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Creating Chrissy

Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.

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May 14, 2018

What NOT To Do When Purchasing a Seasonal Campsite

 

A Life Long Love: Old Orchard Beach, Maine

Over 30 years ago, my father and a group of his buddies bought a tow-behind camper.  As legend goes, they towed that thing from Massachusetts up the eastern coast looking for a campground to park it for a seasonal campsite.  Many places refused a group of single guys claiming they were a “family” campground. My life-long memories of seasonal campground life began when a small family-owned campground in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, agreed to accept this group of bachelors.

My father married my mother and took over the seasonal site from his buddies.  They had the most precious baby girl in 1989 (me). Then a cute little baby boy in 1990, my brother.  

This was the first Silvar Family Campsite.  It was followed by two other sites as my brother and I grew up and my parents separated.

New England Campground Life

It has been explained to me, by friends outside of the northeast, that having a “summer camp” is not something the rest of the country does.  I’ve also been told that not a lot of families in the northeast even do this. But when I drive around in Old Orchard Beach passing about six large seasonal campgrounds, I find that hard to believe.  Either way, I will explain how it works.

My family owned a trailer and parked it in a campground in Old Orchard Beach.  The campground is open from mid April to mid October. These trailers range from 5th wheels, travel trailers, or park models.  Each family has their own site they rent and pay an annual seasonal rate to stay there from April to October. It’s a small community in many instances with multiple pools, a rec hall, playgrounds, family-friendly and adult activities.  Golf carts buzz around to get from place to place. Kids are out on their bikes. The speed limit is 5-10 miles per hour. Ours is only a short trolley ride to the beach.

It’s a middle class beach house.  A small, more affordable slice of heaven.

Some little girls dream of beach houses right on the water.  Instead, I dreamed of a trailer for my own family–a place where my kids can create the same memories my brother and I had growing up.

Our Home Away From Home

In the summer of 2016, my dad’s place was getting a bit too crowded.  My brother, his wife, his three dogs, and first son under a year old were all staying with my Dad’s trailer at the beach.  Auntie Chrissy and Uncle Geek were also on a futon on the porch. It. was. Chaos.

My sensible and much more financially responsible partner, Mr. Geek, indulged me by touring campers for sale that summer–but explained that it was just not the best time to purchase a camp.  We had only been in our first house for a year and were preparing and saving for more renovations. We had also discussed marriage and a future wedding–and how expensive that would be.

And I agreed…for the most part…about 90%.

80%.

60%….

My sister in law’s mother told me about their family friends within the same campground, right around the corner from my dad’s place.  They were thinking of selling their camp–but it was still not listed in the campground newsletter. 

I did something that I consider to be one of the ballsiest things I have ever done.

I was going for a stroll around the campground…

No.  I shouldn’t lie.  

I was purposely walking by and practically breaking my neck to see if anyone was there.  I was even peaking into the windows of the trailer to try and see what it looked like.

I had 20 seconds of insane courage (thank you, Matt Damon in We Bought A Zoo).

I walked right up to the couple enjoying breakfast in their pajamas on their porch. I asked them about buying their trailer.  I had no idea who they were. I didn’t even know if I had the right place. But dammit, I just had to know.

They were so sweet and kind.  It WAS them. They offered me a tour, but also mentioned that another person might be interested in purchasing the trailer.

BY NO MEANS DO I RECOMMEND DOING WHAT I DID NEXT. Ever. Decisions should be made together as a couple, with discussion, a pros and cons list, expression of feelings, and all of the healthy communication techniques suggested by relationship and marriage experts.

I bought it.  

Mr. Geek had NO IDEA.  He didn’t even see it before I bought it.  

Worst case scenario? I could live in it when we broke up and I had to move out of our house…

The Aftermath

He was not happy.  And I certainly understand why.  I made a major purchase without consulting him as we were in the early stages of embarking on our life together.  However, I think he knew how important Old Orchard Beach was to me and how I always envisioned our future family life.

“But what about our wedding?” Mr. Geek asked me.

At least he still wanted to marry me.

Then we sat, discussed, made a pros and cons list, expressed our feelings, and decided on a small intimate wedding with immediate family–in Old Orchard Beach, Maine–was the best way to celebrate the beginning of our marriage.

That other interested buyer the couple was talking about on that courageous day? I later found out it was actually me they were referring to.  I take this as a sign that it was simply meant to be.

Additional Posts About Our Home Away From Home & Seasonal Campground Life:

Seasonal Campsites: FAQs about Seasonal Campground Living

Flippin’ Friday: Campsite Updates — Our First Season

 

Related posts:

Flippin' Friday: Campsite Updates -- Our First Season
6 Projects with Jute to Start TODAY
Why I Paint With Chalk Paint and You Should Too!
Seasonal Campsites: FAQs about Seasonal Campground Living

Filed Under: Our Home Away From Home chrissygikis 1 Comment

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Comments

  1. Audrey Johnson says

    May 14, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    Very cool story. Sometimes things just work out like they are supposed to.

