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Yes for sure and I am still enjoying my tramp on the road. Being here makes me feel less weird about my life choice and like I’m part of a movement. Folks here are of every political stripe and economic level...some are homeless and not by choice but most have some resources. Some are full-timers like me and others have to go back to a job and still others go back to their very understanding spouses. Some are in huge RVs and some in small cars and some are hippie school buses.
My white van fits in very well here but there are a lot of white vans here so I have to be careful to mind where I parked. The weather is perfect. I have gotten into some of the most intense conversations this week. Three were very intense but more in a spiritual than a naughty way. This trip has opened me up in some unexpected ways and I would not delete any of it. It’s always been a dream of mine, back to my college days even, when I used to hitch hike. I know now that was stupid lol, but fond memories there too and no truly bad ones. Yes I know that I’ve been very lucky.
Sounds wonderful. I hear what you're saying about the white van. It's one of the things I love about the Cube. I can spot it anywhere.
I found a wire pet cage, at a thrift store , to put my cat in while I am driving. That was one of my worries. I've let the door open & put a pad in it so she could get used to it & she has sniffed it, but not gone inside. Instead, she has been clingy & needing to be on my lap.
Then it hit me that it is just like the cage she was in for 5 months before I rescued her. She'll have to get used to it before we do any traveling though, so I will just leave it open & put more soft, comfortable bedding in it.
I am thrilled you have found your interactions with others enlightening. It must feel awesome.
What you talk about reminds me of how I felt so many years ago, back when I was young. Such a wonderful feeling of togetherness. I'm so glad you are experiencing this.
I never thought of nomad living until someone (can't remember who) told me about his website. As a senior living on social security, it would help me so much financially. There is so much I don't allow myself to do to ensure I never get into debt. I would, and will, he able to breathe much easier when I embrace this lifestyle. Rent alone takes close to half my monthly income. Then there's utilities, internet, home insurance, etc. The last time I allowed myself to go out to eat was over a year ago.
There are many living out on the road for very similar reasons. There was a seminar yesterday on cutting expenses while on the road and one man on the panel said he has been living this lifestyle for 42 yrs and he spends an average of about $600/mo. That’s pretty amazingly cheap but it can be done if you don’t drive too much and cook your food. Also you need to realize that it will probably be more expensive at first until you figure out what you need. I started out with too much...best to keep it very simple at first. Also I could still probably get rid of about a third of what I have here but I’m not overcrowded.
I have been scouring thrift stores for items for a van so I am not taken by surprise. I know l will have to get solar and will probably start with a suitcase. I think I will go ahead and put my furniture in storage until I am sure this is what I want to do. I'm fairly positive it is but...
The utubes I have been watching are very helpful in deciding what I will need. The hard part is going to be deciding what to get rid of. There are things I kept when I moved here from Minnesota that I wasn't sure of but now am so glad I kept. Fleece lined leggings I wore all winter under my jeans. A winter coat and one pair of boots. Sweatshirts, etc.
I wish I hadn't given away my flannel sheets, but I couldn't imagine needing them here. I am thankful I asked questions before I moved here and kept what I did. You can always give things away if you find they aren't needed but realizing you could use something you have away is aggravating.
That's why I want to put things in storage first. I only kept high quality furniture and things I paid a lot for and I've been very happy with what I did keep. So I am really going to think long and hard before I do anything drastic. But I have time.
I'm glad I went ahead and renewed my lease so I can be better prepared by September.
I haven't tried putting catnip in the cage. It's an idea.
I have been scouring thrift stores for items for a van so I am not taken by surprise. I know l will have to get solar and will probably start with a suitcase. I think I will go ahead and put my furniture in storage until I am sure this is what I want to do. I'm fairly positive it is but...
I’m curious why you say you must have solar...I’m not arguing because our needs are all different but I have not neede an extra source of power at all. The main reason most people want it is to run a fridge or small TV with DVD player but I use an ice chest and only buy small quantities of food at a time so I don’t buy much ice. Also I watch movies on my iPad sometimes but mostly I like to spend my free time reading or doing needlework and I can use a small headlamp flashlight...get one with a red light too if you come to RTR so you don’t blind people walking around. When I was finishing up a knitting project I would go to McDonalds in the eve for the bright lights and get decaf coffee and nurse it all evening.
I’m not even sure why I’m engaging you but others are reading too so I’ll bite. First of all, how much money do you make at your job? When is the last time you used money that you earned to set up an event for a bunch of people? If you were to plan an event of this magnitude, would you not try to collect donations to offset the cost? Do you not consider the compensation for YouTube videos as a legitimate way to make money? Why not? And where is the cult leader thing coming from? As in, what makes him a cult leader? I think of cult leaders as people trying to coerce folks into believing some weird thing, but so far as I can tell he is only leading folks into believing that it’s possible to live a lifelong dream. Also he keeps nagging about not putting trash in the porta potties. Next thing you know he’ll be trying to hitch us a ride on a comet.
Most things like this charge money and sometimes a lot of it. Last time I checked, Tickets to Burning Man were $500 so I’m not getting where he’s greedy but I suspect you are a disgruntled RTRer and maybe someone was less than kind to you at an event. I’ve had that happen to me in the past with other events and it hurts but I don’t badmouth them online. I just figure I didn’t fit in or was in a weird headspace.
Well there you go. You answered your own question. He is a cult leader trying to coerce people into a lifelong dream of living in a vehicle, so they can donate all their money to bob, their cult leader. If that is not a classic cult leader, I don't know who is.
It's not a few people who have noticed resemblance to him being a cult leader.
Stepka, I just feel I want solar for electricity. I use my crockpot a lot for cooking. I tend to not watch tv but do want some sort of refrigeration.
There's still so much I have to learn. Again, I'm glad I have time to figure out what I want to do. I look forward to traveling and visiting the places I have wanted to see.
Stepka, I just feel I want solar for electricity. I use my crockpot a lot for cooking. I tend to not watch tv but do want some sort of refrigeration.
There's still so much I have to learn. Again, I'm glad I have time to figure out what I want to do. I look forward to traveling and visiting the places I have wanted to see.
OK I get it. I only asked because sometimes we tend to over-buy what we think we’ll need but sounds like you will need some backup power.
Stepka, I just feel I want solar for electricity. I use my crockpot a lot for cooking. I tend to not watch tv but do want some sort of refrigeration.
There's still so much I have to learn. Again, I'm glad I have time to figure out what I want to do. I look forward to traveling and visiting the places I have wanted to see.
Why not get a short school bus and convert it. They are cheap. They can be gotten for $2,000 or $3,000. Then cover the roof with as many solar panels as will fit, and get as many batteries as you can afford. it should be more than enough power for cooking appliances, refrigerator, and probably heat and AC as well.
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Next thing you know he’ll be trying to hitch us a ride on a comet. 
