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Working remotely strike 2!

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Having faced certain challenges last month, the second attempt to work remotely proves to be even more challenging

The plan was to drive the van to Stockholm, fulfil a cat sitting opportunity then wend my way back along the Dutch coast, returning mid July for the busy Summer season in Southsea. This is not what fate had in mind for me. I planned the route carefully, my husband was coming as far as Copenhagen to help with my anxiety about driving in Europe, I would continue to Stockholm and all would be well. The first challenge popped up a week before my departure with the re-emerging of a chronic back injury.

This tends to happen under times of stress and, although I was happy to be going my body thought otherwise. 2 sets of osteopathic treatment later my osteopath deemed me fit to go.. With 3 days to go my body once again declared itself unfit with what looked like COVID (although testing negative). I took to my bed to dig down on the detail of the trip (mind over matter!). Having fallen foul of the Portsmouth clean air zone and received several tickets at £160 each (on account of my camper van being technically an HGV), I thought it wise to check out similar zones on my route. I looked at Copenhagen, the van required pre-registration and strict adherence to certain zones as well as hefty fees. Likewise Stockholm. Paperwork to downgrade the van from HGV to van was in, but this was not straightforward (I foolishly thought that they would accept a weigh bridge certificate but they wanted a full inspection that can't be done until next month), with 3 days to go here I was sick on bed with a wrongly categorised vehicle contemplating 3 long weeks of driving. It suddenly felt much less appealing. I listened to what fate was telling me and decided to curtail the trip and only fulfil the cat sitting duty. The van-life Instagram's showed little evidence of lying exhausted in an overheated van, unable to enter cities, recovering from a fever under a deadline to hare across Europe so that little tabby can have his home life undisturbed. I threw in the towel on the trip and booked a cheap flight to Stockholm. Relieved, I spent an extra week recovering and am now taking in the sights of Stockholm in a far more sensible manner. The office side of things is somewhat more streamlined and going well. Essential tasks were tackled, lawyers instructed as power of attorney for a property sale, handyman and assistant briefed for work.

Many people live in their vans over the warmer months, if this is a simple-life dream that you share I suggest imagining yourself at your worst in the situation before committing to giving up your comfy home for the season! 

Down with the Rentier class
Not remotely in control!

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