Quick Update

I haven't had a chance to post in a few days. I am working like a crazy person. The hours are too be had, the money is there and the job is good. I will take it while its there and run with it. The new kitten is doing well, she is getting fixed in a few short weeks and Ajah is getting along with her new pale. It took them about a week to learn to live together and furthermore, like each other. I really enjoyed coming home to two cats purring on either side of me and both accepting the fact I can pay attention to both. It works well. Thank you to my neighbor that has been stopping in to play with them and feed them while I work this insane schedule. Hence I won't be online for some time in between.

The van is holding up good so far (knock on wood lol), and so I can actually save up some money instead of constantly putting a few hundred in repairs. And hopefully in a year I will have my savings for 6 months, my van and trailer and ready to hit the road and try some workamping. Its much easier to work my life away when there is a goal. I have found some very interesting workamping opportunties that would let me keep the cats with me as well as have time to explore the surrounding areas and maybe hold a part time job in the area for the summer and fall and maybe into the Christmas rush, then head west on BLM land for the hard part of winter through spring to start the cycle over. I would also love to spend a summer traveling Canada through the Yukon, spend some time in Seattle and then enjoy the historical aspects of the East Coast. I have done the trip part of the above but all were so rushed, I need more time to really absorb and immerse in those areas, more like months, not days and weeks.

I would also like to take an extended trip to Russia and really experience Russia for all it has to offer. Add Rome and the old Roman empire to that list, maybe take a caravan throughout some of Europe from Rome, Italy to Britannia and the Isles via the old Roman roads to experience the trip. I feel a spiritual connection to old Rome (pre Christian era) and would like to visit some of the temples, the villas and eat the food and learn Latin. I am not into back packing post college style nor do I want to do a quick tour with tour guides, I want to experience the culture. These would be nice winter in the US trips during the non holiday times.

So I go by the term geo nomad or sporadic nomad because I settle into an area for a bit and then move onto something else. The fast paced travel without reason with a bucket list just is an extended vacation meaning spending money on un needed items, hanging in tourist areas, and going back to "something" at the end. My idea is the fun doesn't end, it just keeps going until I decide when and how I want something different. Plus my home or stuff goes with me so I am not tied to a schedule and home is with me.

So I am back at my 280 sq ft apartment this evening. With the kitten, I had to go about getting out my kitten stuff which was stored in a corner from Ajahs kitten hood (think 4 years and 3 stix and brix moves) and moving all my stuff around so I am feeling a bit cluttered for the moment. Its like my system needs completely revamped. Of course,  the van is good as my layout isn't really different with the new addition so this post will focus on the apartment.

However, I have had my basic system is every place I stay or move, I simply pack my like items the same each time and unpack in each new place in the same order. I learned that skill in the military. There is the pet, clothes/shoes, kitchen, bedding, toiletries and towels, music, tech/entertainment, and office/decoration categories. For some reason I don't tend to part with the pet stuff so I can rotate it out of my closet area so it feels new to them. (scratchers, hide a holes, boxes, toys ect) but since this move everything is pretty much as unpacked or stored. Having to pull stuff out has led to complete space chaos thus leading me to another evaluation of what comes in must send something out and looking at a new system, maybe one a little more diversified.

Living in small spaces is doable and fun if you are organized, clean up as you go and keep new items in check. 280 sq ft compared to a mini van is like a palace but I also don't go out as much as I used too. I have been working quite a bit and unlike the van where everything is right with in reach and really only often used items, the apartment affords me the option of being prepared, holding more food and working on crafts this winter. Having a shower a few feet away is also a plus.

So lets discuss organization and soon I will post pics of my living space. My space is rented from a house so I use the house bathroom but other than that, its 2 rooms on the office floor that is my kitchen, office, living room and bedroom.

My bed is on the floor and is a tri fold meaning it can double as a couch. I also have 2 bean bags and fold up chairs/tables (2) thus allowing for some company and entertaining. I use the bean bag as a seat to my office area that is an end table with a computer on it and electronics on the shelf below. The TV is next to the bed with the DVD player and the DVDs are in one binder I created while coming back from AK so I could have it on the road.

I gave up on dressers long ago as they weigh a ton, are a pain to clean and move and my rubbermaid totes do the same job, can be stored along the floor and 3 of them open up giving me an organized warddrobe or underclothes, tops and bottoms and seasonal storage clothing. Bedding storage is kept in a backpack style laundry sack.

All my books fit in 2 unused litter boxes and papers in a filing folder. The portable "office" supplies fit into a small plastic carry case.

The cat stuff fits in a carry bag, portable cat tree, and carrier plus my midwest playpen and portable shelter (made for dogs).

