Motorhome

Recession…  and all of a sudden you can no longer afford additional activities for your children.  Trips to your favourite restaurant are not an option, you fear birthdays and holidays, not to mention Christmas.  You seem to be spending money on food and petrol…and the bills, of course.

There is nothing left after the taxes to put aside for a rainy day… And you still want this bit of luxury. You want to be able to sit and relax while listening to the waves splashing a few metres away from you. Not being able any more to afford a hotel break, you become more and more jealous of people who boast about their exotic trips. You clench your teeth and say nothing, but inside something is shouting: “I want to go on holidays as well!” Are you worse than anybody else? Don’t you deserve a bit of a treat now and again?

                Since I was a child I have been spending my holidays kayaking and camping with my family. As money was tight, we had to opt for an inexpensive way of spending our vacation, especially that summer holidays in Poland lasted over two months and people had to organize care for their children during this long time.  So my parents, especially my dad, who is very good at organising outdoor activities, decided to go for a holiday where we would sleep in a tent and cook our own meals.  As my parent used to be teachers (teachers in Poland have never been paid well), they had enough time to go for a long relaxation, and kayaking was the cheapest option.

                During long winter months we would look through our equipment, mend any holes in the tent roof and check our mattresses. At that time we didn’t know anything about carimats, so we had to rely on old fashioned mattresses that we used to pump up using a foot pump or our lungs.  We would look through the kayaking guides setting out the route and our camping places.  Mum would prepare meat in advance and preserve it in jars, as meat was especially very difficult to obtain.  As soon as the school would finish, within a week we would be travelling by train for a long holiday. By putting up with primitive conditions we were able to spend six weeks in national parks, in peaceful surroundings, close to nature.

                I wanted my children to be brought up living close to nature and being able to survive for a few weeks without modern technology. I was hoping one day we would all go camping and kayaking as a family. Unfortunately I had to dismiss my dream as I became disabled due to my illness. I am no longer able to put a tent up and carry on with normal day to day activities without fatigue. What’s more I need to have access to electricity constantly as I need to store my medicine in the fridge. I thought my holidays will be reduced to holidays and organised trips for disabled people. Then we purchased our first motorhome and I regained my hope.

                As our 2009 model motorhome has six seatbelts, we are able to go on holiday as a family and we can still take grandparents or friends with us. We are able to pack all the bed lining and put even seven of us to sleep in very comfortable conditions. Cooking is not a problem and does not have to be expensive- the motorhome is equipped with a fridge and freezer making it easy to store food and refill it whenever need arises.  If  I feel tired, any family member can take on the task of cooking on the easy-to-use gas cooker. Setting tables up can be left to children as they enjoy helping tremendously while having fun at the same time. We equipped our motorhome with every kitchen utensil needed on vacation and not forgetting of course about the barbeque, so we can spend long summer holidays close to nature and far away from crowds.  As we have connection to the electricity, apart from the fridge, we can watch TV or films on the DVD player, so no boredom if it rains.

We also pack board games and plenty of books, that can be comfortably read thanks to lights installed over two tables and bunk beds.

Washing is an easy task as the motorhome is equipped with a sink, shower cubicle and a  swivel toilet, low enough to be used by small children and convenient for anybody with motability problems.

I may no longer be able to sleep in a tent (as I won’t be able to get up), but I can still spend great holdays travelling in the luxury motorhome and I can feel like a proper member of the gang.