R2RThis is a guest post by a good friend of ours who is currently living in a van as she roams. She visited with us on the second last day of our bike trip and told us the story below. She graciously agreed to put fingers to keyboard to share the story with all of you. Enjoy
Hitting the road after more than half a year of anticipation and planning was both incredibly exciting and totally terrifying. I was completely comfortable with the idea of living in a van.
I was confident that there was more than enough space for me and the gear that I was bringing. The bed was about as comfortable as a pullout mattress can be expected to be, and I had planned around the more biological necessities as best I could.
Everything you could need inside the van
Driving the van was another matter. After decades of piloting small, reasonably sized cars, the concept of me maneuvering this monster of a vehicle across a country or two was daunting. Perhaps my biggest fear was of having to reverse without the aid of a rear window. This brought on recollections of a younger age when I drove a car without a reverse gear and all the parking considerations that come with that.
Look at the size of that thing!
Day one, I travel from Calgary to just outside Moose Jaw. Made a couple of Wifi stops for conference calls and work, the early proof that I could cover ground and still get some work done had me feeling pretty proud of myself. It was possible, I could do it. This realization lasted right up until I pulled into the campground and went to turn off the vehicle. My seemingly trusty van produced some weird high pitch revving noises which continued as I started it back up and drove to the campsite.
Que panic mode.
“What was I thinking?” I ask myself. “What made me think I could do this?”
The pride of my first day on the road and all those kilometers covered quickly faded and all the worries that had kept me up over the past year came surging back.
When in doubt… drink a beer. And google the nearest Dodge dealership.
After the initial panic stage I move smoothly into my typical coping method… denial. I go to bed with the hope that tomorrow all will be well.
In the morning I quickly pack up the bedding and try the engine. Bit of a high rev, but she settles down quickly enough. Um... maybe everything would be alright after all, another point for beer and denial. So I drive on, fill the tank, and find a Tim Horton's in Regina to settle in for a couple hours of work. Sitting there, with a full tank of gas, an apparently functioning engine, and accomplishing some of the work that I had been worrying me the positive thoughts from the day before return. “How hard can this be?” “I can do this!”
What a great place to stop for the night
I pack up my computer stuff and head into the bathroom before hitting the road. With one glance in the mirror, my newfound confidence takes another hit. In my rush to ensure all was well mechanically in the morning I had neglected to wash my face or comb my hair.
I looked, in fact, like someone who lived in a van.
Lessons from the woman who lives in a van.
1. Once you have told everyone that you plan to quit your job and live in a van, it is very hard to back out - even though you are freaking out.
2. Always carry cash so you don’t have to give up your precious American cash at par when you are too tired to drive on and find a place that accepts debit/credit.
3. Hide your 2nd credit card in your van separate from your main credit card. So when you think you left your wallet at the last stop and are almost out of fuel your panic is not off the charts.
4. When you let a number of ‘bitey’ bugs into your van before hitting the road, it is reassuring to realize that you have also taken in a dragonfly so that a fight to the death ensues.
5. When the very friendly Newfoundlander local shows up at 4 different locations that you are touring around in a single day, he has now moved to ‘stalker’ status, and it is time to get out of town.
6. Just say Yes! Especially when travelling solo, jump on any opportunity to join in on an adventure. This will lead to amazing new experiences and friendships.
7. Learn to slow down. Stop and talk with others on hiking trails, in camping spots (including Walmart parking lots), tourist spots, etc. People are eager to share stories and information, and the opportunity to learn is endless!
8. In general……people are good, fun, interesting, and eager to help. (with the exception of the stalker mentioned in point #4, that was just creepy!)
