Adventures Of The Maiden Voyage

The day finally arrived for Daffodil to head out on her maiden voyage.  The skies were blue, the sun was shining and she was ready to go.  She was securely connected to the car, everything was packed and all systems were working.  The time came to say goodbye to my sweetheart and take off on my own for my first long trip alone with Daffodil.  To say I was totally at ease about the trip would be misleading.  I knew I could do it but I had concerns about three specific places along the way.  These were  places I knew could present challenges I might have to deal with by myself.  My sweetheart and I had discussed each of them and he assured me many times that I was ready to deal with anything that might happen.  As I drove away by myself with Daffodil following close behind, I’m sure I must have been smiling.  I was excited and anxious to get on the road and head toward our final destination for the weekend. My first concern was close to home and there was no problem – it all went as it should!.  The second place presented absolutely no issues and the third one was the same.  I ‘sailed’ through them as if Daffodil and I were the only ones on the road.  I stopped at a rest stop about halfway between home and the campground.  I had to park in the area marked for big trucks, RV’s and vehicles towing trailers.  I pulled in between two very big rigs and I’m sure they were amused, and perhaps a bit amazed, when I got out of my car to stretch and report in to my sweetheart. Most of the RV’s and trailers on the road are towed by men.  I seemed to be the only lady towing a trailer along the way that day. Something happened to me when I got back in the car to head south after that stop – I felt more empowered and very brave.  I no longer felt like a novice.  I had conquered what I had feared and I was on my way!  I even got up the courage to change lanes and pass slower moving vehicles along the way!  But I was not prepared for what happened when I turned off the freeway to go a few more miles to the campground.  As I drove up the freeway off-ramp to the road where I would turn, tears began to fill my eyes and fall down my face.  As I continued to drive through the little town near where Daffodil and I would spend the weekend my tears came faster and harder.  My heart was so deeply touched – it was full!  And I knew why.  The dream I had dreamed for almost three years was really happening - it was about to come true.  Finally, I was going to camp with my girlfriends in my very own vintage trailer. I had waited for this day – it was here.  I thought my heart would burst!  My dream had come true - and I could hardly contain it!  Daffodil and I arrived at the campground to the cheers and applause of a few of my friends who had already arrived.  They were so thrilled that we had arrived and that our maiden voyage had been a success.  Soon Daffodil was safely in her spot, ready for our weekend to begin.More girlfriends arrived through the afternoon and early evening and it wasn’t long before our group site was full. There were two parts to our site – the side where Daffodil was parked. . . And another part just beyond an open area between the two.
We had such a good time together that weekend.  My very dear friend helped me hostess the camp-out and she was amazing!  She set up a ‘kitchen’ behind her trailer to make our group meals easier to prepare (and clean up after).  It was a busy place, at times. I can’t imagine what we would have done without it. She made this sign to welcome us.
Don’t get worried – there was no 'skinny dip’n' or 'chunky dunk’n' - that I know of!  I added a bit of ‘pretty’ to the rustic setting where we were.  I put lace tablecloths on the picnic tables and centerpieces made with my vintage mason jars, filled with hydrangeas and seed pods from my yard.Nametags are a tradition at these camp-outs.  There’s almost always someone new, but we like nametags even when we all know each other.  Most of the gals keep all of their nametags – some have them displayed in their trailers or in their homes in unique ways.  My nametag is hanging on the corner of a shelf above my desk.  It’s a great reminder of this special weekend. There was time for a lot of visiting and time to share ideas and dreams.  Early mornings and late evenings found us around the campfire.  We planned a special craft time.  We had such fun decorating solar-powered mason jar lights that my dear friend and her husband had prepared for us.  They started with simple mason jars and added part of solar yard lights to the top.  (You can directions and all kinds of ideas on Pinterest.)Everyone decorated their jars and they were all different.  No two were alike.  We had such fun enjoying them at night.
 Our first evening meal together was a potluck.  One of the girls brought a cake to share.  She said she had the stripe on the trailer and the piping around the cake don in yellow in honor of Daffodil and her maiden voyage!  You can bet I gave her a bunch of hugs for her kind welcome for Daffodil.  If you wonder about the words on the cake, they have meaning because most of us are part of a casually organized girlfriend camping group that we have affectionately named ‘Vintage Women With Trailers’.As the afternoons began to fade into evening we were treated to brilliant, gorgeous sunsets shining through the trees.
And as nightfall approached it was easy to see the lights that were on some of the trailers .And then, almost by magic, night fell all around us.  The sun faded, the stars began to shine in the dark sky and, we were blessed to have a full moon shining overhead. And under that moon and those stars you could see more lights that somehow seemed to capture our imaginations. (If you look closely you will see our solar mason jar lights shining in the dark.)
The days flew by.  We spent one day at an Antique Fair in the streets of the little town nearby.  We laughed and giggled, we hugged and talked, we planned and dreamed.  And we decided we will be back to do it all again next year.And then, all too soon, it was over.  They were all gone.  The trailers were gone.  The campsites were empty and it was time for Daffodil and me to head home again. As Daffodil and I drove home I knew I had learned a lot and I knew there are things I still need to learn.  There are things that need to be changed before she and I go again - and we will go again. You can count on that!  Calendars have been marked and reservations have been made for more camp outs next year.