Treading Water



There comes a point in every journey where you’re no longer fighting to move forward — you’re just fighting to stay afloat.

That was this week.

Not drowning. Not thriving.
Just… treading water.




The furnace? Still silent.
The cold? Still lingering.
But now — boredom, claustrophobia, and cost started creeping in.

We were stuck.
Too cold to work outside.
Too wet to make real progress.
Too uncertain to venture far.

Inside the camper, the space had become a pressure cooker. Not just in temperature, but emotionally. We were surrounded by the same four walls, the same piles of survival gear, the same endless rotation of wet gloves and drying towels.

So, we started reorganizing.
Cleaning.
Shuffling.
Trying to breathe some life into a space that felt smaller every day.

It helped… a little.




But then came the gas bill.

We did the math.
Running the generator for extra heat, for lighting, for anything… was eating away at our funds faster than we’d expected.

> “We’re not just burning fuel. We’re burning time. Burning margin. Burning sanity.”



There was a deep, creeping fear:
If we don’t get onto the land soon… will we even be able to afford to get there?

It wasn’t panic — not yet — but the thought sat heavily between us like a second shadow.




Still, in the middle of the noise, there were small wins:

Our propane usage was dropping — a sign that the cold was easing ever so slightly.

The roof patches seemed to be holding… for now.

And even with everything pressing in, we were still communicating, still dreaming aloud about how the land would feel when we finally made it.


There’s a strange strength in treading water.
You’re not making progress, no.
But you’re not going under either.

You’re still here.
Still moving.
Still keeping your head above the tide.




So we wait.
And we hope.
And we plan, one tiny step at a time — because soon, we’ll climb out of this holding pattern…

…and build something better on the other side.

Based on Ep011: “Treading Water – Jan 31, 2024”


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