-
Jul 12 2019 How Can I Be A Van Life Nomad?
Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to quit your job, leave your ordinary life behind, and travel? Well, like they say, “anything is possible.” You can travel the country or even a lot of the world and live out of a van! I know it seems like it’s impossible, but it’s really simple.
Some business ideas that allow you to do so could be to create a blog and market it, create a marketing agency, travel agency, and a great one that truly allows you to be free and enjoy your travels to the fullest would be photography or videography. Any of these can be scaled to a massive size with just one laptop, WiFi, and some determination. I know its easy to say, “I don’t or won’t have time to learn all of this, let alone make it happen.” If you are traveling in a van you won’t have as many distractions as you would in an ordinary day in the life. We all have the same 24 hours in a day 7x. That’s a lot of time to learn something new. Other people can do it and are doing it, Why can’t you?
Maybe you’re not into the whole idea of freelancing or entreprenuership. That’s fine too! There are tons of jobs that allow you to work from home. Why not make “home” your van or RV? There are lots of business owners that even pay bonuses to an employee with a “Home office.” Take advantage!
Life is too short to work more than half of your life away. You should strive for something bigger and better! Create a life where you are free! These work from home jobs are mostly choose your own hours, and if you choose to be a freelancer, you are the boss! Society is taught to go to school, get a job and work a 9-5 for the rest of your life, until one day you may be fortunate enough to retire and then if you are still in good health, and can afford it, then you can be free. At this point in life you will have a stack of excuses why you can’t do this. Family, funds, health, etc. Even though there is no excuse for living the life you desire, unfortunately, society says otherwise.
Make sure whatever you do is something you truly enjoy. Maybe you aren’t cut out for life on the road and that’s fine! Still though, if you are spending more than half of your life doing something you dread every day, odds are you aren’t living your best life.
There is no time like the present. If you have an idea, do it! Live your dreams. Live your best life, and don’t let anyone else influence your dreams. Remember this is your life, make it the best one. You never know what tomorrow brings, and you never know if you will even make it to tomorrow let alone retirement, so live every single day like your last. Follow your dreams!
Where can I camp when living on the road? – Van Life
- Walmart
- Campgrounds
- Churches
- Rest Areas and Truck Stops. – Lots of truck stops have showers too which you do have to pay about $12/shower.
- Sealth Camping (Camping discretely in a parking lot or neighborhood) – look for other cars parked overnight to stay hidden in plain sight.
- BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and USFS (United States Forest Service) – allows boondocking which is the act of remotely camping outside developed campgrounds.
- Make friends along the way or if you know friends in different areas, crash with them for a night or two.
What to do if you get that dreaded midnight knock:
- Stay calm and be honest. For the most part the officer or security gaurd is not looking for any trouble. He or she is just doing their job.
- If they ask to search, remember as long as you are on U.S. soil, you have the right to decline.
- If you are sure you are parked legally, you may want to keep quiet and play it out. Just remember to keep your doors locked.
What happens if I break down far from a service area?
- It is always a good idea to have your tools ready and spare parts.
- Make sure you have your manual handy and try to troubleshoot.
- Stay calm. Don’t freak out, and you should be able to get through it.
- Always make sure your fluids are filled to the required amount by checking them regularly.
- Make sure you have good tires and a good spare that is filled to the proper PSI.
Where can I get Wifi?
- Starbucks
- Dunkin
- Panera Bread
- Mcdonalds
- Gyms
- Restaurants
- Public WiFi areas and Parks
- Hotels
- Phone hotspot or WiFi hotspot, which you can purchase from your phone provider. You’ll pay around $200 for the device itself (or cheaper with a two-year contract, but then you are locked into paying a monthly fee for that time period)