We’ve been back in the UK now for a week and a half and in that time we’ve bought a mini bus/van, converted it so we can all sleep in it, driven hundreds of miles around the UK seeing all sorts of friends in a variety of campsites, bought another car as well and driven home to Cornwall… phew! So that’s why I haven’t had time to update you. And quite frankly I’m still trying to block the rather horrendous return plane journey from my poor, tired and traumatised mind… they didn’t sleep, we didn’t sleep… it was a no-sleep nightmare!

We brought a lot more home than we took – our initial two bags returned as six!

Anyway, we’ve recovered from that now and have been enjoying the van camping, although I think our memories of camping in Britain while still state-side were somewhat rose tinted – we forgot about the rain! But it ‘s been fun none the less with barbecues and campfires, games of cricket and football and plenty of wine with friends.

The van conversion is a great success. We stripped the panels off the inside, insulated and boarded the sides and doors. Then we hung blinds and built beds for us all with plenty of storage underneath. We bought blocks for levelling it up at campsites and we unpacked our bags into convenient tubs.

The Van!

Adding insulation

Stage one complete

Then we built the beds!

Then we set off and covering the South of England visited friends in Cambridge, Surrey and North Devon, stopping at Swindon en route to pick up a Toyota Starlet for me. I have a history with a starlet and this car makes me very happy…

Since returning to the UK I’ve been thrown back into the deep end of the hyperemesis gravidarum world and despite the improved time difference the road side working simply wasn’t working. Not wishing to turn this blog into a discussion about the running of a charity, it became clear to us that there was an immediate need for me to position myself somewhere I could work full time for a few weeks – so we descended last night on our house sitter, who rather conveniently happens to be my bezzie mate. Our house is much bigger than we remember after living in a car for the last six months! Today, with a stonking hangover far worse than I’ve experienced in quite some time after celebrations and stories last night, I have worked my little socks off trying to get things back under control and catch up with matters that were simply on hold while I was away. I can’t bring myself to look at the two draws full of six months worth of post… it’ll have to wait.

Rob in the meantime is getting started on the outdoor kitchen, compost loo and solar shower… we’re not actually “in” our house you see… there are people living here! We’re camping in our van still, we have a tent arriving tomorrow and will set up at the bottom of our fields to live outdoors for the next few weeks, poddington pea style!

The outdoor kitchen at Bruce and Pat’s in Montana… the inspiration for a Dunmore Farm version.

We’re also planning our adventures for the next few months, ponds, woodlands, hot tubs and all sorts are beginning to take shape in our minds and on paper… it’ll be the All New Adventures of Muma Dean and her Team, in the most beautiful place in the world – Cornwall.