My point is even with that much only, the mail and misc is getting too large and its comfortable living this way. However, with working lately, I am getting a bit messy and in such a small space its just there.

Eventful

I worked a 16 hour double this weekend to try and get financially ahead. I am also about to go on a working spree again before winter hits hard but that will start for next pay period. This is enough for now... but then its time to start working on buying a small trailer to expand space. I am a minimalist but there is a certain level of comfort that is expected.

I would like a 10 ft egg either fiberglass or aluminum with a shower, porta potty, jackknife bed, and dinette/ kitchenette. The dinette will be coverted to a home office, sofa for sleeping or entertaining friends, and the bathroom for obvious needs. I don't want to be tied nor have to drive to use my facilities. Then the van will be for sleeping, porta potty, and camp gear/ storage, bike hauler, more likely an off road/daily driver vehicle as I think finding a spot for a camper seems relatively easy for very little money and when  in conventional housing, the trailer can be in storage or used as a get a way spot.

The reason for this change... I haven't particularly been looking for a new cat/kitten but I missed having 2. Unfortunately my older girl Ajah wasn't handling her companion well and her companion wasn't handling traveling too well. So I made that difficult decision to place her with a great friend and she is doing well now in her stable house dwelling life. But Ajah is lonely and over affectionate, and there has been a gap for the both of us....

In the meantime, mid Sep there was a semi feral cat on the grounds at work that had kittens in the dumpster, which were then scared off by the grounds keepers and she took them to the near by woods, staff fed them and now have been working to trap mom (get her fixed and find her a farm home) and the kittens (to be socialized and placed).

My co worker knowing I am mobile, have only 1 cat  and a love of torties caught the tortie kitten and brought it to me after spending the past 2 weeks gaining her trust. She stayed the night in one of the offices and I brought her home this morning. She handled the van ride really well, loves to sit on my shoulder, is purring already, and seems to be in good health. She is eating and drinking. I stimulated her in the litter box and that produced good results. Stools look normal. I am guessing she is around 5 weeks which is far younger than I prefer but she was bound to be harder to socialize and could get hit by a car in her current situation plus winter is coming.

Ajah is still hesitant but thats to be expected and will change over time.

I have named my new girl Julia. She is named after the Julian family name in Rome as their family historically was brilliant, stead fast and bound for success that was created by strong teaching and nurturing surroundings. Julia was born in a dumpster, went to the woods, and now to me. She has already figured out the indoors is good, likes humans, and needs to eat to survive.

Furthermore, as I have done a great deal of traveling through out most of my adult life, I have created a system for adaptation which will work for most but not all. This is the youngest kitten I have gotten. She did well in the van, is using the kitty playpen I set up for her litter box and feeding times. (no door closed) I also opened the carriers and put her bed in there and she going there for a safe place. I will take her on rides in the van for short trips and once she is old enough for shots and is fixed, she will learn about the leash. She is already visiting family and has met the dogs (who don't live with me) to experience people and new sites and smells. The next 6 weeks are critical.

Her comfort on the road, in new surroundings, with strangers, with Ajah and her schedule are incredibly important for her comfort and mine. Tomorrow I am going to clip her nails and in a few weeks she will get her flea treatment. I figure now is the best time since I do have an apartment, she and Ajah can have room to get to know each other, get used to life and gradually move into things. I will also begin showing her in TICA in the HHP category in December.

So until December 2011 I will work a lot and save hopefully and then get my trailer, hitch up and begin camp hosting and working agency in my career field. I haven't had a stick to it plan but now  I am putting those plans in place. One of my co workers is doing the same but going car less for life in a big city and he really inspired me to once again reach for my goals. I hardly see half my family now and with Skype and other technology, I can keep in touch.

Then when I settle down, I will build a cabin in the foot hills of the mountains in AZ, use the trailer and van for get a ways and sit on my rustic porch in my small cabin staring at the endless land scape sipping coffee with a good book in my old age.

Another Day

I am tuckered out at this point after a unleashing of powerful creative energy.I even got dressed up, applied for a few positions and then got a meal at BK, then sat in the parking lot of a nearby store munching and writing. I simply unleashed a few thoughts that are starting to form onto paper. More to come on that. I had plans to do some other things with a check I got and have been waiting on for over a month, but after the drive to do applications, no energy was left. But I did layout the van finally and the next vehicle I get will hopefully be a 4x4, a wee bit bigger and taller. So for now this will work for camping. I keep material posessions to what can fit in my humble abode and go from there.

I have been in the apartment now for almost a month and still find myself sleeping in the van, housing starts to feel very suffocating to say the least. Plus I notice all the space in the apartment is calling my name to add to it and clutter is like debt. Its easy to get into and ever so hard to dig out of. And not to mention transferring things from point a to b is a pain. I need a Mr Buddy heater and some propane at the top of my list. Plus working two jobs, its too big of a pain to drive to terrible far but the weather is too cold to be without heat so here we are.

