Honey, I shrunk the kids

One year ago today we met Blue Bus for the first time 🎉 🚙 🍾 , so I have been thinking about Downsizing, taking up less space now, using less fuel. From our big caravans to a panel van conversion (Bill) and now Blue Bus who is smaller than some of the large SUV's and Crew Cab pickup vehicles which are so common here (many years ago I had an estate car that was longer than my current van).

And so far it is not a problem: channelling Clara Oswald I can definitely say "she's smaller on the outside" because during my first trip away in the van I never had too little space. Oh yes, I have far less room than any previous recreational vehicle, and there is definitely very little unused space but I have not yet had an "oh damn, there is not room for ....." moment.  Granted there are a couple of items which used to travel with me when I drove Bill but they were things I rarely (if ever) used and am quite happy to leave behind.

Living in a space of about two square metres does however, require a degree of care, consideration and advance planning. Like getting the toilet out from the cupboard under the seat BEFORE you make up the bed for the night 🙄.

I have less than zero tolerance for mess and visual clutter which meant a lot of my time in Bill was not quite as relaxing as it should have been. There was SO MUCH SPACE for one person that it was terribly easy not to put something away because I might use it again later / could not be bothered / digging under the seats to return it was hard work and occasionally resulted in injury - as evidenced by dropping the entire seat unit on my hand one day.

That was a whole world of pain which I never want to revisit. This is a rubbish picture, be glad I do not have one of the same injury two days later when the entire back of my hand was purple and twice its normal size and I still think how lucky I was not to break any bones.
  {Edit: this little mishap occured in June 2021, in my previous campervan.}



But in Blue Bus leaving something out is just not an option; there is not the space. Use it, wash it up, fold it up, put it away. Every single time. And when done immediately, tidying up takes very little time at all and made for a mentally peaceful living environment. It was absolute bliss! Everything is simplified - only two rings to cook on so meals are as basic as they can be whilst still being fresh and nutritious. The fridge is pretty small so any trip longer than a few days and there will be shopping locally for fresh provisions which means I will contribute to the economy where I am staying and probably find new things.





Being in Blue Bus is a very different experience to any previous holiday and I think it is closer to camping than what has become the norm for caravan and motorhome living (one of our caravans had a fridge which was as big as the one I have at home).

In just three nights I found myself so blissed out that I felt more as if I'd spent a couple of weeks on a Buddhist retreat than on a campsite. During this holiday one of the many books I had with me was the new edition of Martin Dorey's Campervan Bible. He writes:

Camping breaks life down into the essentials, and nothing more.
You eat, sleep and play without distractions and interruptions, 

living simply, away from the vapid trappings of our everyday existence.

Sums it up perfectly.