I wasn’t going to back-blog but there are all these things I want to show you!! My trip home from Texas was an absolute blast. I really do love traveling alone, I’ve realized. In my old age, I kind of like my own company the best. (queue crack-up face)

Of course, I love having adventures with friends and family, but traveling by yourself is fun! Especially when you think about all the stories and pictures you can put on your blog later! It’s like I’m taking twenty people along on all my adventures. And none of you complain about how I drive or where I decide to book an overnight stop! In fact, the worse things are, the better you’ll like my post! Bring on some mis-turns and minor catastrophes; they are more entertaining. What are the kids saying these days? Do it for the plot?

I booked this tiny trailer for its Instagramability. It was so cute.  Every detail was thoughtful and twee and photographable. There were funny cards and magnets on the wall. The cupboards were painted pink and red. There were bugs modpodged onto the lampshade, thick heavy handmade quilts to sleep under on a cold desert night. It was pretty close to perfect. I felt like I was staying inside my own Valentine’s Day card to myself.  I could paint this little trailer, put it on a card, and sell it as a Valentine’s card. Hmm… maybe I will.

Let’s take a closer look. See those quilts and colorful dog sheets? They were clean and flannel and cozy. The oven didn’t work, but obviously, I didn’t care about that. I was only there for one night and wasn’t going to be baking any tiny cookies. I was just there to sleep and maybe have a glass of wine and a salad from Trader Joe’s or somewhere close and easy.

It was the perfect set-up for me. I didn’t use the TV or the coffee maker, but I sat at the little table and had my little dinner while I scrolled on my little phone.

Speaking of getting dinner from somewhere nearby, I have a funny story about that. I asked the Airbnb host if a Trader Joe’s was within walking distance, and she said yes! I was thrilled.  I got on my GPS and started walking, thankful to get some steps in after sitting all day driving. After a while, it seemed like I was walking a really long way. I started thinking that maybe the host and I have different ideas of what a short walk is. Thirty minutes isn’t really a short walk in my opinion. And the neighborhood seemed less and less walking-friendly the further I got. The boulevards were so wide and there were no crosswalks anywhere. I had to jaywalk across speeding cars like I was playing Frogger.

I started to wonder if I was lost somehow, and that’s when I realized that I accidentally hit the “sponsored” Sprouts listing at the top of Google Maps instead of the actual Trader Joe’s nearby. What a stupid mistake. I don’t really have a good excuse other than I’m practically blind these days without my readers, and I probably wasn’t reading carefully. I was pulling a Brenda. Jump first, and ask how high after.

So yeah, I got my steps in. I headed back towards my Airbnb and found Trader Joe’s conveniently nearby. I had a great dinner and fell asleep quickly.

The next day, I tried the outdoor shower, *a feature* in this tiny camper set-up. It’s brilliant. There isn’t a bathroom in the camper (no room, obviously), and the host doesn’t want guests traipsing in and out of her house to use the facilities, so I was told to use a composting toilet behind a privacy wall in the shared compound yard. The shower is off to the other side of the camper. I didn’t love the composting toilet. I mean, it wasn’t as gross as a porta-potty, but it was still kind of more camping than glamping. The shower, on the other hand, was AMAZING!!!

You have not fully lived until you have tip-toed outside barefoot on a very early, very chilly morning and taken a steamy hot shower in the open air. The birds are singing; the air is crisp, and steam is rising off your skin in clouds. The bricks are cold beneath your feet, where the warm water is splashing.  The shower stall was made of rusty iron, and all kinds of barn tools were attached to hang your toiletries on. I admit I thought the rusty rake made into a washcloth holder was very clever, but I wouldn’t want to slip and fall on it and give myself tetanus. Thankfully, the wet bricks were not slippery at all.

After my exhilarating shower, I was rested, clean, and ready to hit the road for the last leg of my trip back to California.

Every time I take this trip along the ten, I feel like I’m in the Cars movie. The rock shapes are so iconic in this landscape.  As I got close to Red Rock, I saw a white house that piqued my interest. I had plenty of time since I had left the camper early, so I decided to explore a little.

As I got closer, it got better and better. This is my dream fixer-upper. Obviously, I watch too many DIY construction reels on Instagram.  It’s only $275,000 (A deal by California standards) but I’m sure it would take two million to fix it up properly. Two million I don’t have! But I can dream.

I parked and got out. Since it was vacant and for sale, I felt okay creeping around a little bit. When I saw the Mark Twain book in the driveway I felt like it was speaking to me. This house was asking me to visit!

I peeked in the window and saw even more exciting things. An organ, maybe? Or a hutch? Bolts of fabric, an old-school television mounted into the wall under the stairs? Somebody had big plans for this place. I wish that somebody was me!

Imagine all the light that would stream in these windows! It was in a desert and probably has pretty extreme weather, but I could totally see plants hanging in the windows and kittens sunning themselves on the porch. Maybe a rocking chair and some red geraniums in flower boxes. It could be the cutest Bed and Breakfast! I read a little about it on Zillow, and some grant money is available to keep it historical.  Le sigh….

There is a door opening to nowhere, which always cracks me up. That could easily be fixed with an adorable little sunning deck attached to an upstairs bedroom. Maybe put in some French doors and a patio table for having morning coffee with the birds. I see so much potential in this house. I might have to paint a little watercolor painting of it to remind me to keep dreaming. Maybe someday, when I’m a millionaire, it will still be available.

After that, I only stopped at rest stops. Spring seems to be very much on its way. It’s incredible how many yellow flowers had popped up since I’d been there a week earlier. My parents are planning on going back in March or April, so I can only imagine how much more there will be. I love desert blooms!