Be true to your heart!!
Usually the weather and calendar don’t align, but this year in the Arizona desert they matched exactly. In fact, we bypassed spring and went straight to summer; the desert got so hot I had to move camp! It was up into the mid-90s nearly every day and I just can’t cope with that much heat, so it was time to get out of Dodge and move north to a higher elevation.
It wasn’t a bother for me because I was doing what the great majority of humans who had ever lived before me had been doing for millions of years; following the seasons and the game in order to survive and thrive. Instead of cursing the weather, I embraced it as a welcome change in my life because I knew it meant I was fully human, alive and invested in nature.
Best of all, I know that it meant big, exciting changes were coming and something new and wonderful lay just ahead; and I can’t wait to see what they are!!
What separates humans from all other animals is our imagination and sense of wonder, curiosity and adventure. That’s what has taken humans from the African Savanah to the furthest reaches of the planet and into a great variety of terrain, weather and conditions. From the Sahara to the Arctic, from the Himalayas to the South American Rain Forest, the drive to see what is around the next corner has compelled humans to move and along the way to endure and thrive in whatever was waiting for us, even when it seemed to be very disagreeable or even hostile.
I believe that’s still true today, every human has that drive for travel and adventure no matter how buried it seems. Why do I say that? Because every child has it to some degree! It’s born into us and literally written into every humans DNA. With every stage of development children want to move and go and find new things and explore no matter the danger or pain. First we crawl, then we walk—then we run! Every mother can tell you that once we stand upright, away we go, the race is on! Eventually we discover animal or mechanical movement and we set out to go further and faster. It didn’t even matter where, just somewhere else. That’s the story of every human being that was ever born on the face of the Earth. That’s what it means to be human.
We know from the pre-history of humanity that adults are not supposed to “outgrow” that; if we had we would all be living in the African Savanah right now! Instead we live everywhere because until civilization came along in the last 8000 years, all adults had those child-like qualities; that’s what made them human. They fully embraced the danger and discomfort that are an inherent part of travel and adventure—and away they went!
So what happened, why have those qualities disappeared from so many adults? Civilization happened! People who wander around can’t build cities, states, governments or corporations so they need to be made to conform and become “good productive citizens”. And so we have traditions, customs and schools that beat the sense of curiosity and adventure out of us and instead makes us drone-like ants in lock-step following the “American Dream”. Everything “childlike” has been demonized. Each of us found that out when we told family and friends we were going to become Nomads and live in a car, van or RV. We were told it was too dangerous and we had “responsibilities” we couldn’t run away from: “What if everybody just did what they wanted to?” My answer is, “They’d all be happy! Isn’t that a good thing!”
If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society. ~Jean Piaget
Compare how our ancestors lived with how we “civilized” people live today, there is virtually no adventure in our lives. We travel very little and avoid danger and discomfort like they were death incarnate ready to kill us. Instead we huddle in our houses in terror of being in the least bit uncomfortable or facing any danger. And we have succeeded, we are the safest people who have ever lived and we never experience the discomfort of nature or the weather because our homes are totally climate-controlled. We have total control of our weather with just the turn of a knob.
- Want it hotter, we turn the thermostat up.
- Want it cooler, we turn up the Air Conditioner.
- Want it drier, we turn on the de-humidifier.
- Find the rain unpleasant, just close the blinds so you can’t see it.
- Miss the sun? We turn on full-spectrum lights that mimic the sun.
Before long, we never need to go outside except to get in our cars (which is also climate-controller) and go to another climate-controlled building. We’ve arranged our lives so that we never have to be bothered with that pesky nature! After, all, what’s it good for any way! We’re better off without it.
Living in a van, is just the opposite! When it gets hot you get hot and sweaty, when it gets cold you can feel the cold seeping into the van like a wild animal stalking you, When the wind blows the van shakes and when it rains you hear the clatter on the roof and feel the humidity taking over. Living in a van makes us intimately connected to nature just like humans have been for millions of years. Some people consider that a negative, but I find it a return to our wild and primitive roots that makes us fully human and alive. Without it we are like machines or drone insects that are just going through the motions of living. Only the dead are never uncomfortable, and by arranging our lives to eliminate any discomfort, we’ve turned out homes into mausoleums for the walking dead.
