I thought briefly about leaving Sequim before the snow hit. I stayed because I figured we would get just the 6 inches of snow that the weatherman forecast. That would not be so bad! Of course, in the end it was 2 feet, so I should have driven down to the desert while I had the chance. Now, I simply cannot get out and I have the worst case of cabin fever, ever. After the snow fell, I did look up mileage to warm places in the Southwest and considered taking just the car, which would be easier to dig out than the van. I was not sure I wanted to leave my RV behind for over a week with cold temps still in the forecast. I have to be vigilant about keeping my water lines from freezing. I didn’t want to flee in haste and come back to expensive repairs, so I stayed put.

Cheap flights and only 2.5 hours by air to Phoenix! Yet plane travel has a huge carbon footprint. One of the worst!

I continued to daydream about leaving. I realized that I could do a shorter trip using public transportation. I could get to the Seattle airport or train station by shuttle and head out just about anywhere. I have someone in the RV park who would take care of Tango. So, I spent the better part of yesterday morning online, searching for flights to warm places and for hotels that have an awesome pool and hot tub. I found solutions in Phoenix and San Diego, but, despite the lure of cheap flights ($190 roundtrip to Phoenix), sitting around in a big city didn’t appeal all the much. Maybe I could go somewhere on the Peninsula, along the west coast? I checked the weather and was quickly dissuaded.

Underlying all my indecision were the limitations of my carbon budget for this year. I limited myself to one flight per year and promised to travel less by car/van, all to save energy and reduce my carbon footprint. I have already booked my flight to Alaska this summer. I would feel too guilty about breaking the budget during the second month of the year! Guilt is what happens when you blab every detail of your life on a blog and then change your mind! Of course, this budget is a volunteer effort with limitations that I alone imposed, but I am convinced that we all will be forced to limit our energy consumption in the near future. I want to learn now about the sacrifices we all need to make and be an example for others. Fleeing the snow for a few days in the sun is too selfish. I need to think, instead, about the gratification that lies ahead this spring and summer when I can freely spend my carbon budget for sensible, regional travel. 

I will, however, tweek my carbon budget for next year. One thing I learned is that I need to head out somewhere in the winter. It probably won’t snow again like this in my lifetime, and Sequim is truly a mild winter climate, overall. Still, the sky is often overcast and dreary. I also learned that staying in one place from Oct-April (7 months) is too long for me without a break. The worst weather here is mid-January and February, a great time to be in the southwest. At the moment I have friends RVing in several locations there and could easily meet-up and have some fun! So, next year, I am going to aim for 4-6 weeks in the desert. I may just blow out my water lines and leave the RV in place, which is a bit expensive, but hassle-free! I can worry about that next year. At least I have a general plan.

This too shall pass. Besides, I move to the nearby RV park at the marina on March 1st, a few weeks from now. That will be enough of a mini-adventure to keep me happy for the two more months before I head out for bluegrass music festivals, section hiking some big trails, and lots of camping! Soon! Soon! No need to squander money and fossil fuel at the moment.