In July, sunset on Cape Cod comes early- usually a little after 8pm. For ambitious residency artists who are spending the week with no electricity, writing is probably the obvious activity to do at night. For me, reading was my go-to nighttime activity. I find that in my normal life, back in the world, I have very little time for enjoyment reading. But during my time in Thalassa it felt like I had unlimited time for reading.
When you’re living off the grid, with no electricity, you are definitely looking for the easiest solutions to everyday needs. Thalassa came equipped with three kerosene lamps but the night we lit them, the smoke alarm kept going off. I was very happy that I had insisted we bring our Luci lanterns with us to the dunes.
A couple years ago my friend Deb gave me a Luci solar lantern for a birthday present. She knew I loved to camp, loved the tiny house movement and that I was keen on learning how to live off the grid. The Luci lantern was a revelation- a small, waterproof, inflatable LED lantern that could be charged by sunlight and would shine all night with a beautiful, consistent white light. I loved the Luci so much that I bought two more for camping and regularly give them as gifts to my outdoorsy friends and relatives.
Last weekend we camped in French Creek State Park (PA). We were only about an hour northwest of Philadelphia yet, by 8pm the sky was dark as ink. A million stars filled the night. At the trailer’s door a Luci lantern marked the way while inside, it illuminated the space with an inviting glow. By 9pm I was in for the night. A book awaited my attention.