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. ~Albert Einstein
That’s the difference between a vandweller and a house dweller; there is no room for a sense of wonder, curiosity and adventure in their lives. Every day is just like yesterday and every week is just like last week. Month after month … year after year … decade after decade, their lives pass before them with just more of the same. Work … eat … sleep … and repeat… endlessly. From the house … to the car … to work and repeat. Then you rush around on your days off and your infrequent vacations and try to cram a lifetime of awe, wonder and adventure into them, and that just makes you more tired and miserable. “Only thirty years till I can retire … only twenty years till I can retire …only ten years until I can retire … only two years till I can retire … if only I weren’t dying from cancer.”
I am so extremely grateful that I’ve found a way out of that misery!!
As it was getting hotter in Ehrenberg I knew it was time to move with the season and so I did what millions of fully alive humans have been doing for millions of year, planed my next move to find something better. I’ve given my imagination and child-like sense of curiosity, awe and adventure full reign over my life and been formulating my plans for this coming summer.
But, that’s a story for another day! This one has gotten long, so in my next post I’ll tell you about my new camp and plans for this summer.
Isn’t it getting to be time for you to join us in following the path of all authentic humans and learn to play again? Perhaps you should buy a van, make it your fort and head off to slay some dragons!
The playing adult steps sideward into another reality;
the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery. ~Erik H. Erikson
The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.
~Brian Sutton-Smith
When we talked the other day, it was nice to learn you plan on wandering more this summer rather than hunkering down in one spot. Thumbs up.
Al, wandering is expensive! Gas is down and I have a little more income, so things come together to make it happen! Now, if only gas will stay low!
Bob
Money is always a consideration, but it needs to be weighed against maintaining my mental health. My sanity is worth more than $3/gallon.
This is quite possibly the greatest truth I’ve ever read. Thanks for putting that all down so we can read, re-read, and absorb it.
Tammi, thank you very much, that’s very kind of you!
Bob
Oh Bob! I want to slay a dragon! Thank you for reminding me!
Marie, they are waiting for you to come out and play! Isn’t it time?
Bob
This post makes me wonder why I ever let myself get so caught up in “making a living” what ever that is suppose to mean, I quit coming to this blog. I won’t make that mistake again.
And to answer your question Bob, yes it is time for us to all join you and become a child again.:)
Curtis
Thanks Curtis!you aren’t alone, society is very persuasive and sucks most of us into it’s false promises. What;s important is that you’ve opened your eyes now and have started on your journey to freedom.
We’re glad you’re here!
Bob
Hey Bob, I read you self identifying as a “snowbird” a few times recently. Is this a new definition for you lifestyle or are you just using it more than you have in the past?
This is another very appropriate post, we all really need the connection with the Earth and the seasons to be fully Human. Unfortunately to many people simply don’t make the choice and miss out on a lot of lifes energy.
Remember in your retail career when Spring meant putting the rose bushes and gardening stuff out for sale or fall meant back to school or Thanksgiving. Barely enough to be in contact with seasonal changes.
jonthebru, Snowbird is actually from the RV world but I’ve always liked it and used it. I may be using it more now, but it’s just an accident, no plan behind it.
Yes, being in the retail business skews your view of life and you see it in terms of all the extra work changes of seasons brought. I love the pension it gave me, but I paid too high a price for it. I wouldn’t do it again.
Bob
I agree that we are born with a wanderlust. I, too, never outgrew it. Seemed that it stayed with me through childhood. “The Fugitive” was one of my favorite TV shows because Richard Kimble was constantly on the run.
irv and canoes. you are a gifted writer. please post your latest posting. both you and bob are gifted. i can feel you guys jumping up and down when you write.
ice cream raz
Irv, that makes perfect sense. One of my favorite shows was “Then came Bronson.” It was about a guy who rode around on his Harley Sportster and doing good deeds. I loved that show but it still hasn’t come out on DVD. I keep hoping!
Bob
this guy sells “Then Came Bronson” DVDs …
http://www.thencamebronson.tv/
scroll to the bottom
not sure how he does that without violating the copyright, so buyer beware
Green Tiger, I just ordered them from him!
I try to never steal other creators stuff, so if it ever comes out for sale from them, I will buy it so they get the money.
