Will The Real Diane Please Stand Up

Bill and I both agree we could easily live in the RV full time. We love the life; traveling from place to place, meeting new people, experiencing new things. But it's more than that. We're also discovering new things about ourselves and each other. It's like we're different people on the road.

I like to cook. No, I love to cook. OK, mostly I love to cook. Doing anything routinely can become tedious, and sometimes I run out of ideas. I do enjoy the experimentation, trying new spices and flavors, or attempting to duplicate a delicious restaurant meal at home. I especially like to take our favorites and make them healthier without sacrificing the taste. Not to brag or anything, but I'm pretty good at it. So, yeah, mostly I love to cook. But cleaning...uh, not so much. I don't like it and I'm not good at it. I do it because you have to clean. Right? However, it would never be something I choose. Or at least I thought so.

When we are camping I'm relaxed and happy. I take things in stride and roll with the punches. I don't get stressed out by things the way I might at home. And I clean! Willingly and regularly. I can't bear it if the stove top is greasy. The water spots on the stainless steel sink are intolerable. You could eat off the shower floor. Every mirror is gleaming. The bed is always made. The floor is always swept. Everything is put away, because I disdain the clutter. I keep the rig as close to pristine as possible. Most surprisingly, I enjoy doing it. Of course, this fact is not lost on Bill. Actually, he'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to notice the stark contrast, and he teases me about it.

You could say it's because I'm away from my everyday life, but it's not like I'm free of my responsibilities. I have my cell phone and computer. I am usually only a few hours from home. I still have to pay the bills, make sure our parents have what they need, that the condo is taken care of, etc. All the same stressors exist. I just seem to handle them better. I am like water, I go with the flow. And, for some unknown reason, I feel the need to clean.

So what is it that transforms me? Well, it's a mystery. One I don't feel the need to unravel. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? But it does beg the question - which Diane is the real Diane? Is it the occasionally overwhelmed condo dweller who would rather stick hot needles in her eyes than vacuum, or the laid back neatnik RVer? Perhaps I'll never know, but I'm growing rather fond of that easy-going RVer chick.

-Diane (or is it?)