Hot or not (alas, Fall is just a mirage in Phoenix), it’s time to hit the streets and walk door to door looking for a place to park the mobile studio. The thing about a 31-foot RV is that you can’t just park it anywhere; my yard isn’t big enough for it. I called a couple storage facilities within a 15 minute drive to inquire about pricing for vehicle parking. One cost $80/month but had some in and out restrictions; the other was currently unavailable but cost $120 for full in and out privileges. Not bad, but I would love to park even closer to home and have ample maneuverability to get in and out. There are a number of properties in my neighborhood that can accommodate an RV, so I decided that I would ask if someone would rent a spot to me.
I printed 40 copies of a letter with my request and set out with my dog and my daughter to distribute them. We made it about five houses and 20 minutes before both dog and child wilted under the heat and the perceived invasiveness of walking up to neighbors’ front doors unannounced and uninvited. I grew up in the midwest cutting through neighbors’ unfenced yards to create shortcuts to my friends’ houses. But Phoenicians don’t seem to do much dropping by, and all the walls that surround back yards preclude pass throughs. Truthfully, I felt self-conscious too. Yet I pushed through until I distributed the stack.
Guess what? I got 4 calls, met some nice neighbors for the first time and got myself a spot around the corner.
