By Perri
While we were out in the desert over Thanksgiving, the “holiday” season kicked into high gear. We returned to piped-in Christmas songs, strings of flashing lights and crowds of shoppers. Ugh! I don’t mean to be a killjoy. I love our big sloppy family gatherings in late December, extended family piled into one house, communal puzzles, board games and “Yankee swap” gifts.
What I don’t love is the expectation to spend, spend, SPEND, often on gifts that feel rushed, and obligatory. We try to avoid going all-out on the spending but end up feeling stretched and anxious over the holidays just the same.
Many van-living blogs and websites recommended gifts and chachkas to buy for van-lifers. But this feels counter-productive to us. We entered into this lifestyle to rid ourselves of unneeded stuff, to feel “free of” and “free to”.
So, in the spirit of good things that don’t cost a bundle, in fact don’t even really qualify as “gifts” in the traditional sense, I’ve put together a list of wonderful things that AREN’T traditional “gifts”. Some are free, all are cheap.
1. Library Book Stores and Free Book Exchanges
Libraries themselves are an amazing gift. And what could be better for a nomad than a cheap source of awesome books, one that supports the public spaces we frequent? Almost every town has a cash-strapped library, and almost every library has a small used bookstore. These are awesome without fail.
From Rawlins, WY to Moab, Utah, to Tucson, AZ, we have enjoyed exploring the reading tastes of so many towns. In addition, many neighborhoods, campgrounds, even visitor centers and ranger stations have free book exchanges. Our van “bookshelf” is tiny, so when we finish a book or two, we donate them back to a new library or free exchange. It is a perfect circle!
Why not give to your library this season, or another worthy charity?
2. Thrift Store Gear
We are big fans of thrift stores. Like local libraries, these are a fascinating source of information about the towns they serve. We have explored a teeny LDS thrift in Panguitch Utah and a funky Southwestern thrift in Ajo, Arizona, even a giant Goodwill in Yuma. Thrift stores are a bit hit-or-miss, Best not to go in looking for a specific thing. (We tried this when the lid of our one cooking pot broke, and we needed a 10 inch pot lid… no go in the thrift stores of Las Cruces, NM.) But for general “stuff that you need”, you can’t beat a good thrift store.
Most of our clothes are thrifted. including fancy hiking gear like my beloved Mountain Hardwear Wind Shirt, my wide brimmed sun hat, our hiking poles and camp chairs. In addition, I always scan the racks for washable-wool shirts from brands like Smartwool and Ibex. New, these awesome shirts cost a BUNDLE, at a thrift store, they are 3 or 4 dollars. A-mazing!
I’m not suggesting you buy a gift for someone else at a thrift store. But why not give a day of thrift store exploring? I miss thrifting with my kids, would love the gift of a day (or a few hours!) exploring the racks with them. Maybe we’ll do that over the holidays.
3. Quirky Food
You can find Kraft Dinner anywhere, but what about freeze dried refried beans or zhoug sauce? The former, was a discovery we made a Wal-Mart. The latter a Trader Joe’s specific item that we absolutely love.
Awesome stuff doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. One of our most recent supermarket discoveries was ready-to-grill green chile tamales from the meat section of a Basha’s Grocery store in Safford, Arizona. Another fun food item is interesting local candy, or candy from an international food store.
Why not buy a loved one the fixings for a fabulous and unusual meal? Every area of the country has its own interesting foods. Explore your local groceries, you may be surprised at the cool and quirky items you might find.
4. Rocks!
It is no secret that I am a rockhound. I spend probably 30% of my (van) life poking around in the dirt. But, you know, rocks make great gifts! River rocks can be stored in a jar of water or shellacked to bring out their colors. Heart rocks are a lovely gift– especially a lovingly gathered collection of them. Likewise with wishing stones (river rocks with a continuous stripe all the way around). Large and interesting rocks make great garden gifts. You can paint sayings or whimsical art on round river rocks. And, if you have the means, lapidary tools make agate and jasper into amazing jewelry or ornaments.
5. Lists and Love Poems
This may seem a strange addition, but lists can be great gifts. On Dan’s 50th birthday, I made a list of “Fifty Things I love About Dan”, some light and silly, some mushy and serious. I read the list at his birthday party and, many years later, we came across it while packing up the house in preparation for our “van life”. It brought (happy) tears all over again. Lists like this have more more meaning and staying power than anything you might pick up at a store, and they are utterly free. Likewise for poems, comics art. Create something meaningful If you are so inclined.
In Short
It is easy to get caught up in the buy, buy, buy of the season and lose sight of the important parts. Though I’ve made this list, I have ALREADY started buying stuff for loved ones that they don’t really need (true sad story).
But the thing I am most looking forward to is the chance to SEE everyone and share time together. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?