Are you attracted to the lifestyle of a wanderer?

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I sincerely hope you move your diet beyond tuna fish and Campbell's soup.

Me too. Its been gas station pizza and spaghetti for about a year so tuna and campbells would be an improvement. Sprouts are mad cheap and nutritious it would seem.

Ive considered a travel trailer. One of the problems i see with them is parking availability and probably gas. It just seems like more of a hassle then its worth. With a van you can pretty much park anywhere you want. Everything that means anything to me can fit in the trunk of my car so space isn't really an issue. Less space means less clutter means less stress. One dish. You eat from it and clean it and thats it. a mess never piles up

How did you like them, just out of curiosity?

Yes and no. In my dreams sometimes yes, I would like to visit a few countries, see some places, I am especially interested in ancient ruins and cities, like ancient Sparta, Persepolis, Troy(s), and the pyramids, etc, and maybe one day I will.

But I am so comfy in my nest, when I have to go somewhere I am happy to get back home lol

Shadi

I did very much, I've always loved veggies and dandelions are like spinach or collard greens. And I have to come clean, she wasn't my real grandmother but she did act like one and we called her grandma. She grew up very poor so she became extremely resourceful.

Resourcefulness is a quality I greatly admire. Being able to make your way with the things you're given takes a lot of courage and intelligence.

no

I've always been a wanderer, from the age of 20 I would work the winter in london for 6 months (easy money) and then spend 6 months travelling around Europe by motorbike in the summer. I married when I was 35 and that finished the 6 month holidays . Nice while it lasted.

Everyone has their preferences and comfort level. Regarding the travel trailer specifically, finding a place to park is not a problem ... there are RV parks everywhere and, in addition, in the Western states there are large areas of BLM land where you can park for free or for very low fees. The LaPosa area near Quartzsite, Arizona, for example, charges $20/week. There's also a seasonal rate, which I've forgotten exactly but is something like $150 for six months.

What you say about gas is true. The gas mileage on my truck is cut exactly in half when I'm pulling my trailer, so that a long day of driving can mean three or four fillups at $40-50 apiece. That's why I find a place and stay a while.

Parking your van "pretty much anywhere you want" is not exactly the case. Most towns have ordinances against overnight camping except in certain areas, and that includes vans or campers. Sure, it's possible to find secluded areas where no one hassles you, but if you're in a strange town you won't know where to go and you're taking a chance of having a cop pounding on your door in the middle of the night. How's that for "more hassle than it's worth"?

Obviously, though, anywhere you can park a travel trailer, you can also park a van. But again, what matters is your own preference.

I've wanted to travel for extended periods of time... Go from one town to another, exploring the land and moving on when I get bored. Homeless, but not in a poor sense, but anyplace i stayed would be home until I moved on.
Suppose it would be unrealistic for me though due to money.

Yes, I tend to identify with wanderlust.

But of course in this world, or at least this country right now, such thing is unfortunately improbable...

Thank you for the info. As someone who lives the lifestyle what was your reason for doing so and how did you psyche yourself up for it (assuming it was a choice and not a neccessity)? What do you do for work and what are your typical monthly expenses if you dont mind me asking?

as far as van parking goes... Ive got a bit of an entitled attitude towards the world and dont really care too much about these sorts of stipulations and rules that exist purely in the imaginations of men. The universe does not respect our lines of demarcation. I can respect them to some extent but as long as its illegal to be homeless, I dont really care

My reasons for wanting this are numerous. I feel like my life is completely out of my control. Im given over to a schedule that I dont make so I can have money that I dont need so I can pay for a place I dont own and buy things I dont need to fill up the surplus space. Alot of that is a self-control issue. but with work, sleep and social responsibilities Im left too exhausted to work on myself. I need to get away from this rat-race that doesn't reflect my values and burns like poison through my systems.

Im a musician with alot of artistic talent that is currently atrophying and nagging me for attention. What better way to put myself out there and do what I love? I feel completely stifled attempting to satisfy my considerable ambitions in the not so considerable time left between work and sleep. Im left, with a series of still-born song fragments and half-aborted sketches, shrinking in a little town that doesn't care about what I have to offer

I figure I can play shows and sell artwork to make money. I only need enough to get by. Probably take me some time to get established with all that but its worth the world for me to make an attempt. I currently work at group homes which I do enjoy aside from how it cuts into my time. I would probably be able to do relief work on an on-call basis which would allow me to decide if I wanted to work or not based solely around what I need at the time.

I want to be outdoors. I never go outdoors. I live in town and get a bit agorophobic at the thought. Its easier just to stay inside. I didn't go to the ocean at all this summer. Drive an hour hang out for a bit and then drive back. Id like to wake up. Step outdoors and into nature. Spend my whole day there and not have to worry how it will affect my gas gauge.

and Ive got friends and family that I want/need to visit. and i dont want to deal with winter anymore

Not in any way at all. I like to live in one place for long periods of time.

Why do you say that? Take a look at my earlier post

You and I are kindred spirits, even if we have somewhat different outlooks. I too am frustrated with the rat race and superficiality of American civilization. In my own small way, this is how I deal with it.



LOL ... well, ok ... but you're just asking for trouble. The secret to leaving the rat race behind is not to be one of the rats, even if it's by default. And when you call attention to yourself by flaunting the rules, that's what you will become whether you want to or not. So my advice is to suck it up, play by the rules and save your indignation for something that really matters.

And besides, it's not that difficult to find a legal place to camp. In the Western states, you can camp on most BLM and Forest Service land for free or very low fees, as long as you abide by certain rules.



Well, that's exactly what I do. I just a few minutes ago got back from a little five-mile hike/run in Tucson Mountain Park. I was out in the desert almost three hours and saw exactly one other person. This is what I do most days.

Regarding your other questions about daily details, I live off my retirement and I also do a little IT work part-time. I can do that remotely, so as long as I have an internet connection, I can make money. Monthly expenses are in the $500-1,000 range. I don't see your expenses getting very much less than that, unless you want to eat weeds. Or as someone earlier posted, tuna fish and soup. But damn, that would get real old. When you're on the road, it's not difficult to spend $100/day just for gas.

I believe people can still apply for seasonal work with the Forest Service to monitor specific camp sites, collect camping fees from campers, watch to see if campers are following rules and make some extra money while camping free. I've spoken to two different women who have done this with their travel trailers. One was in the Catalina Mountains and the other one was in the desert by the Tucson Mountains and the West Saguaro National Park, not too far from the Desert Museum. I had some friends who's daughter did this also while on summer break from university.