Bob
Yeah, and when he was cleared and didn’t have to run from Gerard anymore it was really a letdown for me because now he would have to settle down. They should have made a sequel of him running from all the women he made promises to come back to when he caught the one armed man and proved his innocence. Because, as I remember there were pretty many women he had to runaway from because he was about to be captured and promised he would be back to continue their love when he cleared himself. The newspapers were on the stands. Oh Richard…..time to pack the bag and hit the road again.
Bob,
A well written and thoughtful piece, however there is an alternative, which I think is valid. Irene and I retired to some acreage in a small rural town in SouthEast, Michigan. As we had never bought into the “consumer” lifestyle, it was a cash deal. So, rather than moving with the seasons we watch and enjoy each time of the year. We walk our forest path each day and, what is interesting is, each day it is different. Rather the a difference of desert valley to mountain meadow, it is a subtle change in light, the pattern of leaves, a quiet sound not heard before. We recognize our deer, turkeys and whistle pigs as individuals.
Now we preparing the garden for Spring planting, as with you, a favorite time. The last of the snow is almost gone and the trees are in bud. Life is returning to the land. By being in one place you can witness the complete cycle. Get your hands dirty; working the soil gets us connected in a different (maybe closer?) way than the wanderer. I have quite literally tasted the earth.
I think the key to your piece is not buying into the system, stay debt free and learn know yourself. Wether a wanderer or a homesteader, get outside, feel the fresh air, take a close look at… …life.
As for quotes, I would choose this:
“You ain’t no kind of man if you ain’t got land.”
–Delmar O’Donnel
As for you or other wanderers, as you travel, we also have room for company.
http://campinmygarden.com/campsites/1279
Mark, very well said. One thing I’ve always said is that vandwelling is not a choice of a home, it’s an attitude. I like your attitude! And everyone’s choice of a home is different, no right or wrong to it.
However, I’m not a fan of that quote. I would disagree totally with it.
Thanks for the offer, that’s very kind of you!
Bob
Quote was a little tongue in cheek. From a movie, Oh Brother Where Art Thou. I guess too obscure. 🙂 no offense meant.
Mark, my fault, I should have caught that! I’s just that I know people who really do think that way, probably more than will admit it.
Bob
Thank you. There is a gypsy in my soul and the winds of spring always awaken her.
Crazy Sister, our souls must be cousins!
Bob
Do you truly enjoy your life? Great, it should be enough living it then without denigrating all and any who live a different lifestyle. Painting with such a wide brush, claiming all house dwellers have “no room for a sense of wonder, curiosity and adventure in their lives” as you do in a paragraph above, exhibits to me a degree of insecurity with the choices you champion. Do you need that to validate the things you’re not quite certain of yourself?
I don’t think Bob’s opinions exhibit any uncertainty or insecurity at all. As one who is currently living in a house and who has recently spent a good deal of time in a camp trailer boondocking (as in 8 years), I can say it really is hard to experience nature to the same degree in a house, no matter how much you love the outdoors or how often you can get out.
There’s a huge difference between opening your door and immediately being in a pristine spot away from people and opening your door and being on a deck or lawn in a town or subdivision. Unless you live in the boonies, there really is no comparison to the amount of nature one gets camping. It’s just the nature of the thing.
And, living in a house, it’s very easy to forget the outdoors. When you’re camping, you’re in constant engagement, whether you want to be or not. In a house, you engage only if you want to, and being human, it’s easier to enjoy your morning coffee while reading the news on the internet rather than wandering around outside or sitting on a log.
Bob did engage in some distinct broad-brush painting by saying “everyone,” I’ll agree, but it’s probably a rather apt generalization, as I just don’t see any comparison to living outdoors and living in a house.
And I’ll add that living in a house is killing me – I can’t wait to get back out. I miss the sense of adventure and wonder. I even though I live in a small town in the West, it’s still just not the same.
Totally agree Desert, living in a box in no way can be compared to living outside.
The more I read here and books like Walden the more I realize for the most part we have been lied to about what really makes us happy.
Going to work every day to pay to live in a box for a few hours a week is not a good trade off in my opinion.
Curtis
Very wise Curtis!
