See the Dream; Be the Dream

 

I have a burning desire, and this desire will come to pass, I am almost there, I can see that dream; I shall have that dream.  That dream is to live my life, traveling in a sweet RVan, a nicely appointed van type vehicle complete with kitchen, bathroom, bed, water tanks, solar power, a genset it is basically a tiny house on wheels,  for me to begin the last big stage of my life. I am going alone, leaving my husband in California, where I shall return from time to time. This is about fulfilling my dream, the why, the reasons, the how, the purpose and exactly what  I will do to go about achieving this dream come true,  as soon as possible.  The photos here are what I am looking for in my new tiny house, the sort of rig I have decided I want, after looking at hundreds of RVs, I feel I need to purposefully visualize this dream to make it a reality within the next year.

Here is the basic shell, a van about 20′ long, which gets decent gas mileage, is easy for me to drive and park in a normal size space, a rig that will fit me like a glove.

This rig has a side door and an awning and I want to have both features, as well as a back door, so I can fling open all those doors to enjoy my latest view. Since I will usually be flying solo, I won’t need alot of room, and I plan to enjoy the outdoors everyday by using a folding table, my art easel, a comfy folding chair and even string some lights from the awning. My doggy enjoys being outside and will have lots of opportunities to explore also.  I understand leaving a huge pair of well-worn work boots outdoors will give the impression I have a bulky protector somewhere close by, my big doggy will help and I can always dig out my trusty pepper spray if I need to, security is important but not to the point of being afraid.

In order to be truly independent and off grid I would like to be outfitted with solar power and an inverter which will silently power my 12 volt batteries, using a generator is alright in an otherwise noisy area, but I love quietude and I want to escape for days at a time, so a solar array like the one pictured below on the roof of my RVan,  would be ideal.

With this type of power grid my days of spending $30 bucks a night in an RV park will be limited to when I choose to do so,  such as for a rally or meet-up.  Which takes me to the invisible and quiet goal of my dream. I understand in order to maintain this lifestyle and thrive with like-minded individuals who desire to remain out of the public eye and keep this way of life intact, I need to be very low key, very quiet, almost invisible. I can appreciate that sentiment very much. When I camped before, the four other times I have done this in my life,  I was always very annoyed by noisy campers and rowdy partiers.  No one likes an asshat. Turning on a generator at 3am is annoying, so if I can switch on the light switch and have power without noise I am down for that way to live. My goal is a quiet life, I occasionally meditate and I want peace and serenity for my soul.

Another thing that I have identified is, what is my purpose for being on the road, in a van, living the life of a wanderer. The fact is, I have so many reasons it seems silly to list them but I will, because having a purpose for this lifestyle is like any other purpose in life, if I don’t know why I am doing something, then really why bother, so this is the short list of my recognized reasons to roam.

First of all I have met alot of people online over the years and developed relationships and I would like to have a chance to visit those friends and family members who I have either never met or who I long to see again.  Next, sightseeing our spectacular natural wonders is right at the top of my list, I love the State and National Park systems and plan on visiting as many parks as I can, staying on BLM land is something I have never done so I would like to enjoy those opportunities also.

I am a history buff and try to see various historical sights around the country and as a genealogist there are many family history places for me to discover as well especially in Virginia and north.  Just the historical endeavours alone will tend to keep me busy. In addition, I enjoy painting and will carry an easel so that I can paint landscapes for myself or paint peoples’ pets if they would like to pay me.  My other interests are guitar, ukulele and fishing and I will have plenty of time to enjoy them all.

I will have to fit everything into my small van, this is a typical layout of the type of RVan I want purchase soon.

The dinette makes into a bed, there is a small  3 piece bathroom and a small functioning kitchen, everything I will need to live comfortably and humbly.

Kitchen looks toward cockpit with small bathroom across from the kitchen sink, and a large comfy bed in the rear section, there is lots of storage under the bed for my guitar and art supplies, the fishing tackle is really compact too. The genealogy research will need to be compacted also! Oh and clothes, oh my goodness I have work to do!

 

Funding this excursion is entirely on me, fully self sufficient, I have been employed for decades and now reap the benefits of retirement income, that is, if the politicians don’t ruin everything, also I have multiple things I can sell and make for profit, I plan to travel frugally and I know how to make a buck squeal, so I think I am pretty good for now, every year I can come back to California and work for a time in my chosen profession, during winter months to augment my small income. In other words, no one else is paying my way, I am paying my own expenses.

I plan to have lots of fun, I have many interests and ideas to try even more new things, I will only be bored if I choose to be, boredom is a kind of suffering, and loneliness on the road may be my biggest anticiapted source of suffering, that along with any trouble I could perhaps encounter, I hope to get a rig that is well equipped and not likely to fall apart after 500 miles, especially since my trip is laid out at over 13,000 miles. I like to focus on the positive while solving problems as they pop up. That is how I will travel a day at a time.

Here is a map of my adventure to be, beginning and ending in California.

My 13,000 mile trip, beginning and ending on the West coast

Every journey begins with a plan, I have always been a planner and I am working hard to envision a fruitful experience that will color me happy and hit all the high notes.  I feel so incredibly fortunate to be embarking on another adventure, my life has been full of them and I see absolutely NO reason to stop enjoying my life now.  Let’s GO!