In addition, I people watched today. These are not judgements or anything else, just my observations:
I saw 2 people that appeared homeless. Both were on bike with stuff stashed around their bikes. One was well groomed. One was not. I didnt speak to either of them, just watched. The one guy had a long beard and reminded me of a Hippy. He was carrying aluminum cans that he traded for groceries. He was smiling as well.

I also noticed  in this town of upper class folks with shiny cars, several old pickup trucks that threatened to not start full of cans that were being used to get groceries. Men in designer suits with rusty beaters at the store, I never fathomed to see this. It used to be those pu trucks never left driveways and were used to plow snow or what not as many people in this place have long narrow drive ways. Maybe common sense prevailed and those pu trucks are the 2nd driving vehicle for home town errands and people are recycling to make ends meet. Interesting how we all get eco conscience when the economy goes south.

With 2 pairs of pants on the mend right now and no motivation to mend them, I am considering a trip to the local thrift shop to replace the pants. They aren't expensive or one of a kind, I just hate to get rid of something that with a little TLC could be back to operational.

What do you all keep and mend that could be replaced? As a van dweller or nomad, there are some items that take on a life of their own and giving them up isn't going to happen. There are three options: learn to live with it, learn to fix it or learn to leave it and be happy for the time spent together.

Meditation

Today is technically my birthday and perhaps 3 other people I know as well. Well, between working two jobs, balancing a new van payment for the moment and meandering through life, I am going to do one thing today: meditate. With the last van, I finally got on well enough I could work 20 hours and pay the bills. I should be working on saving and planning for tomorrow but I haven't as well as I should be. I decided this summer when I simplified that for the first time in my life, I was going to take some much needed me time, not spend my money on odds and ends, and simply learn to do with less; too trust that fate would take its course... and it has...

Well, it has paid off in one way or another. I now work two jobs but feel emotionally stuck. I love what I do but its time to move into another area of what I do as well as explore some time with gardening and homesteading. I want to challenge myself. I never liked gardening but love eating, so its time to see about some harvesting jobs for next spring and maybe next winter. Its time for a change. And I read my horoscope today, interesting enough. The winds of change are upon me, the time for movement is soon but not yet.

Today I am going to think, just let the free hand of thought flow and lead me where it might, even away from the comfort zone. Maybe go through some more of my things and see what still holds value. Life changes constantly. Mostly, I feel a calling to tour the old Roman empire, to learn Latin and explore the beginnings of modern day society just for the fun of it.

I am interested in backpacking and using the van as a homebase, more biking but not hitchhiking. Of just taking off into the sunset and seeing what is out there. Just trusting that the guiding hands of Fate will reach through and provide for as long as this is my path.

It is the ebb and flow of life that things are right at one point and not in the next. I have already done and experienced so many wonderful things in my life time that I could pass now with no regrets but there are a few more things I want to experience so its with that in mind that I am embarking on a new journey.

Van dwelling is only one area of freedom I yearn for. There are WWOOF farms, crops to harvest seasonally, and international travel. I know international travel isn't permanent, its something that is part of life. But who knows where it will lead.

So I am beginning to look at what I have now materially and spiritually and see whats going to be useful. I haven't had the time in over 2 months to do a meditation and belongings run, its that time and the new van is starting to share its soul with me. I don't want to build permanent or bulky items that need to be stored when I am away in the future, just things to be comfortable can be taken out and used for several areas.

I am also starting to walk the night again, always a moon child getting a solar "charge" from the sun, gothic some might call it.

And in the green discussion, there has been a lot of discussion on downsizing, how about staying the same. Maybe the secret to life is indeed balance, finding what is too little and too much. Too much feels crowded and too little feels cold. Try seeing how little trash can be accumulated, see how many items can be reused for something personal, how many items can be mended or traded and what technology isn't a power hog but can provide for entertainment without a huge upfront cost. If the initial investment is small, then the ongoing investment will add up. If the initial investment is in quality and sustainability, then the end result is not having a new permanent bill.

Take for example a conventional bed, many people in the world don't have one and live in small areas where the bed can't be a permanent item. I have been sleeping on a mat on the floor or a foam pad for over a year now and I get quality sleep, can move my bed with me anywhere and use the space under it to do other activities. Dressers are overrated. They are big, bulky, likely to break and a pain to keep clean. Baskets, pull out drawers, organizer shoe boxes do just as good and are lite weight. Duffle bags and purses are great for organization, in general, its all on creativity.

Some other areas, I do one load of laundry a week and have been experimenting with hand washing the under garments instead of doing laundry 2-3 times per week. If the puppy would stop getting into my clothes, they would last longer lol.