Bob
I agree Desert Rat, houses are mesmerizing and lull us to sleep. Some can snap out of it, but most can’t.
Bob
Thanks for defending me Desert Rat, Very well done!
Bob
JD, I can see how you might think that, and who knows, there may be some truth to it. But, even if there is some truth, there is a much greater reason I do what I do.
The great majority of Americans have been brainwashed by schools, their parents, the media, traditions and customs, and while they believe themselves to be free thinkers, they are not. They live the way they are told to live, and if you suggest there is another way they are incredulous, like it’s inconceivable to live any other way. “There is only one way, and this is it!!!!”
There is no convincing them, what is required is an epiphany, a moment of illumination, when the light bulb comes on. They need a paradigm shift, a new pair of glasses that lets them see the world with new eyes.
That’s my goal. It either works, or it pisses you off and makes you feel insulted or defensive. I am sorry about that, but I feel morally obligated to do it.
Are you familiar with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave? If not, find a synopsis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave As wildly egotistical as it is, I believe it applies to our world extremely well, and like the one in the allegory that is set free from the darkness and lies to discover the light and truth, I have no choice but risk the wrath and hatred of those still blinded to the truth.
Of course that will just make you angrier because I’ve insulted you even more. Messengers of change are always rejected, even when they are right so I can’t let the rejection stop me. But at least I hope you can see the logic of how and why of what I’m doing. I may very well be the deluded one, but given the delusion, my actions are logical, consistent and reasonable within it.
Bob
“That’s my goal. It either works, or it pisses you off and makes you feel insulted or defensive. I am sorry about that, but I feel morally obligated to do it.”
Get over yourself man.
“Are you familiar with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave? If not, find a synopsis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave As wildly egotistical as it is, I believe it applies to our world extremely well, and like the one in the allegory that is set free from the darkness and lies to discover the light and truth, I have no choice but risk the wrath and hatred of those still blinded to the truth.”
Pfttt, Plato’s allegory, you mean like a freshman class at community college?
“Of course that will just make you angrier because I’ve insulted you even more. Messengers of change are always rejected, even when they are right so I can’t let the rejection stop me. But at least I hope you can see the logic of how and why of what I’m doing. I may very well be the deluded one, but given the delusion, my actions are logical, consistent and reasonable within it.”
Haha, you flatter yourself. You seem the angry one here. Messenger, indeed. Maybe pseudo messiah better suits the delusion I see being propagated here, pied piper calling to lost souls. Get a grip.
Oh and Click on the link below and it won’t cost you anything…..but page views and click rates. lol.
JD, you’re right, I do seem the angry one here. Sorry about that.
Bob
You’re being too kind, Bob…fortunately, I’m not that evolved. The guy is a stinkin’ troll. If you don’t like what is taught on here, go the hell away. LMFAO…like you’ve ever read Plato. STFU
Thanks for your support Tommy, I just find guys like that puzzling. I do know that there are quite a few people who follow me and have sincere disagreements with me and they let me know sometimes. That’s good! It keeps me on my toes. And sometimes I have to admit I’m wrong–god forbid!
Bob
JD, humility is a great asset.
The same thing happened to me in Southern Florida. It became too warm, so I started heading north to cool down.
I stumbled upon a great city, Gainesville. It has so many trees! It also has a wonderful art museum that is free.
I’m super happy that the weather changed, and being a nomad I moved on and found something great which I would not have found as a house dweller.
Jim, us Snowbirds have to flock together, even if we are across the country from each other!
Bob
Nice I17 picture of the Dewey turn off.
I like to drive the roads of America(s).
Having enough gas money is really what van living is all about.That is the reason I drive a 16 year old van. Don,t want to pay for a replacement. We are a consumer society and many people fall in that trap. We collect so much stuff over time,that we have to pay to put it in storage so we can collect more crap. When people want to live the Van life they put to much thinking in the choice of vehicle they want to live in.Any vehicle will to. Yes it is scary to cut the cord and take that first step. Some people can take that first step and some people cannot or will not
take that first step.
Opa, that’s a good eye to spot that exit! You must drive it often!
I agree, the key to this life is minimize spending on what’s not important to you and maximize it on what is. It sounds like you have it down to an art!
