Virgin Trip

Well after the excitement of booking our trip to France over Easter the doubts and fears are beginning. I guess when you are a ‘virgin’ motor-homer you always start with a few fears, so I’ve compiled a list of ‘what-ifs’ to answer my own questions. Maybe then I can start to enjoy planning the route etc! I sometimes wonder what happened to that naivety of youth that leads you to embarking on anything without thinking; that allows you to just experience and be impulsive and carefree and full of confidence. I suppose that life in itself tends to knock some of that out of you. It’s a shame but never mind I will try to find it again.

So here goes:

 What if we break down
o Well that’s what I’ve got European breakdown assistance insurance for.

 What if the battery goes flat
o Well make sure to take the battery booster or spare battery

 What if no-one understands my French
o Well I’ve got fingers – I can point at things. I’m not the only person who has travelled in a country and only known a bare minimum of the language!

 What if the gas bottles run out
o Then I buy another one – after all I believe that France is fully equipped – more so than most countries – for people in motorhomes

 What if we are involved in an accident
o That’s what van insurance is for, also personal travel insurance

 What if we get lost (impossible – we have maps and a sat nav) or get involved in something where we need to speak the language
o Well we have phone numbers of English people living in France – use them and get some help

 What if we don’t know what to do at any of the services or how to fill up with water/empty waste etc
o Well watch other campers or try to work it out – after all we are not stupid

 What if we don’t like being on the road all the time
o Well either find a camping site and stay put or turn round and make your way home – you have your ‘home’ on your back

If any more silly thoughts come to mind I will add them to the list and then when I have doubts I can re-read them because it's about time I started enjoying life without worrying about the what-ifs...

I do realise that one of my main worries is because I only speak a minimum of French. When in Spain I don't worry because I can speak Spanish very well but French - well my schooldays are long gone and that's where I learned it, so it's get the books out and study again, but I can't focus on French and Spanish at the same time, can I? Well can I??? Mmmm I'll have to think about that...