MO MONDAY – A NIGHTMARE (I MEAN DREAM) IN THE UP

The first summer I had my van, I spent about 70 nights sleeping in it. Some of those nights were in the UP, Wausau, Superior, Duluth, New Jersey, and many were right in my parking lot in Neillsville. Yes, I slept in my van at home in my own parking lot. To some, that’s weird. I think it’s amazing. My van feels like a tiny home. It’s my special space. It's like a lucid dream. You know the kind where you’re dreaming and you're fully aware that you’re dreaming. When I stop and think about life, I believe that each day can be lived like a lucid dream… where you are free to expand your mind and live as though anything is possible. My van feels like a wonderful dream to me. I feel so special when I drive it because I’m doing what I want to do; and I go where I want to go.

Last year, December 14-16, I decided to take my van to ski in Bessemer, Michigan in the UP. At the time, I had my van for about 7 months. Usually, there is one queen bed in my van. For this trip I put the bunk bed above it and brought a cot. I asked my youngest son and his 2 best friends to go (Row, Kid, and G). We left on a Friday and headed for Bessemer. Two nights, 4 people, 1 van. The first night, our camp site was not plowed out, so we stayed next to the owner’s garage. We plugged the van in, but around 1 am on Saturday morning, our heater tripped a breaker in the owner’s garage and we lost heat. It was -20. Yes, twenty below zero. It was ridiculously cold. This felt nothing like a peaceful dream. This was a nightmare! Kid woke me up, barking, “Mom, start the van!” We started the van around 5 am and decided to drive around to get some heat. It’s a diesel, so it gets warmer when driving than it does idling. Later that morning, we got to the ski hill and saw an electrical pedestal by the hotel. I went in and asked the girl at the desk if we could sleep in the parking lot and rent the electricity pole. She told us to use it for free. We plugged in immediately and got the van warmed up. The boys and I skied all day. When we met up in the van later that night, they weren’t overly impressed with the hill. They were disappointed because it was small and didn’t have a park (jumps/rails). They all used the hot tub that night at the hotel. When we went to sleep, that Saturday night, it was very windy. We were at the top of the ski hill and the van just shook all night. Thankfully, we had heat. Everyone woke up and we ate breakfast. We all skied most of the day on Sunday, before driving home. The boys did the best they could, but it didn’t seem like it was their “dream” trip. I was so happy because we did it. I couldn’t imagine sleeping in a van with my mom and 2 of my friends when I was 14 years old. I felt lucky they did it with me.

Months later, I’ve heard all of the boys talk about our trip to the UP as though it was the best trip ever! I’m amazed, because it seemed like such a disappointment to them. Now, their memory is left to perspective. Like a dream, some of the details may have faded. Looking back, the good parts tend to shine the brightest…if you let them. Life isn't always a dream come true. If you stop moving forward because you hit a rough spot; you’ll probably miss the best part. Just remember, each day that passes is one we’ll never get back…just like a dream.