Bob
Bob_
I see a lot written by the younger generation…people in their 20’s, focusing on experiences over possessions…and the economics of living/traveling in a van make sense to them without doing much math. The average income is still 50k and that is just about enough to break even every year, living in a home with upkeep and car payments. Maybe they see where the rat race got thier parents.
The status quo is a marketers dream. When you challenge that, you will always get resistence. I am grateful for the person who thinks they own their home…even if you pay it off…what about the roof, furnace, etc… & property taxes. Note: I am single and pay a lot of taxes because of that and I have no problem paying my share to keep the roads and parks in shape. No free lunch in this world you know and you served your time as well.
Vandwelling is an alternative…just another way to live. If done right it affords a person the time and money to live a more free way. You, me, the folks who follow your adventures will never be a threat to the Mortgage companies, Realtors, Home Improvement Industry.
Why would anybody care enough or be bothered by a few a thousand out of 300 million U.S. people. We’ll never be more than a curiousity. Even you aren’t going to convince the millions of homeowners “who owe more to the bank then their house is worth” ( how is that a homeowner ? ) to move into a van.
*Yay spring!
Openspaceman, all very true. Well said.
Bob
Openspaceman, I am a history student, and I believe history runs in cycles. We are enough generations down from the “hippies” (short name for a complex set of subcultures) of the 1960s that we might well see the culture they left and/or fought take another hit from the millenials. My point is that, while a few thousand of us might not disturb the marketers and accountants, the sharp ones among them know that the appeal of all that junk will burn out, and we might be seeing that. Those who profit from consumerism will try to hold back the tide if and when the number of us resisting consumer culture rises again. A few thousand will then be only the leading edge.
Calvin, I agree. There was a receptiveness to a total world-view shift back then, and while it has been buried I think the receptiveness is still there. Hopefully this time it will take root and grow into something powerful!
Bob
Bob_
I guess it just seems weird that your blog post about Spring and Traveling and enjoying nature got so heavy.
I’m a weird guy.
Bob
Bob_
I’d say join the club but you were one of the founders!
“Don’t let it bring you down, It’s only castles burning”
_Mr. Young
Thanks Openspaceman!
Bob
I loved this post! I have been following your blog for a while and while I live in a pop-up trailer I find many of your hints helpful. I want to show my family and friends your post, it explains perfectly why I left my teaching job to roam around the west. Thanks!
Thanks Paperarts! It’s so important to follow your heart and yet most of us have no idea how to. You are a very brave person to be able to do it in the face of the world’s criticism and rejection!
My camp is always open to you!
Bob
I appreciate your writings. You hit on the head how I feel. I was thinking of forts and things over the weekend (trying to figure out why a smaller space was soothing to me). There must have been a common vibe floating around 🙂
I don’t think you write to try to convert everybody. I think those whom this lifestyle suits (I wish I could underline) will read and find validation that they have a different option and can change their way of living. For those that prefer houses, that’s great because it should free up a few more for them. 😉
Thanks Magicwolf! It is very odd how soothing tiny places are to us. I’ve never been able to figure that out either. I just know they are for me, and apparently for you and many other people as well!
I’m always puzzled why people who are offended by what I rite are even reading me. I’m very glad they do, and they are welcome to disagree with me and tell me I’m wrong, but I still find it puzzling.
Bob
Heya Bob,
Really liked today’s post. Spring has become my favorite time of year too since I started full-timing. The seasons really do mean more than they did living stationary, caught up in the rat race where you hardly get to spend time outdoors.
One other thing, I released an e-guide today on full-timing as a single person on a budget. In the appendix I linked to your blog for people looking for more information on van-dwelling and other very inexpensive travel options. I hope you get some traffic from it, I received a lot of traffic from those two guest posts I did for you a year or two back and I figure it was only fair.
Have a good spring!
Hi Becky, I am a follower of your blog so I knew about the e- book and I’m excited to see it! Would you be interested in writing a guest post for me? Of course we will put in a link to your blog and the ebook. It could be on the same basic topic, how and why you became a solo female RVer. Or, on anything you wanted, your choice. Let me know!
Bob
Sure Bob, I’d be happy to get something together for you. Might be a bit though with the launch going on, I’ll see what I can do!
Becky, that’s great! No hurries on it at all!
Bob