My wishlist: I would like a flat panel to put with my main CPU and to watch TV on, a laptop, and ipod for hiking. I am going to sell some of the decorative stuff that isn't inspiring me these days to help pay for it. I would really like to get a new more energy efficient CPU but thats some mula up front. I also need a Mr Buddy heater for the van.

However, common sense tells me an ipod and a laptop would meet my needs and a flat screen panel could be hooked to the laptop to provide the same function but having two computers not always working at the same time is functional as well. And maybe just focusing on getting prepped for winter hiking and saving money is good too.

Computers and Time

I was on facebook the other day when it dawned on me how many people live their lives around facebook including their sleep schedules. Definitely not how I choose to spend my time. Now granted, on a rainy afternoon, I might put around farm something or nother, but its virtual not physical and if it floats your boat, great, but why not go to a coffee and meet some friends, join a book club or take the dog for a walk on occasion.

In other news, the van wipers are doing some sporadic working thing, I suspect its the motor getting hot because they will work for a while and then not at all. So tonight I got off of work and it was raining. I made it about 10 miles or so before the wipers quit working. There isn't much to be done tonight so I pulled over and crawled into my "bed" in the back and took a nap until the rain stopped and the wipers worked again. Its frustrating but sometimes we just take things in stride. I did eventually at 2 am make it back to my apartment after a nice nap in the van. And its funny because I told myself earlier that I wanted some quiet think time, well I got it tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice and then Friday is my birthday.

At least this all happened in my old neighborhood so safety was less of an issue and I sleep on the floor so being spotted is unlikely but not impossible. I dont plan to put anything permanent into this van and its fiberglass which is great for a lack of rust but bolting things into it isn't really an option.

So far (keeping in mind I don't own much to begin with) I have my bedroll, sleep sack and blanket/pillow that all roll up nicely in the rear. There is the rear drivers side hatch seat installed and my folding chair/table and van supplies behind the seat in the hatch area. Portable 12V cooler, coleman camp stove and milk crate of food and dishes and porti potty. I will also add a Mr Buddy heater this winter and its set. Clothes and hiking/map gear is in a bug out bag in the front seat. And thats it for now. I won't be able to add a vent due to the roof support beam dimensions.

Differences

I wanted to write a post about something near and dear to my heart. I have worked with different types of people in both an office setting and in a facility setting as well as organized and spoken at meetings as well as gone on "outings."

I love all people and I can accept most. There are some born with a physical or mental setback. I hesitate to call it a handicap or disability even though thats the technical term because a disability is something that people stare out, can't cope with and want to hide away from. That's been the long standing problem for years now.  People don't want to simply learn to live with differences. I have always been the nerd and short so I don't exactly conjure up images of a supermodel but I am "normal" by appearances although I will do crazy things like: eat pureed food, mix odds and ends and overlook the cover of a book so to speak. Not to say I am perfect or that I don't pass judgement, but I try not too and many folks I know can shop with a deaf person just fine even not knowing sign. Many can read lips, use communication devices or simply point.Instead of an I can't attitude, figure out I can. Now granted, this is what I do for a living and I love it but the public stares and knowing the history of treatment, its time for society to accept, integrate and humanize. Accept differences, integrate and deal with and work around and humanize all of us as one. We are each different, thats part of life. Some things we can help and some we can't.

There has been discussion in several places about rights and legalities. Well, a person who is blind or deaf or in a wheelchair can communicate and it may not be in words but in sounds. They have the right to be heard. Fluctuations of voice and facial expressions tell a lot. I hate even using the term "they" because we are all humans, part of the whole. This is just one example.

So how too act: like you would with anyone else. We have 5 senses and 2 hundred + bones, lacking movement or ability in one simply makes the others stronger.

This is also a van dwelling subject or nomad subject if you like, I prefer Roma by tradition choice, people live in houses that are really ruled by cities and governments and paid for yada yada. And the gov wants control so everyone has to be concrete to something EXCEPT its entirely against human nature to live in a single place for years on end and the economy has forced those that haven't lost their homes to stay in homes that aren't holding value. So comes the crack down on anything that can make a property value go down or someone "homeless" for lack of better term. Rent, land ownership, these are simply ways for the gov to maintain control in some manner. Judging a person because they choose to live a board something with a motor or wheels, bicycle, boat, RV, van ect is judging that person. Perhaps the next time there is a hippy hanging on your street, feel free to come say hi, offer coffee and see if you feel safe.

And for crying in the mud, if you have a problem with someone whether at work, at home or something looks strange, ask the source, you don't have to go alone, but odds are, things will smooth over nicer, and you might be meeting you new best friend or heard the best story ever.