Connie Sue 🌾

Meet the Regulars!

Here’s a little background about the people, places, and things that show up regularly in my stories…

Auntie M

My aunt lives in northwest Illinois. She has dementia.

I promised I’d help her stay in her home as long as possible. So, I spend the northern Illinois camping season at a campground (about 5 minutes away) to help her take care of appointments and other necessities. I’m usually there from mid-April to early-mid October.

When I’m traveling or in Florida for the winter, I handle everything remotely.

For additional help - and peace of mind - I have a Caregiver service that does in-home visits several days a week.

Bella

My van, Bella, a 2015 Ford Transit cargo van that I converted to a mini RV / camper van. My self-conversion is very simple and cozy.

Sometimes I call her my cozy little home on wheels.

She was brand-spanking new when I bought her in May of 2015. My plan was to build her out, learn the ropes, take early retirement in 3 years, and hit the road full-time.

But in August 2015, my job of 30 years was eliminated (moved overseas), my daughter was leaving the nest, and I chose to jump into van life 2 months later… in a partially converted van and totally unprepared.

I told my daughter she couldn’t leave home until she named the van. It took her a whole 0.3 seconds to name the van Bella.

Campground shuffle

The shuffle is a pet peeve I deal with every time I’m at a campground and need to go somewhere. Not having a separate vehicle to run errands or explore with means I have to…

• Put everything away in the van (so it doesn’t fly around when I’m driving)
• Pull in the leveling blocks
• Unplug from the electric pedestal
• Take my window coverings off
• And just make sure I’m ready to roll safely down the road

And then, when I get back to the campground, I have to do the campground shuffle in reverse.

Over the years, I’ve simplified the shuffle as much as possible but it can still be a pain in the ole rump.

Home

Home is wherever my cozy little home on wheels is parked… whether it’s a campground, hotel, or somewhere else.

Not to be confused with my hometown area which is northwest Illinois… where I lived from the day I was born until the day I hit the road in October 2015.

MCS

MCS is short for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (or Multiple Chemical Sensitivities).

MCS is a complicated, life-altering condition. The short version is: Everyday products and pollutants can cause mild to severe allergic-type reactions in my body.

It's not a true allergy - it's just the simplest way to describe it how my body reacts.

Avoiding triggers and managing reactions has become second nature. Most of the time, my reactions are only moderately annoying but can become incapacitating if I don’t pay attention to what my body is telling me. Thankfully, my worst reaction (anaphylaxis) only happened once.

I may mention MCS in passing because I need to consider it with everything I do... but I refuse to let it become my identity. It's simply the road map I use to navigate a world that wasn't built for me.

Misael

Misael is my daughter Nikki’s partner, my honorary son-in-law, who’s lived his entire life in southeast Florida.

Nikki and Misael met in an online multi-player game. They were friends for a couple years or so and, in late 2011, she told me they were officially a couple.

Watching them date long-distance via modern technology was new territory for me… but it was fun watching their relationship blossom. I enjoyed when he asked me for advice because he wanted to get Nikki just the right gift. I also appreciated his help when I needed a new laptop and had no idea what to look for.

Nikki

Nikki is my adult daughter. She was 2 years old when I became a single-parent. We kinda figured life out together.

When I hit the road in 2015, Nikki traveled with me for several months before leaving the nest in early 2016.

She moved from northwest Illinois to southeast Florida where she lives today, with Misael.

Nikki is the reason I spend my winter months in Florida.