I have long been fascinated by the concept of manifesting what you want in your life through conscious intent. You know: You convey your heart’s desire to the Universe by visualizing it in great detail, and the Universe listens and responds by creating connections and presenting opportunities to help you achieve it.

I recently experienced the magic of this phenomenon firsthand.

After making the decision in April 2013 to work toward a full-time RV lifestyle, Dave and I debated the type of camper that would suit us best. Ultimately we settled on a fifth-wheel trailer.

In early July we began to research makes and models, fully expecting the process to take many months. We were in no rush. Having just blown most of our discretionary savings on a tour of Germany to celebrate a milestone birthday, we had little appetite for making a major purchase in the short run.

The Universe, as it turns out, had a different idea.

Window shopping

To get a feel for features and prices, I started to follow a number of used fifth wheels being auctioned on eBay. Over the course of a few days, I watched each one get bid up to $8,000, $12,000, $15,000 and higher before the auctions closed. All, except one.

2005 Coachmen “Spirit of America” Fifth Wheel 526

She was a 2005 Coachmen “Spirit of America,” 27 feet long. The bids had stalled at around $4,000, and hadn’t budged for days. She looked pristine in the photos. And she was less than 15 miles from home.

The night before the auction was scheduled to end, I mentioned this odd set of circumstances to my husband. He suggested we send an email to the seller asking to see it in the morning, if only to get a feel for the space and features a 27-footer would offer. The seller agreed.

View of rear lounge area. Entry door is to the left, beyond the refrigerator.

When you know, you know

We arrived for our tour at 9 a.m., four hours before the auction’s end. The seller spent a good 30 minutes proudly showing us every inch of the camper, pointing out a number of improvements he had made in recent months.

In a word, it was PERFECT. Perfect size. Perfect condition. And at a third of its value, perfectly priced, too.

As we drove away, we felt overwhelmed. We had been window shopping for less than two weeks. Our savings had been depleted by the vacation we had taken just weeks before. We were nowhere close to being ready to buy! And yet, here was the ideal starter camper, at a bargain-basement price. In our very backyard.

So we went for it.

Looking in from the entry door. Bertha has one slide-out, which holds both the couch and the dinette.

Bidding wars

We asked ourselves, “At what price is this camper simply too good a deal to pass up, regardless of our situation?” We agreed on a max of $5,000, still less than half its value. If that turned out to be enough to win it, then it was meant to be. If not, that would be okay, too.

We spent the next two hours at the beach, biding our time. At half past noon, we headed to a nearby restaurant, ordered lunch and set up our bid. At 12:55, with just five minutes to go, my husband submitted the bid and we held our breaths as the auto-bidding kicked in. It’s ours… it’s not… it’s ours… it’s not… it’s ours… OHMYGOD IT’S OURS!

Five minutes and $4,300 later, we were the proud owners of a gently-used fifth wheel. We named her Bertha.

Bertha’s kitchen is across from the couch. I love the window, which looks out at the picnic table/patio area at most campsites.

The Universe knows best

At the time, this whirlwind of events seemed entirely serendipitous. I realize now that it was not at all random: The Universe had heard our request, in support of our bigger dream, and was not about to let it languish. The risks were too great. Had we waited another year, we might have lost our momentum or doubted ourselves. “No, no,” said the Universe. “Let’s take care of this right here, right now.”

That is one smart Universe.

Have you ever manifested something simply by asking the Universe for it? What was it? Were you surprised that it worked? I’d love to hear!