    Reply

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Welcome! My name is Chrissy Gikis and I'm so glad you're here. Let me tell you a bit about myself and Creating Chrissy... Read More…

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creatingchrissyblog

Creating the best life for myself, my husband @Geekahdee, and our pup @gronkthestaffy -- and blogging about it.

Instagram post 1926493818623062156_7530492146 Okay, folks! New post up on the blog about our trip to Disney World.  Should you go to Disney World the week of Thanksgiving? Read the latest post to find out! #linkinbio #waltdisneyworld #bestdayever #wdw #thanksgiving #disneyworld #borndisneyraiseddisney
Instagram post 1842294655463889638_7530492146 August might be my favorite month of summer.

I know back to school and fall loom towards the end, but there is something about August that makes my heart happy.  I think it’s in the quiet moments and slowing down to appreciate sunshine, warm weather, and the memories already made this summer and past summers.

For me, it’s this campground—okay, trailer park.  After almost 30 years, these “streets” are sprinkled with memories around every bend—including our wedding day almost one year ago.

These quiet moments make me so grateful for everything the universe has given us.

#creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #attitudeofgratitude #oldorchardbeach #maine #thewaylifeshouldbe @geekahdee @gronkthestaffy
Instagram post 1840203576933586000_7530492146 @geekahdee and I are celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary in less than a week!

Our wedding day did not turn out the way we had originally planned, but we would not change anything for the world.  It was perfectly magical.

We had a small ceremony in Old Orchard Beach, Maine in front of only our immediate family. *Disclaimer: Today’s blogpost is to encourage couples to shy away from pressure to go big and opt for modest celebrations.  Although this post is highly opinionated, I fully support ANY ceremony that is exactly how the couple wants to celebrate it. 📷: @mackhennz 
Head over to the blog to read the 1st of two posts about our wedding day.  #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #weddings #summerweddings #oldorchardbeachmaine #smallweddings #theknot #weddingplanning #events #weddingphoto #ido #instawedding #weddinginspiration #bridetobe
Instagram post 1837407498874115743_7530492146 Living/staying in Maine right now, a lot of people are surprised to find out that I’m spending the summer away from my husband in our first year of marriage.

Fun fact: we’ve actually done this before.  Our first year dating we did the same exact thing.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the same opportunity from our first year of dating was presented again in our first year of marriage.  Although we are older, wiser, and have grown into the couple we are today, many lessons I have learned this time around echo back to that first year being apart.

There’s a new (and very honest) post on the blog sharing my takeaways from living apart.  #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #marriage #newpost #relationships #ontheblog #married #wife #realtalk #husband #romance #selfimprovement #marriedlife #relationshipadvice
Instagram post 1835636665226813337_7530492146 Today we’re celebrating 3 years in our home!  Lots of work went into our first home and we still have a ways to go!  Read about #ourfirsthome on Creating Chrissy!  #fixerupper #ourfixerupper #home #homedecor #diy #renovation #homerenovation #kitchen #kitchenremodel #remodel
Instagram post 1832249840128458585_7530492146 Watch out! I’m a girl with jute and a hot glue gun and I’m not afraid to use it!

I like that jute is a budget-friendly way to create decor that can cover farmhouse to costal style.

