Following Daisies – Chapter 6: On Finding Miss Daisy

This is the seventh installment of a 17 part series launching my new book, Following Daisies – A True Story about One Woman’s Adventures Finding Happiness, Fulfilling Dreams and Becoming Herself. Each Sunday, I’ll be posting a new chapter for you to enjoy here on the Wild Daisy blog, up to Chapter 16. If you’re looking to pursue some of your own life dreams, longing to learn how to follow your heart or just wanting a funspirational, adventure-filled read, then this book is for you!

If you are just joining us, you can catch up on reading by beginning at the Introduction and continue reading from there.

Congratulations to Susann Lavendar of Nanaimo, BC!! Susanne is the lucky winner of this week’s prize draw – four 30 minute coaching sessions!

I’ll be holding another draw this coming  Friday, January 27th for all those who have pre-ordered their copy of Following Daisies. In keeping with the theme of this week’s chapter, this week’s prize is intended to help launch you on your own wild daisy journey – a one pound bag of homemade granola PLUS your very own VW camper van. It’s basically a hippie starter kit! So, good luck everyone!

 If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy yet, you can join the fun by clicking on the “Buy Now” button on the right-hand side of this page.

Now, let’s continue Following Daisies!

© Copyright by Heather Pardon, 2011. All rights reserved.

When you’re about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, then a traditional motor home will simply not do. Thus, I’d begun my search for a camper by looking for a Volkswagen Westphalia, the much-revered hippie camper of the ′60s and ′70s.

The Westphalia subculture is unique and even as a Birkenstock-wearing, environmentally conscious, peace-minded daisy lover, I quickly learned that I would not be granted immediate access.

“What would you be doing with the camper?” asked one owner, as I examined his used Westphalia. I suspected that he did not want to hear that I’d be heading to the nearest provincial park every weekend to bask in a comfortable camping experience.

“I’ve recently sold my house and got rid of my worldly possessions as I no longer wish to feed the capitalist machine. I intend to spend the rest of my days countering traditional cultural norms, fighting the establishment and eating a completely organic, granola-based diet. There is also a good chance I’ll be putting some daisy decals on the camper.”

He smiled, apparently pleased with my answer.

After a few weeks of searching, I never had any luck finding a Westphalia, however. It seems that life decided that it just wasn’t enough “truck” for me and my lifelong truck-driving dream.

The day was June 25. Only  a few nights earlier I’d been enjoying dinner with my friend Reta when I mentioned I’d be leaving on my trip mid-July, even though I’d not yet procured a suitable RV. I had somehow figured that life would handle that small detail for me. Call it synchronicity or call it the side effects of a delicious pasta primavera, but Reta suddenly recalled that she knew of a friend who was selling her RV. Four days later I found myself standing in front of the future Miss Daisy.

She wasn’t glamorous at first sight yet she had an allure about her that intrigued me. Perhaps it was our commonalities that appealed to me. She was an “older model” and had clearly been around the block a few times. Like myself, she came with a few wrinkles and scratches, signs of a life well lived, yet she seemed comfortable in her own skin. From her parking spot in the driveway she seemed as discontent with her stationary existence as I had been with mine. “I’m ready for an adventure, I’m ready to hit the open highway,” she seemed to be saying. I had found a kindred RV spirit.

Her inner beauty revealed even more of her character. From the off-pink decor to the 1980s velour sofa, she’d kept her original parts, never having changed a thing about herself. Here was a woman who knew who she was and was confident sharing her true self with the world. She had much to offer—a vast living space, kitchen, stove, refrigerator, bathroom, shower and a double bed—all the comforts of home. In my eyes, she was as complete as an RV could be, the perfect role model and ally for my trip.

Next came time to sit in the cockpit of her mightiness and admire the view. It was like sitting in a comfortable living room recliner on the top of the world. I felt as commanding as Captain Kirk at the helm of the Star ship Enterprise. I felt exhilarated, in control of my galaxy and completely empowered as I took her for a drive. Be damned any Klingon or pesky mosquito who would dare try to overthrow my vessel!

I was in love. She was ‘The One’ and I agreed to return a few days later to pay for the RV and whisk her away to a new life.

There was only one small glitch. I still needed the money to pay for her.

*

By this point, I’d begun to take note of a recurring pattern in my life, which I called, ‘The 11th Hour Bailout’. The 11th Hour Bailout occurred on a fairly frequent basis, generally as I stepped out onto new limbs in life. There’d I’d be, inching further and further along the limb, feeling some trepidation and uncertainty as to how the story may end, when life would suddenly swoop in like a Superhero and provide The 11th Hour Bailout, that safety net that would allow me to continue to move outward along the limb.

The purchase of my RV would be another one of those Bailout situations. I did not have a large, well-padded, offshore bank account to finance my trip. The proceeds from the sale of my house would be my modus financus operandi to pay for my new rig, settle some debts and take care of the rest of my adventure. You may then wonder why I’d agreed to purchase an RV before I actually had the cheque from my lawyer. Things out on this new limb just seemed to be working so I had to trust that this piece of the puzzle would drop into place somehow as well.

At noon on the agreed-upon pickup date, I headed to my lawyer’s office to enquire about my funds.

“Funny to see you here,” she greeted me, “I was just about to give you a call. Your cheque is ready.” I simply smiled at the 11th hour manner in which my life Superheroes had brought this all together. Whew.  I’d even been left enough time to get a bank draft and arrive on schedule at 2 p.m. to pick up my rig. Thanks guys. Perhaps with a few more lessons in faith I could graduate to the 10th Hour Bailout Program someday?

*

As we enjoyed a cold beer together, Sue, the former RV owner, gave me a quick overview as to the inner and outer workings of my new rig. I nodded, pretending to understand, as she spoke about generators, various batteries and charging systems, holding tanks, propane things, and waste and water management. Did Captain Kirk have to concern himself with these kinds of details?

I was far too excited to worry about learning about the mechanical intricacies of my rig. There would be plenty of time for that later. All I could think about was the sense of freedom that I enjoyed as I gazed at the road ahead of me and dreamed of the many adventures that awaited.

As Sue handed me the keys and I prepared to drive away in my new dream home, I glanced to the side of the driveway where I noticed a lovely patch of wild daisies growing next to my rig. I smiled at the auspicious send off to my journey and the message they seemed to say. Go Heather. Be free. Be a wild daisy. Enjoy. And don’t worry, this isn’t the last you’ll see of us. We’ll be with you all the way.

See you next Sunday for Chapter Seven: Look Mom, I Bought an RV!

In the meantime, Be Wild. Be a Daisy!

Heather

 

p.s. If you’re enjoying reading Following Daisies, please share it with your friends who may enjoy it too! One of the major reasons that I wrote this book is that soon after I’d made the decision to sell my house and adventure off in an RV, I began to hear the comments from many friends and others, “Heather, I LOVE what you’re doing and think it’s fabulous. But I could never do it…..”

This book is for those folks and anyone else who wants to follow their heart, fulfill their dreams and live a life they truly love. I hope that those who may think “but I could never do it….” will read Following Daisies and find the inspiration to think of the possibilities and begin to say “but yes, maybe I could…..”

If you’d like to pre-order your copy of Following Daisies AND get a free copy of my ebook I Like My Eggs SunnySide Up – One Dozen Tips for Cooking Up Positivity in the Frying Pan of Life, click here now! Don’t forget that you could win your very own hippie starter kit in this week’s draw too – a one-pound bag of granola and your own VW camper van!

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