You're almost there. You are at the diving board waiting for the whistle.
But wait...
Who is going to blow that whistle?
It's gotta be YOU.
Going on the road is an extreme change to what you are use to. The comforts of home, commute to work, favorite local restaurants, with friends and family nearby. All of that is going to change.
So let's talk about change. It's that annoying almost always present side effect of life. No matter how you figure it something has got to change. Small ways and big ways, for your happiness or for the happiness of others. Life always has a way of changing things.
Knowing this part of life it is now the time that you are going to take a seemingly blind jump into living out of a vehicle.
How homeless does that sound?
Or how exciting!
Three years ago I saw a video that changed my life as I knew it. I was no longer saving up for some month long vacation out of the country. Some temporary release from the 9 to 5 grind that everyone I knew was doing. I peeked into another lifestyle. I was shown a new way to travel full time and enjoy life.
After that video, it took me roughly one month to find the perfect van. It was a high top and blue, a good engine, and was in running condition. I was in love. Five months later I was finishing up my notice at my jobs, packing up my van (lovingly called Sherry) and scared silly with what I was just about to do.
I had taken the van for a test run to my grandparents in a neighboring state. It was exciting to get out on the road longer than the commute to work. It was also the first time I was sleeping in the van. It felt odd for sure because I would wake up and forget where I was parked but the surroundings in my van were becoming more familiar.
A week later I waddled large 5-gallon containers of water from my parent's kitchen into the van. I stored all my clothes in duffel bags behind the bed. I had one giant tub dedicated to dry goods and a fancy cooler for my produce. I don't think I even knew at the time what I was going to eat. It was just find something that only needed hot water to make. I remember my mom had made me delicious sandwiches and gave me all the leftover fixings. I was out of those in two days. I also had a few apples but those went quick too. I don't remember the first grocery store I went to once I hit the road. I don't think I was near any familiar stores so I didn't go shopping.
My first destination wasn't even picked out until the day before I left. I think I only pinpointed somewhere because my mom asked where I was going. I decided to head to South Dakota to see the amazing Black Hills, Devils Tower, and Mount Rushmore monuments. The drive from Williston to Devils Tower was so complicated. There aren't many roads heading south out of the state so I was bouncing between old dirt roads and found myself in Montana going through the Medicine Rocks State Park. Such an amazing first day out on the road. To be in completely new territory but in such awe of the scenery.
The months passed by quickly but also very slowly. Every day was my adventure waiting to be discovered. I really wanted to have a 10/10 kind of day every day. It became quite stressful to put myself in such isolated situations. I was by myself, no smartphone, just me and map to get to the next town. I would find wifi at libraries and coffee shops to see where I was going to park for the night. My go-to website was freecampsites.net. This site helped me get accustomed to places I could stealth camp or parking lots I could almost always depend on.
The first six months of living on the road were the most adventurous but also the most difficult. It was scary and lonely. I really couldn't bear to be around myself sometimes. I was my everything. I was my mechanic, my cook, my cleaner, my friend, my company, my driver, and my decision-maker for everything! Going into this lifestyle alone is not something everyone can handle. I have always been known to be extremely independent and self-sufficient. This lifestyle choice feeds so much into that part of myself that when I did finally find friends I was so incredibly thankful. I felt apart of something much bigger instead of a lonely wayward vagabond.
Taking the jump into a new lifestyle is always going to have its challenges. It will be a work in progress for quite a while. I do feel that living in a van I am constantly reinventing how everything is so it benefits my current situation. The weather can change how I arrange my van or the location could. It took months to figure out how to secure everything so it wouldn't jump around while I was driving down the dirt roads. Having a 1993 van has its own batch of difficulties. Constant maintenance but the flip side is treating it like the cheap rent it is. When I go back to my hometown and see my friends and family it is sometimes extremely obvious the gap in our realities. Things that are easy for me are hard for them, and the other way around. Some people still can't understand why I prefer to sleep in my van and I don't think that will ever change. It is just so outside of what is normal. My life, though, has always held the pivotal difference of being a little outside of normal.
When are you going to blow the whistle?
Be sure all your ducks are in a row. Things like debt, bills, income, pets, dependable rig, etc. are all important things to have figured out before jumping into it. I thankfully had very little to consider when I made my decision. I just needed to make sure I had a good nest egg of savings because I didn't have an income lined up. I have since found odd jobs here and there, some nomad jobs as well to supplement my lifestyle. I am looking into becoming a full-time digital nomad which has a few more things to consider like wifi signal and power for electronics. I am getting there though :)
Thank you for reading. I hope this helped give you the little nudge you needed to jump. I would love to see you check out my YouTube channel. I love making videos about my life and try to keep it real and authentic.
Safe Travels
-Karli
© Curious Karli
Hey Karli , thanks so much for your "history" that was special ! My wife is almost retired !! We are going to spend at least 3 months in the SW this winter , but we love coming home in the spring to do our garden and peach orchard , everything organically grown ! Hope to see you this winter . Would love to hang out with you for a bit. We live outside of Richland ,Or. Cheers !!
Great read Karli,really enjoyed it. I haven't done anything close to the time you've been on the road but I got a taste for it back in 2015 when I went traveling around the country for six weeks in my little car with three tents and a ton of camping gear.I visited family I hadn't seen in years and friends that I've met online and known for many years.Best trip I ever had in my life and I was feeling the freedom calling me further but life called me back home eventually.I've been wanting to go on the road again ever since that trip but it's been a rough road to even come close to making it happen.I do have…
I experienced most of what you did after I moved into my minivan. I am saving the "emergency fund" and then I'm off and away. Look up John Plant on YouTube he runs Primitive Technology and he never speaks. Fascinating videos. And now he is publishing a book. You should write a book Karli. Logical next step. I am at the library right now!! LOL. Fred
What a wonderful life! It was interesting to see the video that inspired you to hit the road. It made me remember with love and gratitude the various books and people that inspired me to travel alone in my past. I enjoy your videos and look forward to more?