adventurous spirit, gypsy soul, passion for life

Answering The Call Of Adventure Since 1966!

Behold!–Glacier Bay, Alaska!

Hello Friends!

My name is Catrina, some folks call me Cat. I’m a single woman of a certain age who was born with an adventurous spirit, a gypsy soul, and a passion for life. Always longing for freedom, I think outside the box, am unconventional, and have never been what society thinks I should be. I’m not able, nor do I want to conform to uniformity. Being a female, sometimes that doesn’t go over too well! I am often misunderstood, but nevertheless, I am very happy with who I am; embracing my individuality and encouraging others to do the same.

Kentucky Country Girl

I grew up in rural eastern KY with plenty of space to roam and lots of hills to climb. Coming from an outdoors loving family, I learned early on to appreciate nature, and camping was part of our entertainment. The camping we did back then was hard core—no camper, sometimes not even a tent—just a cave or rock cliff.

1978–One of our family hikes–L to R: My mom, Dottie, me (age 12), Mamaw Ett (who my camper & vans are named after), Papaw Vargo, Uncle Fred. My dad took the pic.

There were no luxuries; we hiked in and hiked out, packing only what we needed. I inherited that love of the outdoors and simple living which is still with me today. Through this blog, I will talk about camping, RVing, adventure, thrifty travel, living the mobile lifestyle, etc. I will also discuss things that cause us stress, keep us confined, hinder us from living our dream; and look at ways we can eliminate a lot of it…primarily by simplifying our lives.

Gypsy Gal

My thirst for travel came from my Mamaw Ett who had the same spirit as me. We would read books, look at maps, and have all kinds of adventures–all within the boundaries of her and my Papaw’s eastern Kentucky farm.

Me (age 5), Mamaw Ett, and my first dog–my beloved Rover

She had the “Ramblin’ Fever” too, but as a child, she lost an eye in an accident and was never able to drive. She told me when I turned 16, she would buy us a vehicle and we would go to the places we had read about. She meant every word. I turned 16 on March 1st, 1982 and she died March 29th. She was only 63 years old. That experience changed my life forever.

The Road called my name….

As for RVing—it all started in the 70’s with that Barbie Camper! My Barbies and I traveled the world and never left the house. I promised myself I would someday own some sort of recreational vehicle and hit the road, but…

1970’s Barbie Camper was my first RV

as it happens with everyone, life and work got in the way, time passed, and I found myself…older than I realized. That’s part of what I hope to achieve with my blog–to help you guard against letting life hold you back from living your dreams. I will share with you my experience, tips and ideas on that subject. I literally did find myself years later, picked up the pieces, packed up the dreams, and really started LIVING! As a matter of fact, I actually have my own acronym for LIVING…

L–Laugh, Love, and always keep Learning
I–Imagine–if you can dream it, you can do it
V–Vision–you must have one or more. Visualize Victory!
I–Independence–always depend on yourself and Inspire someone along the way
N–Never give up, Never stop dreaming, Never forget who you are
G–God, Grace, and Goodness–you need all three

Etta Mae II on another adventure!

I Answered That Call!

I have traveled by various vessels to nearly all 50 states, have been to a couple foreign countries and an island paradise or two. I’ve been van camping since 2008 (vamping as I call it), am on my 2nd vintage camper van, and purchased a 1974 Bonanza Pinto travel trailer! I also converted a mini-van into a micro-camper and have been to more events than I can count—all on a budget, and most of the time as a solo traveler.

‘Little Ett’

For a few years I wrote a travel column called ‘Trina’s Travels’ for an online news source and later hosted a local TV segment called ‘Bluegrass & Beyond.’ I also owned and operated a bus tour company/travel club called ‘Rambling Fever Travel’ for several years. So, I’ve had quite a bit of experience in camping, thrifty travel, and creative living.

Let’s Learn Together!

I don’t claim to have all the answers, I certainly don’t, but am happy to share with you my experiences; what I’ve learned and will continue to learn. Now that you know who I am, where I come from, and what my message is, I hope you regularly stop by Gal Gone Camping. I want to hear from y’all! Do you have a gypsy spirit and an adventurous soul? Let’s connect and share tips, ideas, resources, and adventures! Subscribe to the blog and stay up to date with the latest from GGC. Also be sure to subscribe to the Gal Gone Camping YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ2a_mIgvDf16bQ-eCx3JHg and follow along on Facebook and Instagram too. Most of all, lets have fun!