A Conversation about Health on the Road
The RV lifestyle simply lends itself to health. As we are often camping in places that have plentiful outdoor appeal, staying fit on the road is easy just by taking advantage of what’s naturally around us. As I look at health, I believe it is a holistic balance of our mind, body, and spirit – with each of these aspects meriting ample attention. The RV lifestyle includes qualities that can improve and enhance our overall wellness myriad ways.
One dictionary definition of health is: The general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor. This sounds more desirable than: “free from illness” - which tends to be the paradigm in which we define health today. Our social conversations are often riddled with discussions about this or that “condition” that we “caught”. You often hear a person who hasn’t “caught” it expressing gratitude for not having done so. I’d like to invite us to shift our conversation and start talking more about how great we feel and to heighten our awareness when we do. And who doesn’t feel great when they are in the RV at Pismo Beach or Donner Lake or traveling I-5 into Oregon and enjoying the majesty of snow-covered Mount Shasta? These images and experiences have impact that we can harness to improve our state of being.
When I RV, the shear simplicity of my life affords significant opportunity to expand my mind by being creative and learning. I am not bogged down with the daily routines and responsibilities that otherwise annihilate my time. On every RV journey, I choose to learn something new. It might be learning a new word every day or meeting a new person and learning something about them. It could be spending more time understanding the implication of the various settings on my camera and how a photo will be altered. Sometimes it means going to an interpretive exhibit and learning about the surroundings or the flora and fauna in an area. It could be stopping at a local winery and learning about the crush. To keep my mind healthy, I choose to be open to fresh ideas so that I don’t ruminate on the same worries and concerns. They say the brain thinks the same thoughts some extraordinary number of times per day and does so day after day. I encourage you to be choosy about what your brain is thinking.
With respect to body, get outside and take it in! Walk on the beach, ride your bike into town from camp, go on a hike or take a swim in the lake. Caring for our body on the road is easier than we think. Instead of driving around that national park, walk more of it. Do you really want to see a town? Ride your bike instead of just driving through. For the absolute steadfast gym rat, every town has a fitness center and most of them accept a daily use fee. When I RV, I carry my tennis racquet and look for opportunities to play with a fellow camper. If a place offers a kayaking excursion, give it a try. The other aspect to caring for our body when we travel is what we eat. I enjoy experiencing a place by going to their outdoor farmer’s market. It’s a fun experiment to purchase fresh local food and cook a delicious and healthy meal in the RV. For me this is exercising both mind and body.
I always expect a spiritual adventure when I RV. If we leave our electronic lives at home, choosing instead to experience what is immediately before us on the road, spiritual renewal is probable. I think abundance of time also affords a deeper sense of peace which enriches our spirit. Spirit is a great big open-ended idea as there are likely as many ideas of what it means as there are humans. Taking the time to understand what it means to you, you can then focus your attention to nurture it. I improve the soundness and vigor of my spirit by enjoying quiet, by watching the sunset, through watching my pup romp freely in the ocean, from reading spiritual books or learning about other spiritual ideologies besides my own. My sense of spirit is enriched every time I enjoy a conversation with someone I meet along the way. This is the case because I quiet judgments and choose to be open to the mystery of this new person.
Summing it up, perhaps inviting the unknown, being an open learner and trying new things are pervading states of being that support our overall health.
One dictionary definition of health is: The general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor. This sounds more desirable than: “free from illness” - which tends to be the paradigm in which we define health today. Our social conversations are often riddled with discussions about this or that “condition” that we “caught”. You often hear a person who hasn’t “caught” it expressing gratitude for not having done so. I’d like to invite us to shift our conversation and start talking more about how great we feel and to heighten our awareness when we do. And who doesn’t feel great when they are in the RV at Pismo Beach or Donner Lake or traveling I-5 into Oregon and enjoying the majesty of snow-covered Mount Shasta? These images and experiences have impact that we can harness to improve our state of being.
When I RV, the shear simplicity of my life affords significant opportunity to expand my mind by being creative and learning. I am not bogged down with the daily routines and responsibilities that otherwise annihilate my time. On every RV journey, I choose to learn something new. It might be learning a new word every day or meeting a new person and learning something about them. It could be spending more time understanding the implication of the various settings on my camera and how a photo will be altered. Sometimes it means going to an interpretive exhibit and learning about the surroundings or the flora and fauna in an area. It could be stopping at a local winery and learning about the crush. To keep my mind healthy, I choose to be open to fresh ideas so that I don’t ruminate on the same worries and concerns. They say the brain thinks the same thoughts some extraordinary number of times per day and does so day after day. I encourage you to be choosy about what your brain is thinking.
With respect to body, get outside and take it in! Walk on the beach, ride your bike into town from camp, go on a hike or take a swim in the lake. Caring for our body on the road is easier than we think. Instead of driving around that national park, walk more of it. Do you really want to see a town? Ride your bike instead of just driving through. For the absolute steadfast gym rat, every town has a fitness center and most of them accept a daily use fee. When I RV, I carry my tennis racquet and look for opportunities to play with a fellow camper. If a place offers a kayaking excursion, give it a try. The other aspect to caring for our body when we travel is what we eat. I enjoy experiencing a place by going to their outdoor farmer’s market. It’s a fun experiment to purchase fresh local food and cook a delicious and healthy meal in the RV. For me this is exercising both mind and body.
I always expect a spiritual adventure when I RV. If we leave our electronic lives at home, choosing instead to experience what is immediately before us on the road, spiritual renewal is probable. I think abundance of time also affords a deeper sense of peace which enriches our spirit. Spirit is a great big open-ended idea as there are likely as many ideas of what it means as there are humans. Taking the time to understand what it means to you, you can then focus your attention to nurture it. I improve the soundness and vigor of my spirit by enjoying quiet, by watching the sunset, through watching my pup romp freely in the ocean, from reading spiritual books or learning about other spiritual ideologies besides my own. My sense of spirit is enriched every time I enjoy a conversation with someone I meet along the way. This is the case because I quiet judgments and choose to be open to the mystery of this new person.
Summing it up, perhaps inviting the unknown, being an open learner and trying new things are pervading states of being that support our overall health.
