New Van

meaning its also time to get back to work   Okay, we get it. It's not really work when you only do it for 3 months a year (or in this case 3 months every couple of years)...but isn't that really the point?  Isn't the goal to find a way to continue the lifestyle and survive/thrive with as little work as possible?  Better yet, only taking projects like this one that are crazy exciting and you cant wait to jump into??

Okay, yes... we are somewhat sad to be driving away from the mountains having only had a fraction of the great snow days we had last year...but we're also stoked to get to work building beautiful vans for other people and to try our hand at a new business/partnership!

We got the email a few days ago that our new (okay, the new ZENVANZ) 4x4 sprinter was delivered and waiting for us to pick it up, so we left baker and hit Seattle to pickup a new vehicle.  The other new van is already delivered and waiting for us in Portland...so by the time we get back there will be plenty to do and our brains are starting to shift into project mode.

Somewhere along the way it hit us how big and how strange this was.  The van was beautiful.  Shiny, new, a perfect blank slate for turning into something beautiful... but driving away with each of us in separate vans and following each other down the interstate toward Portland seemed very strange indeed.

It's a huge commitment for us. Two people who never be able to commit to anything (other than each other) just committed to making payments on multiple new sprintervans, the initial investment of money needed to fix them up and possibly more scary- our time and willingness to be in one place for the next couple months.  Who are we and what is all this sudden adult-like talk going on??  Yikes.

We stopped at the casino on the drive south, played a bit of craps and got to know the new vehicle a bit.  Made some changes in the order... a security system, factory swivel seats, factory rear windows, a few other small changes but mostly the same proven shell of a van we've been building and living in for the past 2 years.  Why change whats working?

We aren't sure what exactly to call it.  A business, a job, a partnership with friends, a project, a few concurrent van builds, insanity... but one thing is for certain.  It's going to be an adventure!

Back in Portland we focus first on the important things... seeing our friends, getting some hugs and hitting a few of our favorite spots (as always after a few months away); but within a day or two we did what we came back her for- we got to work.

Taking inventory of what we needed for early projects, made some amazon orders and spent a few days in the shop working on (or at least prepping for work on) the new vans.