Someone once said that words have meaning and names have power, and it’s widely acknowledged that vessels, sea-faring and otherwise, should be named. So I knew, when I bought the van, that I would name her. But I didn’t want to rush it. I had to get to know the van a little bit first before bestowing a name upon her, and, after a few weeks of deliberation, I’ve finally settled on a name.

meet MOJAVE TERRAVAN

I plan to call her Mo for short.

ABOUT THE NAME

The Mojave Desert makes up a large part of Death Valley National Park, which is one of my favorite places on the planet. The Mojave is bordered by the Sierra Mountain Range to the east. Those mountains are where the Donner Party met their terrible fate and it’s also home to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. The Sonoran Desert borders the Mojave to the south and the east. Tucked within the desert’s borders, in Death Valley, is also the lowest point on the continent, Badwater Basin. Joshua Trees call the Mojave Desert home, as well as bighorn sheep, Gila monsters, jackrabbits, desert tortoises, roadrunners and coyotes.

I’ve visited Death Valley and the surrounding area repeatedly. It’s a place I keep going back to, a place that has come to feel very much like home. It’s left an indelible and powerful mark on me and it seemed fitting to name the van after a place that has been a home away from home.

As for Terravan? Well, I’m Terra, and Mo is a van, so how could I not?