A couple years ago, right after my book came out, I was contacted by someone from CNN's website who wanted to do a story of "people who live in Walmart lots" and wanted to interview me. Within seconds, it became apparent that I was not really the story they wanted. I'm a middle-aged fairly well-off dude who van-dwells because it is the most flexible and most interesting way to see the country. They were looking for a poor down-and-out pitiable victim of the housing crisis. They never ran any story.
A short time after that, I was contacted by a TV production company who wanted to talk about doing a series. I told them that my van-life simply isn't that exciting. I get up, I wash up in the sink, I go sightsee someplace, I go home to the van, I cook dinner, I read in bed, I go to sleep, and once a month or so I move to a different city. No conflict, no drama, no excitement--it's actually pretty dull and boring, unless they planned to create some TV drama artificially by setting up conflicts with the neighbors or cops or whoever. I told them it might be interesting as straight-up "travel" show, but even then, I wasn't all that excited to have a film crew following me around everywhere and setting my schedule and destinations for me. They never responded back to me.
I do of course understand that we voluntarily dwellers are completely outside most people's experience, and so they often have trouble understanding that we live this way by choice because they never see anything like it in their lives. But it sure doesn't strike me as being THAT hard to grasp ...... Heck, there have been wanderers on wheels ever since there have been wheels.
I am not a homeless person. I don't need any help, and I don't need any pity. I could have a sticks-and-bricks home tomorrow afternoon if I wanted one--I simply do not want one, and I am entirely happy the way I am. All I need is a safe place where I can park at night, and then move on.
