Going Off Grid

Off Grid

The first time I heard this term was when I was with my military friend Joe. We were truly not going off grid, but we were taking a fabulous holiday to Portugal. We were all excited to be getting a week away from work, school and just daily life.

One of my favorite lines from Joe that week came when my husband was scrolling through his cell phone. Joe told him if he did not put it down, he was going to Frisbee the phone right into the pool. My husband put his phone down.

Sometimes being off grid is a lifestyle chosen by people who want to live off the grid of a map, not yet discovered by other people. Living off the land, living without electricity, phones and such. For this girl, that is a bit too far off the grid. As a matter of fact, my husband would say that for me, staying at a Hilton is a tad off grid for me.

Haha Of course he is joking and just making fun of the fact that I’m more of an on-grid girl.

Well, never in a million years would I have thought that I would become camping girl. For years, my husband would joke about taking me camping. My three girls were all part of the Indian Princess organization. Daddy’s and daughters doing crafts, singing, secret signals and twice a year a campout. I can tell you my daughters all loved this incredible bond with their daddy. One of my daughter’s group still gets together with their daddies to have dinner and bowl and such. Yes, they are 25. My husband just thought that would be fun to take me. Ummm no thank you.

After we moved home from Europe, we retired. We purchased a cabin near where I grew up and near my sister’s cabin on Little Bear Lake in Michigan. Apparently, my husband used this as the perfect time to suggest we get a small camper for our trips up to the cottage. We bought a pop-up camper. It is small but has everything we need. And guess what? I LOVE it! I love that it pops up because all the sides are windows all the way around. There is so much light and the breeze is heavenly.

This week we are off grid in South Texas. We are staying outside of a little town and about 15 miles to the gulf coast. After a week of snowmageddon in Dallas last week, I was a tad worried that we would be cold. We have heat, but our walls are plastic. I’ll admit, I slept the first night with my snow cap on. The weather this week has been perfect and near 80 every day. This morning there was the most pleasant rain tapping on the top of our roof. After my mastiff woke me up for a hug, I slept a few more hours. Now this part of being off grid I can get used to. About 10 – 15 deer show up every day around 5:00pm and an unusual daylight sighting of an armadillo was a real treat.

I really thought I was going to be an off-grid girl…. Till I looked at the camp map. Watch out for alligators! Beware of poisonous snakes!! WHAT?

Ok back to the grid please. Rest, reading and doing some fun writing.

Sincerely,

Lisa

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” ~ Henry David Thoreau…. My favorite off grid author.