Life after vanlife, how to adjust back?

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urbankid12

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Ok for financial reasons I’m moving back into an apartment for at least a few years to help pay off debt and save up some money 

I adored minivan life but the limiting space just makes it to difficult to easily sustain it.. I now am leaning to following my dream and converting a flat front bus.. or buy an RV trailer so I can stay at RV parks in the city. 

I absolutely loved Quartsite LTVA so staying there and maybe a few other LTVA and rest BLM land that would be a nice way to work remotely and enjoy life...

Which is why I’m in the city life with my dog getting an apartment..

My question is does anyone else find it hard to readjust to living in a white room again... 

I mean I felt comfortable going to parks in van life but now I have anxiety again.. 

I find it so uncomfortable having stuff that is important to me in a white wall room waiting until I return.. but I need an apartment so my dog has a comfortable place to stay while I’m at work.. plus since I work overnights I need a cool dark place to sleep in the afternoon and north Texas weather isn’t there...

If I didn’t have a dog I’d be sleeping in my minivan and showering at the gym or sponge baths... plus I’d be saving so much money 

I feel like I missed the vanlife chapter on how to deal with a dog.. 

I don’t wanna worry about break downs either but I feel like I’m making things harder on myself..

I started this looking for advice on how to adjust to an apartment again.. although I’m curious as to what others would do.. I like working an active job so I can get into shape so after a year maybe I could transition to doing something different.. 

Sorry kinda a weird thread now.. I’m just not sure I’m making good decisions let alone finding it easy to adjust to apartment life again.. 700+ A month in rent is such a waste ?  I guess that’s part of the no going back mindset that develops I built my own solar power system and now I gotta pay 30 plus a month for electricity ? .. I don’t need a sink, I don’t need a shower.. but I’ll use it if I got it.. 

Adjusting back to an apartment I think is needed for now but how do you go back to wasting money when you know better and then your stuck in a box or outside of a box worried about the crap you left in the box ?
 
A few thoughts I'll offer you.

Marketing professionals explain that anytime you move or relocate, there are/can be tremendous initial starting up cost.  Not to mention adjusting to the new environment as you mention. Unless you've rented furnished or semi furnished (refrigerator & stove usually) you may not have enough from your rig to furnish your apartment.

Two, as much as we love our pets, they don't make for minimalist life.  $700 a month to have a place to keep your  pet while you are at work is a major drain when you are trying to get out of debt.  I loved my dog when I had her for 13 years.  A great chapter in my life but I resist offers from other dog lovers to give me a dog or pushing a dog off on me saying, "You need a dog" !  As I'm planning to travel in my work before long a dog is the last thing I need.  And besides,  it wouldn't be fair to the dog at all.

If you could live out of your rig while working this job, think how much faster you could recover from your debts and fund yourself for the next phase of your travels.  It may not have required so much readjustment.  But this is how we learn.
 
I'm presumably quite a bit older than you and have done it. I still get out about 5 months a year and just having my rig ready to go in the parking lot is a big comfort.
 
Since you are considering some type of RV perhaps you would be more suited to an RV park. You’d have electricity for the pooch.
 
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