I did a little repurposing and sprucing up with some quick fixes up here at camp.  I’ve shared them in a new post on @creatingchrissyblog with a few other projects I’m itching to try! 
#creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #jute #diy #coastaldecor #crafting #newpost #decor #crafter #homedecor #creative #crafts #ontheblog #doityourself #artsandcrafts #crochet #repurpose
Instagram post 1816885575572042226_7530492146 Mr. Geek and I hope your #4thofjuly was a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends. #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #redwhiteandblue #sparklers #starsandstripes #4thofjuly #usa #america #oldorchardbeach #oldorchardbeach #maine #thewaylifeshouldbe #unitedstates
Instagram post 1814835986669016803_7530492146 Thank you for your response and enjoying the story of our home away from home in #oldorchardbeachmaine .  I have received so many questions about seasonal campsites because of it.  Today’s #blogpost attempts to answer those questions for you, faithful readers! #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #linkinbio #blogpost #campground #maine #oldorchardbeach #thewaylifeshouldbe # #ontheblog #207 #seasonalliving #campgroundlife #newpost #linkinprofile #lifestyleblog
Instagram post 1807443812625305254_7530492146 The school year is done and it’s the first day of summer vacation!  I made the to-do list for the day, but couldn’t start without some extra coffee and puppy snuggles with @gronkthestaffy.  New post on the blog today about our 5 Summer Essentials that are delivered right to your door—because I might not leave the house today...just kidding...I will...maybe... #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #dogmomlife #happysummer #rescuepup #newpost #blogpost #teacheroffduty #rescueismyfavoritebreed #pibble #ontheblog
Instagram post 1800290187952349768_7530492146 I think everything I have made this week has limes in it.  I couldn’t live with out limes in the summertime!  What are your go-tos for summer? #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #limes #cooking #homemade #fruit #yum #baking #foodpics #refreshing #homecooking #dessert #fruits #foodpic #eat #summer #healthyfood
Instagram post 1798761632982238002_7530492146 STORY TIME! So you may notice this is NOT the same color.  I tried being productive and painting the deck at camp—okay tried FINISHING painting the deck because I started two weeks ago.  I got as far as I could then had to drive back to Massachusetts.  I still could not figure out why the color wasn’t matching.  Is it the sun? Did I not mix it well enough? Nope.  It’s the wrong stuff.  The correct stain is in our closet in Massachusetts—like @geekahdee told me a week ago.

Summer vacation and gaining my sanity back can start ANY DAY NOW.  #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #projectfail #painting #outdoors #camp #happysunday #ineedvacation #outdoor #camping #seasonalliving #campgroundlife #oldorchardbeachmaine
Instagram post 1796821420899237457_7530492146 The pink bathroom is GONE!  Still a work in progress, but I’m already so in love with the bright airy feel of the space.  We can’t wait to share the entire makeover on the blog for #flippinfriday soon! #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #ourfirsthome #fixerupper #renovation @sherwinwilliams #bathroom #bathroommakeover  #homeinterior #shower #tile #homeliving #bathroomdesign #homeimprovement
Instagram post 1794676286522688046_7530492146 We are so close to the end of the school year—which is hard to believe on this chilly rainy Monday.  But I’m thinking ocean, beach, and sunshine!  This #caroncake is perfect for a blanket for camp.  #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #knitting #caroncakes #yarnlove #knitstagram #instaknit #iloveknitting #knittinglove #crafting #crafter #knittinglove #knittersofig #crafts #knit
Instagram post 1792223576510703008_7530492146 This girl is starting to get ready for summer vacation!  This means making batches of our essential oil bug spray.  You can too!  Check out today’s #blogpost and try the recipe yourself.  #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #diy #essentialoils #organic #outdoors # #natural #camping #doityourself #getoutside #hiking #summer #summervacation #thegreatoutdoors #campvibes
Instagram post 1788614694454868718_7530492146 Rainy Sundays at Lowes.  #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #ourfirsthouse #fixerupper #renovation #ourfixerupper #remodeling #hardware #trim #homeimprovement #myhandyman
Instagram post 1787413431704478748_7530492146 Strawberry Dairy Free “Ice Cream” to start off the unofficial start to summer! I’ve shared the recipe on the blog.  Click the link in profile to check out the post.  #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #dairyfree #icecream #nicecream #desserts #eat #sweettooth #yum #strawberry #strawberryicecream #dessertporn #hungry #nomnom
Instagram post 1784501853393159805_7530492146 @gronkthestaffy thinks this toilet location is pretty convenient... yay for bathroom renovations! #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #bathroom #bathroomremodel #workinprogress #newtoilet #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #staffy
Instagram post 1784347181067878594_7530492146 Weekend project: COMPLETE! New post on the blog about how I used chalk paint to update this into a beachy bench.  And yes, I plan on calling it it a beachy beach forever. 😝🏖️🌊 #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #diy #chalkpaint #chalkpaintedfurniture  #beachybench #yesitsathing #upcycle #homedecor #coastaldecor #maine #thewaylifeshouldbe #crafty
Instagram post 1783541370704019350_7530492146 Today’s #selfcaresunday is a cloudy morning at camp with my buddy @gronkthestaffy, a cup of coffee from @cia_cafe , and a second coat of paint on our bench with @rustoleum Chalk Paint in “Serenity Blue” .  Happy Sunday! ❤️ #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #dogmomlife #diy #chalkpaint #chalkpaintedfurniture #upcycle #crafts #doityourself #paintedfurniture #decor #coastaldecor #thewaylifeshouldbe
Instagram post 1782885581777709091_7530492146 Gronk snoozing SO HARD on our morning ride today.  Any guesses where we went?😝🤣🌊🏖️ #creatingchrissy #bloggersofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #dogmomlife @gronkthestaffy #thewaylifeshouldbe #wannagoforaride
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