I have enjoyed my longer-than-expected stay in Vero Beach, first with full-time van dwellers Nat and Don who were working at a mall for the holidays, and then with Robin and her family, who all adopted me.

There was a going away party at the Crab Spot where we ate more than we talked, and tonight was steak on the grill with all the fixings. There was also a long, slow goodbye to Avalon Beach State Park late this afternoon; I left parting gifts and took more photos of the ocean and videos of the waves.

Yesterday, Michelle and Carmen of Adventures with Alice, left their business card on my bus door, and today we met up at Avalon Beach. It’s months since I parked next to a skoolie. Both Karma and I liked the vibes.

Seeing photos and walk-throughs of several awesome new builds, I confess to having had a recent case of skoolie envy. Looking around at mine, which is in need of a deep cleaning and a fresh coat of paint, I saw my overflow of accumulated stuff, a burn spot on the counter, a drawer that won’t close, fairy lights that need restringing. But then I began to again feel my skoolie as my sacred space, my happy place, filled with my energy, and that of the places we’ve been and the guests we’ve had. We’ve traveled together 929 days now, and have grown quite fond of one another, flaws and all.

One more day in Vero Beach…