fLoReNcE

So this is where my real midlife starts……….with a home on wheels. Bear with me while I digress……

I’m a great believer in people coming into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime, and believe me, I’ve had my fair share of reasons and seasons. But I can happily say, hand on heart, mostly positive reasons and mostly through the wonders of online dating {maybe more on that in future blogs}.

I wanted a van, end of, and I was bloody well going to get one…….I’d treat myself for my 50th. It fit nicely with when I would finish paying the bank the money I borrowed for the car . . . . . . . .I could just ‘reborrow’ it, we’ll call it recycling {I’m all for doing my bit for the environment and if recycling cash counts then I’m in}. Plan made, all hunky dorey!! Then I went on a date, and as we got chatting over a glass of pop {the perils of driving to a date, but, safety first!} a seed was planted, ‘just have a look and see what’s about now’ he said, “no harm in just having a look” {no harm! Famous last words}. It would at least kill the curiosity and I could possibly find a bargain? Let me just say here that I have no luck, it’s not that I have particularly bad luck, its just that the luck gods always have their backs to me. So the thought of actually finding a actual bargain van that I could afford never occurred to me! No harm right, so I looked, at first a little peek, then I got well and truly stuck down the rabbit hole that is the internet. You know how it is, it draws you in, it’s like a challenge, a battle of wills and you can’t stop until you find exactly what you’re looking for {bloody google}.

In true woman style, I went against all the advice out there because, obviously I know best. . . . . . . . . .and wanted to buy the first van I laid eyes on. There were lots of moments of doubt and the guys at work got my whinging and whining and self doubt full force. Every lunchtime for a week, all we talked about was ‘the van’. I’m sure their encouragement for me to buy it was just to shut me up so we could get our lunch breaks back to normal! They were keen and knew it was a great opportunity, so for once I took their advice and took the scary giant leap of faith. Achieving your goal 18 months before your deadline is definitely a win and one to be dead proud of I reckon. . . . . . . . . Hoorah for the VAN! The luck gods were smiling on me at last, either that or I just didn’t give a flying fuck anymore {see. . . . . midlife, happening right there}. So, thanks to the kindly man at the bank allowing me to ‘recycle’ my money. . . . . . .she was soon parked up on our driveway and I had a big daft grin on my face {that lasted for days}

So for all those who say you can’t find love on Tinder……I kinda did, just not the traditional sort! I fell in love with a Van than came about via Tinder. Proof that Tinder can work out!

fLoReNcE is older than I would’ve liked, but so am I ! She’s loud and chuggy, simple & basic, but the living space is mint. I could now escape reality whenever I felt the need. Weekends climbing hills or roaming endless beaches AND free accommodation. But…….NO SAT NAV! or cup holder…..ffs!! Looks like me getting used to using Google Maps instead, so with a selection of tat from Amazon; phone holder, cables, usb lighter sockets and rather unstable cup holder, problem solved!

She wan’t Florence before me, she was just a big ol’ green van {think scooby doo mystery machine}. But she deserved a name, she was to be my sidekick and sidekicks need a name, I mean ‘Batman and the young dude‘ would’ve never worked. Florence just…..suited her I guess. Anyway, now the real adventures could start, my downtime could be spent planning adventures and studying google earth {anyone else get lost on that app for hours ?} for somewhere to sleep, and my sleep time dreaming of our road trips together. No more school holidays spent twiddling thumbs and redecorating just for the sake of it, going back to work listening to stories of peoples getaways and admitting to doing nothing and feeling totally let down by life.

For the best part of my working life at school I’ve kind of dreaded breaking up for Summer, having nothing to look forward to other than a rest and a lie in, a depressing thought. Don’t get me wrong, I have managed a couple of getaways due to the new lifestyle of ‘living with mom’, but nothing like what I had in mind for Florence and I.