Three people stand in front of a shiny new Airstream camper trailer.

Laura and I have long dreamed of buying some sort of RV and hitting the open road. We’ve camped all of our lives and talked about rooftop tents, Sprinter vans, or tow-behind campers.

My parents bought a camper a few years ago and had been thinking about upgrading theirs after a few road trips around the country. When my Dad saw us casually looking at campers one weekend, he came to us with an idea. What if we bought an Airstream together?

Airstream is a 95 year old brand that I’ve always loved, yet never in my wildest dreams did I believe it would ever be part of my life. Then, this past Friday, we picked her up. An Airstream World Traveler 22RB that we hope will bring us and future generations many happy memories.

That is one of the big reasons we chose an Airstream: they last forever. We know that someday my kids will take their children camping in it and then pass it down to them for more traveling. These are built to last, and ours is now a family heirloom rather than only a camper.

Being me, finding the right name for our camper was a big deal. Words matter, and names are forever.

I began by researching famous women explorers and travelers. Then I expanded it to authors, creatives, and eccentrics. Finally, I went through my family tree and the variety of names it contained. I learned about so many amazing women I had never heard of before and what they accomplished in their lives. It was a ton of fun, and I’m thankful I did it.

After much consideration, we’ve named our camper Ida.

Inspired by Ida Pfeiffer, an Austrian traveler who, after raising her family, circumnavigated the world twice on her own. She kept journals of her travels, and eventually those were published and became bestsellers. Her spirit and approach instantly caught my attention, and the name felt right. I’m currently reading Wanderlust: The Amazing Ida Pfeiffer, the First Female Tourist, and loving learning more about her and her travels.

Due to our schedules, we won’t be able to take her out until October. Still, we’ve locked in a weekend, and I completely fell down the rabbit hole of videos and posts from the enthusiastic Airstream online community, learning everything I can.

I’m thankful our family is in sync on so many things, and that being able to pool our resources and do this was one of them. Knowing someday that my grandchildren might take their kids out in this fills my heart with joy. Thinking about all the trips we will go on in my lifetime brings a smile to my face.

My wanderlust might have never been in such high gear before. Time for adventures!