Hi everyone. My name is Matt and I live in a van:)

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Hello fellow vanners  and future vanners,

So, I'm new to the forum but not to vanning or traveling. I suppose I can give a very brief back ground and at some point follow up with pics and build of my van. So, as I mentioned, my name is Matt, I'm 42, I'm currently in my last nine months of Nursing school which will be a total of about 5 yrs. But going back, I became an over-the-road truck driver at 21 till I was 32. I drove all 48 states (long haul) for a company called US Xpress out of Tennessee. In that time I had countless incredible  experiences. Trucking for me was great...the truck was my home, literally and I loved it. Company driver by the way. In 2006 (perfect timing by luck) I had the opportunity to go work overseas...Qatar for 2 yrs and Iraq for 2 yrs. Oddly enough, when I was making six figures is when I came to realize the true value of money and freedom...which is a long involved story but the short of it is I became very frugal minded. For instance, if an item could be sold because there is a cool factor to it, then I was not interested in buying it. Anyhow, I came home in 2010 after contract ended, to a bunch of "me" time and I was having so much fun I ended up breaking my back. Oops....I gotta say though, I had a ton of fun. Motorcycle trips, sky diving license, kayaking, Atving, flying, scuba diving etc. So, day after surgery I decided I was going to nursing school....instead of helicopter school. Fortunately I had nearly finished version 1 of my van build before my accident. Since I couldn't work for several months and couldn't start school I took off on two van trips. Thirty days after my accident I drove to northern California then went home. Then after I got home I was going to go back to the Philippines and finish recuperating there. Had my ticket bought. Oh, keep in mind I had a fairly decent amount of money saved from the work overseas. Anyway,  last second I decided to take a longer van trip with no end date back up to the northwest. Probably about the best six weeks ever! Even though my back was healing I still  took all my toys. Dirtbike(dualsport )kayak, mountain bike and scuba gear. I did everything very carefully. Anyhow, got home home. Began community college for 3.5  yrs and now I'm finishing nursing school near salt lake city, ut. Home for me is Tucson, Az. Before starting nursing school in Utah I took  a month long van trip up to glacier national park, then to Anacortes, Wa for a sailboat rendezvous, then home. I'm leaving a bunch out here....Anyway, I moved to Utah  and rented a room from a very  unpleasant woman for  $450 last October. By April I was miserable. Took three months off from school and went home to start version 3 remodel of my van. Version 2 was an experiment by changing my bed from north/south to east/west. Well, I finished version 3 to 90%. Then I bought a bicycle and rode it from Coos Bay, Or to Ocean City, Md.  Now, I'm back in school, and living in my van. Greatest thing ever. Keep in mind though I lived in a semi truck for 11 yrs and living conditions overseas were very minimal so I'm used to small spaces...and prefer them. So, I'm saving $450 by not renting but I have to be crazy frugal because anything I spend has to be paid back. Note, I stayed out of debt, meaning no school loans until Utah where I began the university here. Now I'll have debt. But I'll also end up with a job that I love and I can go anywhere. I might add, I have absolutely NO desire to ever live in a typical house. I have a a rental property that I make a small income on but for me I don't want to live in one.
Ok, a quick(?) Run down on me. I'll try and continue later with my van.
 
Matt! Welcome to the CRVL forums! Congratulations on your nursing degree. are you thinking of doing the traveling nurse gigs? There's a number of people on fb, doing that and are enjoying the various gigs and traveling.

From the sounds of things your experience will make you a real asset to our community. We all love pictures so when you get time, we'd love to see them

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.
 
Welcome aboard Matt!
Wow , that was some intro !
It doesn't sound like you need to ask very many questions but ask away if you do.
 
Welcome Matt! Great looking van...post more pics when you can :)
 
Welcome aboard Matt!
Quite the background.
It sounds like you won't have too many questions but if you do , don't hesitate to ask !
 
A fascinating life so far in which you seem to have tried most everything... but almost always staying mobile. You've picked a very caring career, and you should be very proud of yourself for choosing something that makes your heart feel good over what can bring the most money.

You are a soaring spirit who is an inspiration for many (you gave me a lift of inspiration for example).

We'll look forward to those van pics. With your past experience, you must know a lot about what works for you.
 
Oh, I'll have lots of questions! But I'm as interested in people as I am in mechanical things.
I may have most of the basics covered but there is still plenty I'm not familiar with...such as solar. But, unfortunately right now I don't have the funds (school) plus all my tools are at home in my little shop. 
Anyway, I'll get to the specifics of my van when I can. I have clinicals this week...busy busy.
 
Hiya Matt, WELCOME to the tribe, and it would appear that you're a natural for the life style.   :)
 
Wow, nice to hear from everyone! 
During Christmas break I should be home in Tucson. Therefore, I have every intention of showing up at the RTR in quartzsite. I've stopped there before every trip to California in the 18 wheeler but have yet to explore much around there. Hope I can meet a bunch of you there!
 
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