Relationships started while Traveling Single.....?

[GoingMobile]

About to embark upon a year or two of living most of the time in a converted cargo van. Curious as to others experiences as single people living a Nomad lifestyle. Have you had romantic relationships that started while on the road? How did you meet? What were the main challenges? Any leading to long term relationships?

Despite cases of immediate attraction, sometimes mutual, I've never been inclined to pick ups, or immediate and quick relationships. Always taken some time to get to know someone and gradually find sources for building a bond of affection. (or that we're not a good fit)  But with the exception of the last 4 years have usually been in a relationship. That seems challenging to find the right circumstances for that to happen while living a nomadic life. I guess this applies to building friendships while on the road as well. I can be a bit of a loner but the pandemic experience has really taught me that I do really need connection, companionship, etc. and miss it when its not there. As I haven't embarked yet, I'm interested in hearing others experiences in this area.

 

[maki2]

Best way to make connections is to join a carava. Thhat way you have time to get to know someone. It would be difficult to manage it most any other way due to yme constraints. Although there is an exception to that, the BLM LTVA where for a fee you can spend months at the same location. Both caravans and the LTVA have led to relationships of couples I have met and others I know of through youtube channels.

You could also attend some of the big gatherings of nomads. That is a good way to make new friends.

 

[GoingMobile]

I did a google search for BLM LTVA. Are there other parts of the country outside of the low desert near the Colorado River California/Arizona area where you can find longer than 14 day BLM camping?

 

[highdesertranger]

There are winter LTVA's(lower desert) and summer LTVA's(high desert). You just posted on the thread yesterday,

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=24079&highlight=summer+ltva

those are the only BLM LTVA's.

Highdesertranger

 

[GoingMobile]

Yes, thanks, I came across that after posting here.

 

[Gofar]

Best way to make connections is to join a carava. Thhat way you have time to get to know someone. It would be difficult to manage it most any other way due to yme constraints. Although there is an exception to that, the BLM LTVA where for a fee you can spend months at the same location. Both caravans and the LTVA have led to relationships of couples I have met and others I know of through youtube channels.

You could also attend some of the big gatherings of nomads. That is a good way to make new friends.

How do you find out about the "big gatherings"?

 

[rvwandering]

Try here - https://vacayvans.com/blog/your-complete-2022-guide-to-vanlife-rv-tiny-house-events/

 

[maki2]

That link has very few of the big gatherings listed on it.

Facebook has lots more of them posted. For instance the facebook group Nomad Center Camp has near the top of the page pinned a calendar of upcoming events, the dates and often links to the group pages hosting those events. A lot of them are happening in the BLM dispersed campimg areas area around Quartzite and Ehrenberg Arizona. Some are already over, others happening rght now but lots more are yet to come.

I am not going to create a list of them, too time consuming for me to consider doing that.

 

[scaredycat72]

When it comes to relationships, I'm all over the place. I fluctuate from just wanting a hookup to wanting a relationship to relationships make me want to puke. But I think all of that can easily be had on the road. One of the great things about this life, for me anyway, is I don't have any time or travel constraints. If I meet someone and want to stay put for a few months, I can. If I meet someone and want to travel with them, in separate rigs, for awhile, I can. And there's so many ways to meet people - vanlife gatherings, vanlife meetups, Facebook groups, hiking/climbing at national parks, hiking clubs, rainbow family events, national and regional burns, festivals of all kinds, etc. I think people are only limited by their imagination and their ability to strike up a conversation. My experience anyway.

 

[abnorm]

Ken..............it was the "Women's Only Forum"........Give them their space.....Don't post there

As for the OP........I started out a confirmed Single after 40 wonderful years of marriage.....I even removed the passenger seat when I hit the road.....Never Say NEVER !

A year into my Journey........ Paulette and I met after the RTR.........in YARC camp........the rest as they say is History

 

[gizmotron]

For me, being an old guy myself, I go by these song lyrics from long ago: "I'm in the mood for love, simply because you are naked."

 

[Nautithespian]

YOU CAN SIT AND PONDER AND DEBATE AND DISAGREE ALL YOU LIKE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY.. YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF YOUR HEART .
If love comes… it has arrived….
AND
SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH ALLYOU WANT…LOVE COMES WHEN IT ARRIVES… YOU CANNOT FORCE IT
( i was going to write a lot more, but the above sums it up)

 

[wb8vyn]

Traveling while single: That's me (now) Was thinkin. I've got a trailer with a kitchen and a shower and bath room. All works off battery power, so works everywhere I go. Got chairs and table. I think chairs would be important, slow em' down.
Now if there was a single woman (of the girl type) traveling in a car. That stuff may be harder to come by in the boonies.
Was thinkin (that's bad) and that usually gets me into trouble. If I wanted to meet a single woman, I might stop somewhere. Put up a sign saying something like "Kitchen for share". Sort of like fishin with some bait. Might hook the wrong fish the first time but could toss them back if they were out of season or the wrong flavor, change bait and try again. Might run across a whole school of them. Ya never know.
That's another thing, --- Do women run in schools? or flocks? or gaggles? or herds?
Come to think of it, Women seem to congregate around bathrooms. maybe it's a congregation?
Bathrooms - where women seem to cluster up a lot, and prance. I wonder why that is? Even single women seem to be in a hurry too. Them fast moving prancers would be hard to catch!
Oh heck - I'm all jumbled up now. I need some guidance. You know us men, oh crap,
I better quit before I step in something, I think it's called "watch your step buster"....

 

[Anon]

I think it's called "putting foot in mouth" and yeah, I do it a lot.