57 Days, 39 Nights: A Year of Camping After Life Took a Detour

In a perfect year, the numbers would be higher. But 2025 wasn't a perfect year. Between medical emergencies and the heavy demands of reality at home, our time on the road was fought for, inch by inch. While our total time out might seem small to some, for us, those nights represent the resilience of our spirit and the sanctuary of our rig. At TenFootStripes, we’ve never been about the distance covered; we’re about the moments we managed to notice along the way.

Rainy views, cozy camper, and the quiet satisfaction of being outdoors again.

The reality of those "notched days" often hides the moments we couldn't leave the driveway. After Cerinia’s heart surgery on December 17th of last year, we got to go home on the 23rd in time to spend Christmas and New Year’s with family. Everything seemed on the mend—until January 3rd, when she was emergency airlifted back to Baylor in Plano after her blood pressure dropped dangerously low and her kidneys and liver began to fail. We stayed at Baylor for about a week to get her fully stabilized and patched up. Even after returning home, we didn’t get back out camping for almost two months while staying close to specialized medical care.

Despite all of that, we’re weekend warriors at heart. Every time we parked Gravity, our trusty adventure-ready camper, it felt like a small victory. We would hang our tacky lights, build a fire, and then take a moment to enjoy the view. In total, we managed 57 days and 39 nights of camping across 18 trips this year—not record-breaking, but still plenty of adventure, especially considering how much time we lost after the unexpected Baylor detour.

What this year really reminded us of is that camping isn’t just about the number of nights or miles traveled. It’s about the little moments: watching the sun set over the lake, the quiet satisfaction of watching the stars, or enjoying a little extra sleep while the world wakes up. After everything that happened, the campsites were still there, and we appreciated them even more. Every trip became a little celebration of “we made it out here, and it’s good to be alive.” Slowing down isn’t a defeat—it’s part of the adventure, and sometimes the best part.

Watching the day fade over the lake—a reminder that slowing down is its own kind of adventure

With all that said, here’s to the New Year—may your RV be parked level, your marshmallows never burn, your tacky lights glow bright, and your adventures be full of laughter, quiet moments, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Cheers to making more memories, even when life takes a detour!

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While You’re Here...

When time on the road is a hard-won gift, the last thing you want is for your gear to get in the way. While we were home navigating the challenges of 2025, we spent our time refining our systems so that every "escape" was as seamless as possible:

• Simplifying the Setup: Check out how we Ditched RV App Clutter to focus more on the view and less on our phones.
• Building for Precision: See the details behind our DIY Camper GPS Build and how it helps us keep our weather and time zone correct for our camper automations.
• Staying Vigilant: Sometimes the "chaos" of life follows you home—read about our 65-minute battle with a scammer and how to protect yourself.