Trust Your Gut

I knew when I started my van life journey there would be times that I didn’t quite feel safe. I was prepared for the reality that being a solo female traveler would require extra vigilance, plans for protection, and times of discomfort. I also knew that there would be times I had to trust my gut about my surroundings and make some hard decisions. My stay in Pennsylvania was my first experience with getting this “ick” and making some hard choices.

After a beautiful stay at Lake Anna State Park in Virginia, I made the drive to Shawnee State Park in Schellsburg, Pennsylvania. This state park was incredibly beautiful. I spent hours hiking around the lake, through the campground, and throughout the park. Here are some of the beautiful pictures of those experiences.

Camping on the east coast in campgrounds means spending lots of time with kind and welcoming senior campers in retirement. I have grown accustomed to their welcoming nature, their fun questions about Lucy’s high tech components and their encouraging words for my journey. They always make me feel safe.

Unfortunately about half way through my stay at Shawnee State Park, the campground cleared out of regular campers. The weather was getting a bit dreary and cold, so it made sense the most people headed out. After a day or two of quiet camping with two other couples nearby, a large number of single male campers moved in to the spots surrounding my site. There were so many of them that I was completely surrounded.

In and of itself, the number of campers wasn’t a big deal. It could have been a hunting trip or some other male gathering. But, the behavior of the campers is what started to give me the “ick”. During the day in the 20 degree weather, the campers congregated at one site around a crockpot. They stayed there all day and night. I have no idea what was going on or what their intentions were, I can only tell you that I felt uncomfortable. My gut was speaking to me, and it was telling me to go.

I wish I could say I immediately listened to my gut. The stubborn part of me that gives me the courage to be on this journey, was getting in the way of my intuition. I stayed a day longer than I should have, but I did leave. And, I learned not to stay past the point of “ick” ever again.

Although Shawnee State Park Campground was a beautiful place, I did not do a review. I felt like my impressions were negatively impacted by the campers so my review would be tainted. During my stay at this park I did venture out to the nearby Flight 93 Memorial. What a moving experience. Be sure to read about it here. With my important lesson learned, I headed off to Detroit.