Bus life morning routine

It makes me laugh that I’m writing a post about this considering that, since I moved into a bus, any semblance of routine gingerly went up the fuck and my life has no such thing as a structure anymore.
Yet, there are a few boxes that at least I have been trying to tick every morning, which help me feel more like a human being and less of a gremlin (although I love being a weekend gremlin). 

1. Pee
   Basic but essential. Nothing like a good morning pee to feel grounded in your body, I say.
   If I am in the proximity of a public toilet, I will definitely use that toilet. Sitting on a real ceramic bowl has become such a luxury.
   If there’s no public toilet in sight, I will use the chemical toilet that we have in the bus. This is a bit of a mission since more often than not the toilet cubicle is flooded (we have a grey water issue), so a lot of squatting and cursing is required, but at least I do have the option to do my morning business when we are parked in the middle of nowhere.

2. Wash my face
   Again, if I have access to a public toilet, as I go in to pee I’ll make the most of it and use unlimited running water for all my other washing requirements. I’d wash my face, brush my teeth, clean my pits and bum. This is often the equivalent of a shower (see below).
   In the bus, since the water supply is limited, I’ve learned to wash my face with one hand only, so I can use the other hand to turn the tap on and off quickly and not waste any water. If you’ve never tried this, I would highly recommend.

3. Make a hot drink
   My morning drink of choice is the masala chai from Trade Aid, with some honey and a splash of oat milk. However I will not say no to coffee if I am awake when Luke is making it. This is one of my happy moments of the day, enjoying a hot drink in bed while slowly waking up.
   This happens no matter what and I’m grateful to have the means to make myself a hot drink every morning in the comfort of the bus.

4. Breakfast
   This may vary. If we have time/food in the bus, I would fry some bread, poach some eggs and slice some avo. If Luke is in a rush and I am not, I would probably take myself out for brunch later on in the day and make the most of being in a café by getting some work done too (and using their toilet).

5. Brush my teeth
   No matter how little water we have in the bus, there is always enough to brush my teeth. This is the thing that I will not skip for the life of me and makes me feel fresh and clean. I have brushed my teeth in the wild many times, using a cup and my water bottle. So yeah this is an easy one.

6. Poop
   We can poop in the bus but we try not to. I’ve trained myself to poop pretty much anywhere (which was a HUGE accomplishment for me) so that’s what I do now. It doesn’t have to happen in the morning but it’s more convenient if it does.

7. Shower
   We do have a shower in the bus but we are not using it (see: plumbing issue and small water tanks). How clean I’m going to be every day depends on different factors. Sometimes I’d go for a swim or a sauna session at the local gym and shower there (especially when I have to wash my hair). Most days I just wash my pits and bum in any given toilet. The library toilet is my favourite so far (on my days off I spend a lot of time there, so I’d just go early, carry my toiletries with me, and get ready for the day there), but I’ve definitely washed myself in cafes, public toilets on the road, and of course at work.
   One thing I do do every day is apply deodorant and always, ALWAYS change into fresh undies and socks. Also, if there is one thing I’ve learned since moving into the bus is that you don’t need to shower every day.

Of course sometimes we stay with friends which makes things way easier.
I have learned to really appreciate all the amenities of a regular house, but at the same time I see my morning routine more as an adventure than a struggle. Sure, not having any sort of consistency is tough. But having to figure out very basic dynamics every single day is really pulling out my creative side. You have to be resourceful when your options are limited - because they really are not, you just need to think outside the box.

Stay tuned for my night time routine!