Presidential Election Results and Uncertainty for the Nomad

[pros80]

Without going into who you support or who you did or didn't vote for, Its definitely an uncertain time with markets fluctuating, and the nation divided.

What does this mean for the Nomad lifestyle?

Are we more at risk for persecution or ostracization.
I definitely feel that.

One thing that gives comfort is not paying rent or being in a sticks and bricks. That could cause even more anxiety now with what is to happen with the real estate market and economy.

As a person who is a nomad and of color, I often think about how the election may reflect some backlash or attitudes towards certain groups and being a nomad with that adds to further profiling.

So does this result help validate your choice of a mobile lifestyle?  Does it make you more nervous?

 

[Vagabound]

Without going into who you support or who you did or didn't vote for, Its definitely an uncertain time with markets fluctuating, and the nation divided.

What does this mean for the Nomad lifestyle?

Are we more at risk for persecution or ostracization.
I definitely feel that.

One thing that gives comfort is not paying rent or being in a sticks and bricks. That could cause even more anxiety now with what is to happen with the real estate market and economy.

As a person who is a nomad and of color, I often think about how the election may reflect some backlash or attitudes towards certain groups and being a nomad with that adds to further profiling.

So does this result help validate your choice of a mobile lifestyle?  Does it make you more nervous?

There was another thread before yours today on a similar topic.  I was just searching for it before posting here as I'd planned to post there and make you aware of it.  However, either my search skills are fading, or it seems to have gotten the axe.  Yours might suffer the same fate.    

That said, I commend you for asking this question, as it is an important one, in my opinion.  

I'd like to propose an experiment to the larger group, for our collective knowledge, and as a first step in coming back together after this painful campaign season:  Let's see if we can discuss this topic without re-battling the election, and without having a hissy fit if anyone uses a hot-button word, like "government".  You never know ... it could work.  I'll be your first guinea pig in my next post.

Vagabound

 

[eDJ_]

I was on another forum earlier and the discussion regarding being a nomad was trending more towards becoming an Expatriate.   I've been looking at that for some time if I can find the right work arrangement.

My main concern is with the economy now.  If all the election promises come true the States may look good enough again to return to.   If it does everything but...then i may live off shore and work for an American company with industry there.

 

[Vagabound]

I was on another forum earlier and the discussion regarding being a nomad was trending more towards becoming an Expatriate.   I've been looking at that for some time if I can find the right work arrangement.

My main concern is with the economy now.  If all the election promises come true the States may look good enough again to return to.   If it does everything but...then i may live off shore and work for an American company with industry there.

Ironically, I just got back from doing part of that (expat, but not U.S. employed).  There are definite benefits.

Vagabound

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Members' emotions are going to span the gambit from elated to grieving this post election. So, it makes sense that many of us want to discuss both our hopes and fears for our future as vandwellers.

That being said, no political posts are allowed here and will be removed. To be clear:

... definition of political ... here it is right from Merriam-Webster. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politics
========
": activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government

: the work or job of people (such as elected officials) who are part of a government

: the opinions that someone has about what should be done by governments : a person's political thoughts and opinions"
===========

I'll add this to it:
: the opinions that someone has about what should be done (or has been done) by governments : a person's political thoughts and opinions"

Two threads that ventured into the political were already removed earlier today. And a post in this thread has also been removed.

 

[Wanderer]

I have to agree. This place is for vandwellers who wish to help others in this lifestyle, not tear at each other. That's what FB and other places are for.

 

[kayell]

Nonetheless, if we can avoid political commentary, we do have some things to be concerned about - how will the changes brought by the election affect our ability to get health care? Will we need more identification or less? Will there be changes related to RealID and ease of acquiring domicile, insurance, etc? What about Social Security retirement age for those who are older, but not quite there?

Realistically, we will face changes of several types. What are they likely to be? How will they affect van dwellers? How will we deal with them?

If we can avoid the blame game, and I think we all can, we should consider talking about what adjustments might need to be made to be a successful vandweller in a new climate.

 

[29chico]

Change being the only constant in life, any lifestyle will have some level of uncertainty.   That being said, we can worry and posit all kind of negative outcomes that might be associated with a new administration.  Or we can wait and see what happens while enjoying the huge benefits that a nomadic life can afford us.  Hard to imagine a better country with so many fairly easily accessed and amazingly beautiful and varied boondocking sites and such relatively benign rules about camping on government land. 

If you look for problems you will for sure find them.  If you open yourself up to the grandeur of the outdoors it will find you and permeate you.

A constructive thought how nomads might be viewed in a more positive light by the government:

I am a mountain biker and for several years I was able to ride the amazing singletrack trails thru the redwoods on UC Santa Cruz's land.  It was not legal, but way back then there were so few mtb riders using the land that there was no enforcement.  Then the singletrack trails were closed to mtb's because they had become so popular.

Later on the homeless population in the SC area got much bigger and a lot of the homeless were camping on UCSC's land.   Lots or fetid messes to clean up for the land managers.  The land managers of UCSC and the mtb community then came to a tacit understanding: the the mtb riders could use the trails again and they would report homeless camps.  A win win situation.

If we become known as good stewards of government land and behave in ways that make the government land managers jobs easier we would probably benefit from the arrangement.

 

[BradKW]

Are we more at risk for persecution or ostracization.
I definitely feel that.

One thing that gives comfort is not paying rent or being in a sticks and bricks. That could cause even more anxiety now with what is to happen with the real estate market and economy.

As a person who is a nomad and of color, I often think about how the election may reflect some backlash or attitudes towards certain groups and being a nomad with that adds to further profiling.

I understand that you feel unsettled as a result of the election, and I believe that you don't intend to be offensive with expressing your concerns. However, you have just directly implied and insinuated that the winning side of the election are in some way bigots who you fear will find a way to persecute and ostrasize you.

For example, if I were to start a thread and say, "I'd like to avoid politics and have a civil, open minded discussion about how much safer I feel knowing that the policies and actions of the prior administration that promoted black-on-white violence, while continuing the destruction of the family unit in minority communities."

I don't really care to discuss either of those things, but perhaps that demonstrates how base assumptions combined with speculative fears can appear offensive even when we don't mean it to...

 

[BobBski]

Its going to be fine. Remember the Y2K worlds gonna end at midnight ? Or the avian flu that was going to wipe us out?? LOL... Just continue life as normal. Some folks just aren't happy unless they're unhappy or worrying. That's why I live in a van and minimally track the news. Life is good.

 

[highdesertranger]

can we please just stop all the speculation and what ifs. until we have something solid to go on all we are doing is starting fights. highdesertranger

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Thread closed until the mods discuss and decide how to handle the threads and posts about our post-election thoughts and feelings.