Today marks our second week on the road and what a ride it has been! We started in high spirits despite the cold winter weather and several delays to our departure, then went to visit some friends of ours in Berlin and continued onwards in our converted sprinter van to the South of Germany, visiting yet some more friends in Stuttgart.
And though my woman and I are as great a team as ever, the last two weeks were marked by challenge and hurdles. Not long after we had left Berlin the lady became ill, we theorize it was all the stressers and pressure prior to departure. Body said: Enough is enough.
And so we were sleeping a lot, resting on car stops and secret parking spots alike, I was driving the car and we made a lot of tea to keep her body under high hydration so as to shake the inflammation.
We held out in Stuttgart when a storm came - super glad we weren't at a highway stop any longer. The car and solar roof survived it all well but we were really tired and weakened by the lady's condition. Our friends we were staying with were also in the middle of some demanding things to do and so this whole week was tough and low-vibing. It was really good to meet our friends and to share in our challenges we are enduring.
Among the bodily challenges and the matrix hurdles in Stuttgart I have mentioned recently, the additional shocker came a few days ago as we are not clear as to where the lady's wallet has gone. Ouch!
Fortunately no money was inside the wallet, "only" a bank card, credit card, driver's license and her ID. As you can imagine not finding that wallet again and not knowing where it had gone didn't help much to get us to feel better. What a bummer! We were so beaten down. Should we really go back all the way just to order some new matrix documents and presumably wait 8 weeks to give our travel another go in Spring?
Nope! FORGET IT ;)
We decided to continue onwards regardless, and since no money has yet been moved on her banking accounts maybe there will be some sort of happy end after all. The wallet doesn't really feel lost either but if it doesn't resurface we will have to make some adjustments, using the mobile app to transfer it all to my account and draw it out on an ATM.
We will not be stopped by it all, it feels like the last matrix pulls trying to make us give up and come crawling back to the life we left intentionally with courage and determination. And we will do nothing of the sort <3
She also hadn't fully recovered yet but we really wanted to get going yesterday, keep things moving and continue with our mission to warmer climates for the winter, even though winter has technically half-way passed already. We are freakin' glad about that one!
So then came the turn of events Thursday after we left our friends' home in Stuttgart. Everything turned magic, we found an awesome spot for the night in a forest near a small outskirts town and had the best dinner in a while, traditional cuisine from southern Germany, a cheese pasta dish that was really something. "Kässpätzle" - for the connoisseurs among you.
The owners of the little forest restaurant were so kind to us and welcomed us with open arms. They gifted us extra food we hadn't ordered so that we could still try it the next day, gifted us a bottle of traditional wine and wished us all the best for our continued travels.
Boy we were so happy. Finally things are clicking again!
No surprise but yesterday the lady felt so much better and was back to her awesome self - strong, funny, witty and full of life! We took the day yesterday to stay parked in front of the restaurant and also stayed the night, resting and reorganizing stuff in the van a bit. Today when we woke up the restaurant owners invited us to a cup of coffee and gave us even more food to enjoy on the road. They loved us so much, it was quite the blessing#1
Solar roof is working great, the woman is doing her last matrix banking thingies and we are about to depart this beautiful place in the forest to continue onwards to the South, stronger than ever.
We don't yet know where we will stay tonight or which route we will take, but we have long gotten into the habit or taking things as they come and going day by day. Can't wait for higher temperatures - life will be so much easier again. And our instruments are waiting to be played and practiced on as we can stop living under blankets and with van doors closed all the time.
I reckon tourist season is mere weeks away and it's high time that some cash came running in with all the expenses of past weeks as well.
Thanks universe for bringing us here to this place and these people, we really could use the uplift in spirit after such a tough start on the road.
Yay for new places to go and situations to experience!!! <3
More images to follow once there is better internet connection again ;)
kuechengoetter.de
Last image by us ;)