Monday, May 30, 2011

to feel the free wind on my face

The Renovation Station!

The gutted inside (before cleaning)

Matt's stealie stencil on the engine tin

The engine in process

So sitting in the back seat of a Mustang with the windows down on a 9 hour drive to Florida was not exactly the "free wind on my face" I was looking for but I have the good company of two of my best friends and the journey will be worth the rewards. It's been a few weeks since I said goodbye to Birmingham as my home and I feel like the fears I had in the process have all pretty much dissipated. The world has begun to work in mysterious ways. It's as though any time I feel like things are going tough I am handed the tools to make it better. I guess it's a bit like grace and grace has helped my patience grow.

So much has happened since Matt and I left Birmingham to begin a new path in our lives. As soon as we arrived in Guntersville we began working on pulling out the old engine in the bus and putting in the new. We took our time and I feel like we put a lot of love into that engine. I will strongly suggest that if you ever buy an air-cooled Volkswagen that you take the time to learn every in and out of the engine. We have a little bit of work to do as it still will not run. I think we have narrowed down the problem but we hope to have a VW guru to double check before we throw another new part at it. To make the time pass, we started on the interior renovations and gutted the inside yesterday. The new floors inside the bus will be laminate hardwood for easier cleaning (and beauty!). We are also re-doing the larger cabinet to suit us better. We tore out the old canvas top and I have plans to sew up a new one made out of old sailboat sails and part of an old tent. Not much longer and the bus will be worthy to be called our new home.

I think my mentality has survived well through all the setbacks and crazy adventures life has thrown my way recently. I keep waking up in the middle of the night occasionally not knowing where I am. The first week in Guntersville I kept thinking that I was still in my old bedroom back in Birmingham. Although I am disoriented sometimes, I feel like I am exactly where I should be. It's been tough work too--we usually get up fairly early in the morning and work until the sun goes down. With all the aching muscles and exhaustion, I could not be happier. I feel like I have finally arrived in my life and can begin being fully involved in it rather than just going through the motions. It's here. It's happening. I feel a free wind blowing on my face.

2 comments:

Stelle said...

“I will strongly suggest that if you ever buy an air-cooled Volkswagen that you take the time to learn every in and out of the engine.” - That is a good point, Laura! Knowing something about your car can be handy in the long run. For one, it would be easy for you to determine if there is something wrong with your vehicle and you can point it to your mechanic and make the process a lot easier.

Best,
Stelle

Unknown said...

Whatever car you have right now, you should know it inside and out so that you'll know how to repair it in case of emergencies. Though you can always go to a mechanic, sometimes, it really helps to also know the basics yourself, especially when it turns out that it’s something very simple. It's important that car owners are knowledgeable on the most important features of their car.

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