Feelin' Alright

I feel I should write a little blurb about what it’s like on the Van Plan. Not what we’re doing, not where we’re going, but what it’s actually like to be on the road, meeting complete strangers and the amazing feeling comes along with it all.

So far, TJ and I have stayed at four different houses, two of which were met through www.couchsurfing.org, and two of which were complete strangers that heard about the Van Plan and opened their homes to us, no questions asked. DJ from Santa Cruz being the first, and the second has left us alone in his house, completely unattended while he is at work. When we first arrived, after meeting us for twenty minutes, he felt comfortable enough to leave us alone in his house while he went out dancing with his boogieing companion.

After giving me a free lesson of course. 

Besides being the queen of awkwardness, I am simply agog at this whole experience. I have been expecting a certain amount of wariness from people down here, and I don't know if that's just based on my own preconceptions or not, but it's incredibly refreshing to witness. Granted, we are in California and things are little more liberal here than what we are likely to expect in, perhaps Texas…but the good natured, complete acceptance of us two Canadian girls is something amazing, and has reinvigorated my faith in humanity.

I don’t know if these people realize how much they are doing for us either. Both TJ and I have a limited amount of money in which to carry out this hair-brained escapade, and by simply allowing us to stay with them, and perhaps share a meal, our hosts are saving us money at a ridiculous rate. I feel lucky and privileged and amazed and wish I could thank these people with more than simple words. 

Anyway, this adventure, though only a week in, is proving to be exactly what I expected and more!