If you want to play a game of Wants vs. Needs, try packing a pop-up camper.
With all the pop outs “popped out” for the first time, Joe and I began reenacting a scene from the movie, “Stepbrothers,” (awkwardly dancing in our camper “living room” while proclaiming, “there’s so much more room for activities!”)
I tied a rope around my waist and immediately headed for the Pinterest rabbit hole. (I highly recommend using the rope so someone can pull you out the hole at some point. I tend to get lost down there.) I wanted to see all the potential add-ons and fancy decorative touches I could use to fill every inch of the camper with cuteness. And let me tell ya, the Pinterest folks did not disappoint! There were layers upon layers of curtains and garland, tiny camper chandeliers, toss pillows a plenty and even bedazzled potted plants. There was lots of cool stuff for Joe to put on his list to Santa, as well. There were specialty, collapsible kitchen islands, miniature entertainment consoles and gadgets…GREAT DAY, THE GADGETS! … there are a lot camper gadgets out there!
We started to populate our Amazon wish list like soon-to-be parents about to throw themselves a baby shower. We needed EVERYTHING! All of it!
Then, Joe and I began our camper renovation: fixing leaks, changing out floors and replacing cabinets. We swapped out existing curtains and refinished cushions. Then, our first real add-on arrived: a 17” tabletop Blackstone! We couldn’t wait to store it in our space-saving under sofa cabinet. Joe set it in place and we stood there for a second just staring at it.
“Wow, that fits perfect,” I believe is what I said. But, it wasn’t a super enthusiastic observation. That’s because what I was thinking was, “Whoa, you couldn’t fit that thing AND a piece of paper in that cabinet.”
I knew Joe was having the same realization because his response was, “Well we NEED this Blackstone. That’s what we’re going to cook all our food on.”
As he spoke, I could tell he was mentally unpacking some gadgets. Because while the cabinet is awesome and could hold anything we need to take with us. It suddenly became crystal clear that it couldn’t hold everything we wanted to take with us.
We faced another reality check when we had to move the camper to the side of our house. My toss pillows, lights, throws, serving trays, tea sets, and shabby chic wooden signs were Instagram adorable! But, if we were going to return this thing to it’s compact position and actually take it somewhere on vacation, all that crap had to go. We seriously had to strip that puppy down to the mattress pads in order to close it. I wanted our sleeping suite to look like it wandered out of Home Goods. But, all I needed was a mattress.
Honestly, I started to get a little frustrated. Look at all the fun stuff these other people get to take with them camping! I want votives and fluffy rugs and fine dinnerware!
Then, I remembered why we bought the camper in the first place…we need to get away sometimes. We needsomething compact that we can store beside our house. We needsomething that is easy to take care of and inexpensive to maintain. We need something we can hook up in a moment’s notice, when there’s an opportunity to see a sunset together beside some calm waters.
It got me thinking about all the products in the keto space. There are a LOT of products out there and many of them taste AMAZING!!! I want all of them. But, do I need all of them? Can I truly pack all of them into my macros and then take this “keto kamper” on the road to better health? Or, am I setting myself up for a lovely camper pantry that’s stalled in my driveway going nowhere? I want all the keto snacks. But, what I need is pretty basic nutrition.
This week, take a look at your keto wants and needs, and see if there’s something you’ve been trying to fit in that’s preventing you from collapsing old eating habits properly and preparing you for the next leg of your keto journey.
There may be some hard choices to make. But trust me, when you do, you’ll be a much happier camper!
