new van

My new home-on-wheels!! "Appa the Wonder Yak" is a 1981 Westfalia, water-cooled 13B rotary engine, 148,000 original miles. I've been searching for a good while for a decent candidate. Living in the Pacific Northwest, competition is a bit fierce for acquiring a Westy within my current price range, but Craigslist came through for me, and I lucked out in being the first caller on Appa and the first on the scene to take a look. The seller was at work, but I was able to peek in the windows, and, after asking a few questions, agreed to a purchase over the phone. I am normally not a fan of yellow vehicles, but Appa's shade of pale yellow is actually my favorite Vanagon color. The exterior is in really decent shape, though there's a long crack in the windshield, and a few body spots that could use some touch-up. And the pop-top exterior is a sort of dingy grey for some reason... probably just needs a good scrubbing.

I can't wait to head back tonight to pick her up!

The timing is perfect. Now I'll have the van in time to take it to the Kitsap Peninsula this weekend when I pack up the little travel trailer I've been using on a friend's property. It'll be much easier to move what I need directly into the van rather than packing twice. On a side note, just yesterday I online-ordered a copy of the Twilight DVD (mandatory viewing for a soon-to-be Olympic Peninsula resident?), because I've been thinking it would be fun to spend my first night in the van with a good flick. Now I just need an external laptop battery, since the internal battery is going out & won't hold a charge for long.

I just re-read the Craigslist ad for the van & got a good laugh over a part I somehow managed to overlook the first time I saw it: "Perfect camper for summer fun. But you can also live in it!" Divine providence? I'm a believer.