Living simply? Living so that you are really living? Not having an address where people can FIND you? Needing to do something like write a blog so people can find you? Not having a land line, an electricity or water bill to pay each month? Not waking up to the same view each morning? Not waking up to an alarm clock??!! Moving if you don't like your neighbors?
I think the answer is yes. Maybe more of you than care to admit it. I may appear a little eccentric to some. A little homeless. A little lost.
But, mostly, a little Free.
I am getting ready to leave again, this time for 3 to 5 months. My home is on wheels so I am always physically ready. I only have to prepare mentally. And that, for me, is not hard either. I feel much calmer, much more grounded, happier when I am moving.
Tooter has been my home for almost 2 years. I have learned a lot. I have also been very lucky since I jumped in with both feet knowing nothing.
The Process of living in a house on wheels
I was paying $725.00 per month for a small bedroom attached to a big house. It had a walk in closet, a bathroom, and .... that's it. No kitchen, no storage, no real privacy. I was not SUPPOSE to have even a refrigerator or microwave although I did anyway.
I had been thinking for awhile I wanted to live differently. I had thought about living on a boat, looked at several and even took a couple of sailing lessons. I kind of ruled it out though. It seemed cold and damp, a little confining and I don't know how to swim.
So I went shopping. The first obstacle was that there are not a lot of places around Monterey that sell RV's. So we had to drive a ways. After a couple of weeks I choose a used 24 foot diesel Winnebago Itasca with a slide out. It sleeps 6 with a bed above the cab, a sofa that turns into a bed, and bench seats and table that turn into a bed. Irrelevant since it is usually only Luney and me.
Yes I have a TV.
and a DVD player, an antenna and hook ups for cable although I have never used them.
With such a small amount of space I am constantly reevaluating what I can't live without. And I must be very organized. A place for everything and everything in it's place. One thing not put away is near chaos.
Yes, I have a full kitchen.
I have a 3 burner propane stove and a convection/microwave oven. I don't really cook so I could use all this space to store other things but I want to be prepared in case I meet someone on the road who does cook. So I have pretty much everything someone may need to cook a meal.
I have a great refrigerator but I do not turn it on. I guess RV refrigerators work differently then normal ones. If the house van is not level, whatever the liquid is in the lines that make it work doesn't circulate correctly and you can ruin it. I just don't want to take that chance. Since I move around a lot I am not completely level a lot of the time.
The little panel on the wall by the microwave is the control panel. It tells me the levels of my batteries, propane and holding tanks. The control for the slider, the hot water heater and the generator are also there.
Yes, I have a bathroom.
The bathroom is small. (What am I saying? The whole thing is small!) The wardrobe is the whole wall to the left and the shower is the whole wall to the right. I don't take a shower inside much. I also have an outside shower which I use when I am parked in the desert. Moisture can be a problem especially in Pacific Grove if I am not careful. The first winter I had a lot of mold build up inside. This winter I have not because I know to open all the windows on any sunny day, run the fan if there is any steam, like from the stove, and also to run the heater often.
Things I Can't live without.
The other things I feel I can't live without are clothes (obviously) books, and art supplies.
I carry more clothes then I really need. Partly because I need several sizes since I am always loosing and gaining weight. And because I need to be prepared for warm and cold weather.
I feel like I need a lot of books. Novels just to read, political and thought provoking books for when I am feeling reflective, books on art and how to do art, and a few travel books, like Hot Tubs of the Southwest and Hot Tubs of the Northwest. I also have books on my iPhone.
Then there is Luney. The wizard, the prince, the ruler, the cat. He takes up more space then a child. His food, his food and water bowls, his toys, his leash, 4 beds scattered throughout the house van, his litter box in the shower, his kittywalk. But, oh, what would I do without him?!
To be continued.
There is a lot more to share later. Things like solar panels, traveling incognito, recycling and things I would have done differently. I would love to hear from you with any questions of things you may be wondering about. Let me know and I will add them to the list.
No comments:
Post a Comment