By: Blonde Two

We always said it would never happen but just after Christmas Mr B2 and I used the proceeds of the sale of our two previous vehicles (our much-loved and slept in Toyota Hilux Surf and my rather girly MX5) to purchase a TARDIS-like Toyota Hiace Camper (this girl is definitely bigger on the inside than the outside!)

Until recently I have associated campervans with grandparents, parents and eccentric aunties (nothing wrong with any of those). It was our trip free camping in Norway that finally persuaded me of the benefits of a bed that was higher than the floor, the capacity to carry a pillow and the ability to cook inside should the weather mood take me.

I sound old don’t I, but here in Devon, campers have another connotation beyond the ‘nice stroll and then soup in the van for lunch’ one. Campers in Devon belong to long-haired blonde beach babes (and dudes) who live the surfing life, eat manchego and chorizo and sit up all night, entertaining the stratosphere with their mellow guitars.

Blonde One and I discussed this as we ate ‘soup in the van for lunch’, just after a ‘nice stroll’ up to the Dartmoor Christmas Tree! She is definitely not middle-aged, I will be turning 50 at the end of the month and am a tad perturbed by the coincidence of this and the camper purchase.

Please don’t worry about me losing my Blonde ‘Get Outside’ credentials, I have other plans for the camper and no intention of hanging up either my tent or my bivvy bag. So far, in just a week, the camper van has facilitated,

A seaside breakfast

A successful day as a digital nomad (at the garage)

A Dartmoor soup lunch in inclement weather

Some DofE route planning

A convenient New Year overnight on a friend’s drive

Not a bad start considering it is still January. I have some van life plans for a Dartmoor outing with Not-At-All-Blonde (daughter) next week. I will let you know how we get on.