Day 19 | A Cold Night

March 28, 2017

Let’s just say we did not enjoy our night in Arizona! We both got dreadfully cold and our blankets did very little to protect us from the near freezing overnight temperature. We were so cold that we ended up huddled together on the same seat in an extremely uncomfortable cuddle. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep much.

When I woke up this morning I was covered in hives! I guess I had misjudged the place. There was litter all around us, including two full trash bags that we hadn’t noticed in the dark last night. Lovely.

Brett had been up for a while already and he told me that the day was not off to a good start. Our cooler had leaked water all over the back seat and he had spent about 30 minutes trying to mop up the water with paper towels. Moisture is a big concern for mold growth.

He also said that a police officer had stopped by to check on us. I’m so glad I was asleep because I would have freaked out. I’m always a little nervous when we sleep in the car. I worry that we’ll get into trouble for accidentally parking somewhere we’re not supposed to. Brett reassured me that we weren’t in trouble and that the officer just wanted to make sure we were okay. Phew!

We decided to get on the road since I was obviously reacting to the area. Apparently the winds have died down back at our campsite but they are supposed to be picking up again on Thursday. If we want to go back for our stuff it has to be today. Brett needed to get to somewhere where he could work too. He had commited to helping with the launch of an exciting new book for young people and today is the deadline.

We planned to stop in Vegas so he could do that but when we got there it became clear that I was not doing well in civilization. I told Brett I would be okay and that he should go ahead and work. We both have to make sacrifices during this difficult time and it was definitely my turn. Brett refused however and instead chose to bring me back to our campsite first so that I could stay safe while he worked.

We drove the additional two hours and then he left to go work at the McDonald’s in Pahrump. Believe it or not there aren’t any good coffee shops in town.

When he’s done we’ll have to figure out how we’re going to stay warm tonight and what to do about our tent. It feels risky to use the bad sleeping bags, especially when they’re cross-contaminating other things. And the tent is obviously not safe anymore either. We may just end up sleeping in the car again.

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6 Comments

  • Chris

    Ana, I did some searching online (I can’t help it. I’m a researcher like you, and I just can’t stand the thought of you sleeping in the car again. How awful and uncomforatable!) so I came across this interesting thread and they were talking of people making sleeping bags specifically due to a persons needs. And the great thing is that you can request fabric samples that they send you and then you can see if you react to the fabric ahead of time. Here is a few: hammockforums.net and hammockgear.com. And here is the thread: http://www.trailspace.com/forums/gear-selection/topics/142590.html. Also, charcoal is an absorbent and they make this: https://www.amazon.com/Moso-Natural-Purifying-200g-Green/dp/B004WM2CMG, which maybe you could get some of these and put them places as it would absorb things all around your tent and areas you sleep etc. It removes allergens, pollutants, and prevents mold and mildew from forming in the first place. You can also take charcoal internally to absorb toxins, but you have to be careful as you must drink lots of water so you don’t get constipated, and don’t take it when you’re taking certain things you want your body to take in, like medicine, supplements etc. Once again, I’m sure you probably aready know about these things, but just in case….. I’m praying against any attacks of the enemy and that God will surround you with His peace, give you wisdom, and provide for all your needs!!!!

    March 30, 2017 at 8:09 am Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Chris! This is so sweet! I’m really sorry I never replied, unfortunately your comment got caught in my spam filter and I didn’t notice it until much later. Thanks for doing that research for us! That sounds like a really cool company. Thankfully we found something that I am tolerating for now but in the future when I’m not detoxing so much (and contaminating things with my own body) I’d love to get a nicer one custom made. It’s funny you mentioned those charcoal pouches, I used to have one of those! I wonder if it could help our tent. I have taken charcoal internally as well but haven’t noticed a difference one way or the other. Thanks again for taking the time to find this info for us! 💚

      April 1, 2017 at 6:16 pm Reply
  • Courtney Harris

    I’m so sorry you were cold, Ana! We’re praying for wisdom and provision for you guys!

    March 30, 2017 at 12:47 pm Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Thank you Courtney! Love you!

      April 1, 2017 at 6:27 pm Reply
  • Kim

    It’s been uncharacteristically cold and windy here in AZ ….so sorry you had to experience that :(. It was beautiful in the 80’s a couple weeks ago! We have good friends here in Tucson who have been successfuly fighting mold exposure issues for years–a family of 11. The dad is an award winning author and has a radio show on Moody that Brett may have been on (Chris Fabry Live)and the mom is a journalist and building biologist whose website you may have studied to learn about the mold issue: http://momsaware.org. They are amazing people who’ve been thru the ringer with all 9 of their children and fight on to bring awareness about our toxic world! Please contact her if you have any questions or needs–she’d love to help. They came here to AZ because of the Doctor who helped them heal from the mold and have put down roots because they feel best in the dry heat where mold is low.

    I, too, fight chronic pain and illness, married young, and have a sacrificial husband who’s cared for me all of our 32 years together…we are blessed to have been given that gift from God, aren’t we?

    April 1, 2017 at 9:08 am Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Bummer! We missed the good weather! Thank you for telling me your friend’s story. What she’s doing with Moms Aware is amazing! I’ve been on her site many times and found it to be full of helpful information. That’s really cool that you know her! So sweet that she’d be willing for me to contact her with questions. I’ll keep that in mind for when we need some help problem solving.

      I’m so sorry to hear you are also suffering from chronic illness. But yes, a husband who loves faithfully even through ongoing sickness is a wonderful blessing and a true treasure. I’m so happy to hear that you have that too! The world needs more good marriages. 😊

      April 1, 2017 at 6:25 pm Reply

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