Dull

Be Careful What You Wish For

How things change in the space of 12 short months 

I think back to this time last winter.  

I was staying down South while my brother was on a ventilator in Intensive Care for almost two months. The London hospital he was in was a seven hour round trip from my Mum’s. Thanks to Covid Restrictions, I was the only named visitor.

However, it wasn’t all angst, stress, and worry. 

Dougal and I sneaked a couple of days away in the caravan down to Brighton to do some filming for a Channel 5 programme about the Caravan and Camping Show at the NEC that February.

He loved being a camera operator. No, really.

At the show itself I enjoyed a hectic schedule involving more filming with Channel 5, judging for the Caravan and Motorhome Club, staffing the Campervan Advice Stand, and speaking on stage in the Inspirations Theatre. 

With my brother having come out of ICU just one week before the show, I could enjoy the busy-ness and thrilling buzz of a bustling show with a sense of cautious relief. 

Hellooo!

On top of all that, I was planning and effecting a major shift in my caravanning set-up and the direction of my content, going from a 4x4 with an Airstream to an EV with a lightweight and simple caravan. 

The thrilling buzz continued thanks to a trip to Italy, followed by a trip with the EV around Scotland, and various trips thereafter. 

To sum up, I didn’t stop for 12 months. 

Once I got home from Düsseldorf and the NEC at the beginning of November 2022, I was more than ready for a very quiet and uneventful winter. My reserves were empty and I absolutely did not want a repeat of the previous winter. 

I craved dull. I craved boring. I craved an empty schedule. 

But you know what they say:

Be Careful What You Wish For.

Comfort gives way to Discomfort 

November was joyous. It was peaceful and calm. As the cosy nights drew in, the sparkling promise of Christmas Joy was always around the corner. 

Christmas itself was spent with family. Despite the long and tedious drive to what was a very quiet and ordinary Christmas, the sense of gratitude and relief to have my brother sitting at the table with us was appreciable. 

But then January arrived, along with a wee puppy. 

Don’t be fooled by that face. He’s just eaten his dog bed and pooped on the carpet.

Despite a modest amount of puppy-induced domestic chaos, January delivered Dull and Boring in copious measures. The schedule remained empty. January felt like it was going on forever as time slowed to a crawl. 

The comfort of a quiet November developed into the distressing discomfort of an empty January. 

Run!

I passed my driving test at the age of 17, and the very next day I was towing my caravan. If I wasn’t actually travelling, I was dreaming about it. Even before my 17th year, I used to escape reality by caravanning in my imagination, fuelled by caravan brochures and magazines. When I could no longer afford to run a car and caravan, I continued to escape, with a tent on the back of my motorcycle. 

On my way home from an awesome motorcycle camping trip to Greece

Quite simply, every time things got dull, boring, or uncomfortable, I’d run. 

One thing I decided upon last year is that the running has got to stop. I’ve got to learn to not just be comfortable with times that are empty, dull, and boring, but actively engage with them.

As Oliver Burkeman wrote in the book Four Thousand Weeks: 

…to know what it’s like be deeply rooted in a particular community and place, you have to stop moving around. [This is] the kind of meaningful and singular accomplishment that simply takes the time it takes. 

I’ve been wanting to run. Goodness me, have I wanted to run. 

If only I lived down South I could see my friends whenever I wanted. If only I lived on the mainland I could join a model railway club. If only I lived near a heritage line I could volunteer in something that I’d love to do. If only I lived closer I could go to the NEC…

That’s not to say that I will stay put forever. Notice that the quotation says to know what it’s like and not to feel settled and happy. It’s all about giving things - and places - a chance. To stop running. Even when life is dull. 

Feast or Famine

In a stark contrast to the busy-ness of last year, the phone has not rung once with an offer of commissioned work for this February’s NEC. 

Any freelancer will tell you that the Freelance Lifestyle is one of feast or famine, with nothing in between. I know that something will come along, but dealing with my FOMO about the NEC and a blank and empty commissions calendar is way, way more challenging that I ever thought it would be. 

Fortunately, I can just keep plodding along at my own pace and share my passion through YouTube as well as my thoughts through this newsletter. Thank you, dear reader, for being one of those delightful people who make it all worthwhile. 

I have plans afoot to visit friends on mainland next week and even attend Model Rail Scotland at the SECC. In a few short weeks we will be hitching up the caravan to pop down and see family ahead of an Easter Break with friends in Yorkshire, which I’m very excited about. 

There is still boring stuff to do like book keeping and finishing the digital decluttering and data transfers involved with setting up a new laptop, and I am thankful for the time and the mind space necessary to be able to get on with these mundane tasks. 

Making Friends with Dull

Compared to the crazy hectic stress of last year, give me Dull any time. 

I quite like Dull. Dull is good. Despite the initial discomfort, I’m sure we will get on well together. I think we’ll soon be friends. 

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Ask Me Anything

I might not be going to the NEC, but you can still pick my brains if you need to before you go.

I shall be hosting a YouTube Live at 7pm UK Time on Sunday 19th February.

If you have a question you’d like me to answer, please leave a comment to this newsletter before then.

I look forward to chatting with you on Sunday evening!

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