We sold our beloved Casa yesterday, eleven years after we gave it its name, "home" in Spanish, as we drove away from Abu Dhabi, setting our eyes on Patagonia. And what a home it has been for us. This is my love letter, to Casa, the best home there is.
First of all, when riding through places with Casa, we were travellers, not tourists, almost warriors like. We feel absolutely invincible. It was like having your most experienced and reliable ally with you all the time. Casa was always ready to spring away at your heart´s desire, negotiating difficult roads and crossing tiring borders.
Together, we have enjoyed some of the most breathtaking views one can imagine, over and over and over, sampled some of the most delicious food, shocked by some of the cheapest gasoline, and endured harsh conditions - oh Bolivia, Casa (and us) probably still shakes its head at Bolivia. For a home that can travel, Casa has lived to the fullest.
Of course we could not have gone as far as we did if not for Casa carrying all our stuff for us. All the tools, gadgets, food, tent, we crammed as much as we could into the trusty panniers on Casa. I will forever treasure any day when I have only two sets of clothes within reach. Trust me, you can get very creative with various combinations, but I digress. In short, life was beautifully and unapologetically simple on Casa - as long as the pannier does not fall off.
There are definitely times when one of us gets impatient, and that is okay with Casa. We took roadside time-outs, stretching our legs a little, waiting for dusts to roll by before hopping back on it and continuing with cooler heads.
When Casa breaks down - and this happened again and again and again - we sat down and worked them through together. Not to mention some of the most intolerable environments, Casa was there to witness them all, in Iran and in Argentina. Oh, all the stories we still tease each other fondly after all these years.
And most of all, we loved meeting people with Casa, many of whom were just curious and adventurous. They always asked us where we come from: UAE, Germany, China, The Netherlands, Canada... "What? But why does Q look so Asian?" Oh yeah, the Philippines is also in the mix. Casa and us, we were an inevitable cultural bomb wherever we rolled. All the while growing together, more capable, more grounded, more connected, more gentle, more heart.
My huge gratitude to Q for God-knows-how-many hours, days and weeks that he has spent tweaking, fixing and improving Casa. They have been best buddies for each other in ways that I probably can never fully comprehend, and I am grateful for the chance to have witnessed this unique friendship so intimately.
And now, 170,000 km (!) and 40 countries later, we part ways with Casa. Unfortunately it is getting increasingly less reliable for our travel needs - hey, you try carrying two full-sized grown-ups on your back and see how far you get. ;)
We saw off Casa wishing the next travel companion would also enjoy and treasure it. We will miss it dearly and move on with the many many many life-changing moments we shared together. Casa, thank you, for being the the best home there is.
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