Happy Camper

Look at how awesome this thing is.  Really.  Look.

When I was small, my grandparents had this wonderful old Terry travel trailer from the 70's.  They pulled that thing all over the heck.  I remember camping with them in Oregon, going to Camp Meeting (Seventh Day Adventist religious revival meeting) or having them cozily living in their trailer outside our house for months at a time.  My grandparents were entirely free.

I keep having this recurring dream in which my grampa just gives me this trailer.  Free and clear, out of the goodness of his heart.  In reality, he sold this trailer long ago, upgraded, upgraded again, and I'm pretty sure he finally sold the last one and retired from camping.  But in the dreams, he always gives me this rad old thing.

I always feel delighted by the gift.  I dash inside and relive the old glory days.  There's the spot on the floor where gramma used to make a little bed for me and pad it with lots of blankets.  I would go to sleep feeling loved and happy and safe.  And I felt so privileged and trusted when she finally allowed me to sleep on the fold-down top bunk.  

I would make that thing so cute.

There's the prim double beds in the back where my grandparents always slept, that I would extend into one big bed for me and Shayne.  Of course I would redecorate a little.  I'd pick a breezy aqua blue color scheme and make new curtains and little crocheted rugs and granny square blankies.

Pictured: comfort.

It doesn't necessarily have to be granny square.

but the best part would be knowing that, now that I have a Terry, I never, ever have to be scared that I won't have anywhere to live.  Ever again.

The original interior, before I make it adorable.

A wild Terry in its natural habitat.

I immediately start planning to avoid paying housing bills by dragging this thing all over town and parking it in different places every week.

In reality, Shayne doesn't share my goal of living in a trailer.  Also, we don't actually have one.

This one costs $2,000 in Boise, Idaho.

And yet, I keep having this dream, and the yearning in my heart rages on.  What does it mean?  What does it mean?