos.
All in all, it was a successful trial run. I listed out what worked and what needs improving, as well as what I still need to get.
notebook dedicated specifically to car logs
small fan (battery or solar)
some sort of shelving
a more permanent way of storing everything instead of bags and loose items
bag and straps for my roof rack (already have)
raise bed platform
eliminate legs on headboard
too bulky and can’t be moved quickly in an emergency
more storage underneath
bug catcher
doormat
table
hammock (already have)
powerbank (solar)
bigger cooler or solar powered “fridge”
more rings for curtains
hiking socks with Chacos (already have)
thin board to go under legs of middle board
awning/umbrella
another camera battery
