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On The Road Again “Flying Solo Season Two”
I have had several people ask me if I would be blogging about my travels again this summer. The answer is YES! Why not?Some of you who have followed my travels last summer told me you were traveling vicariously through me. How awesome is that? I hadn’t realized my mystical minivan ventures would be so inspiring for others.
This summer won’t be as long of an adventure as I have some commitments back home in Arizona that I need to be there for, but I am outfitting the minivan now and setting out on the 11th of July towards the Northwest.I learned a lot last year from my minivan camping experiences and am making a few adjustments this year. I work from home or in the case of traveling, I work from the van, and so having what I need to manage my clients and Internet is important.
Last year I had my WiFi unit and an expensive Verizon Data account. I will activate this again. However the primary issue I had with working on the road was power. I didn’t want to stay in expensive RV parks with power. Can you see my little minivan camper wedged in between huge Motor-homes and trailers? Mini ME would get lost in the crowd. I preferred being in more places of solitude. I preferred to be parked between two trees.
Business on the road requires I keep my phone, laptop and WiFi unit charged. There was some stress with my batteries being drained before my work day was over and needing to run to the coffee house between clients to recharge.
This year I have acquired an Aeiusny Portable Power Station. It is a small unit that will charge my phone, laptop and WiFi unit multiple times. I can recharge my Power Station via AC wall outlets or 12V car cigarette lighter or to recharge it under the sun with solar panel. I did not buy the solar panel this year. But it is a great idea for the future.
Now I am powered up and ready to go for the long haul.
Last year I had way too much stuff! I learned about minimalism on the road. I only really needed about half of what I brought with me and some of the things I brought were cumbersome and space consuming.
My portable kitchen was one item I could do without. It was great to have and I loved it, but it took up too much space in my van while traveling. Since I had my cook-stove and Igloo 12V fridge in the back of my van, I only really needed a table to prepare food on.
So I found this handy little compact table that I can use both indoors and outdoors. It folds quite small and can be stored under my bed, however I realized it fits inside my van right next to my bed perfectly and a great place to eat, put my tea cup and laptop while working. It has great storage space underneath as well, so no wasted space.The table has leg adjustments so can be short or tall. What an exciting find and will work perfectly for my needs.
Last year I traveled with a roof rack for all the extras. Near the end of my journey the key busted off in the lock and I had a miserable time dealing with it. This year I decided to forgo the roof rack and all the extras. Who needs them.I won’t be taking a canopy but have two simple little tarps that fold up really small (about the size of a large pair of socks.) These can be extended from the back hatch of my van for extra shade and used as a floor mat for outdoors.
Another thing I learned last year, was I only needed half the clothes. I had a large bag of clothing I never used, stuff under my bed at the far back. That space is better used for something else. One bag of clothes and a few hanging items will be enough.
My porta-potty is coming. I can’t say enough for that little pot. It will store perfectly under my new table and great for those middle of the night moments where I really don’t want to put on my shoes and trek to the loo, if there is one. Us girls must have our luxuries.
This year will be both simpler, more minimalistic and a shorter journey. I’m getting excited to be back on the road again.
If you would like to come along for the ride, I invite you to join me. If you haven’t yet signed up for my newsletter you can do so here….
Happy Trails!
Kaleah
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Integration and Minimalism
I’m now back at my home in Arizona but instead of taking the whole house back, I moved into the downstairs and put together a make shift kitchen, using my outdoor kitchen, a two burner hot plate and small refrigerator. I’m slowly organizing and integrating back to living in a house.
I’ve run into several people in Sedona who have been following my blog and I say “thank you! Thank you for flying with me! I am honored! For some my journey was a reminder of their own previous van ventures, and others lived vicariously through my travels.
Since I’ve been back I’ve felt a restlessness, a sense that I have a purpose to fulfill and I need to fully embrace this purpose. I’m not ready to pack up the van again and head out. Not yet. We are now entering October, which is the nicest month of the year, here in Arizona. So I want to stay here and embrace the cooler weather while I delve directly into the restlessness within me.
I’ve begun weekly podcasting again at Pandoras-Box-Radio.com and also posting the audio’s and video’s on Youtube.
It feels like I am living more to be of service to others than to find new ways to make myself happy. My happiness comes in knowing I am being of service.
My life is not about collecting things, or distracting myself with all the usual distractions any longer. I’m more in the “clearing” phase of my life not the accumulation phase. It’s time to let things go. It is time to live more simply; more minimalistic.Since I moved the majority of my personal belongings to my downstairs space, prior to leaving on my journey, I have the opportunity to begin clearing a lot of things out that I no longer want or need. Going through my desk drawers I found Windows 7, Windows XP and old software that is no longer valid. I threw out all my old CD burning gear as I no longer burn CD’s, nor do I have the computer with a CD burner. Some things we need to clear out simply because they become obsolete, and in today’s world this happens fast.
Last January after returning from Costa Rica, I let go of seven garbage bags of clothing and other items. I was already moving in this direction. This past week I released another five or so boxes.
It feels like one of the biggest realizations that came out of my trip is that I need to embrace minimalism, live simply and de-clutter all my spaces. I need to get very clear about what serves me and what doesn’t. Life is not about stuff! It is not about possessions. It is about living a quality life. What is quality? I’m still working this out. I’m still finding my way.
The one thing I can tell you is that Van Life was so simple in so many ways. I only had a 4 x 9 space to be concerned with. Of course I had very few conveniences that I had at home. But this was part of the simplicity.In the past, if there was an empty space in my life, or my house, I would fill it with something. Now I am learning to appreciate the empty spaces and trying to create a whole lot more of it. It is a slow process.
The lessons I have learned on the road are many and I will continue to write about them. For now I can tell you, I am not the same. This journey has changed me in a way I can’t yet explain. It has taken me so deep within my own Self-ness and showed me things I may not have seen otherwise. I have a stronger relationship with myself, and a deeper spiritual connection.
I have a feeling that something more is about to emerge; a deeper sense of purpose, a new mission, and a freedom that can only come when we are able to identify our self imposed prisons and release ourselves.
