Short term stealth and family concerns

[mothercoder]

For 2 months before I full-time I will be living stealth in my SUV.  Why?  Because my lease ends in the middle of June but I won't be retiring until the end of August.  The rent to go month-to-month would be $1700/mo.  I don't have my trailer yet and I don't have it yet because I don't want to pay for storage and RV parks around here are exorbitant ($70/night).  There's no free BLM or anything similar in the DC Metro area.  (Just telling you all that so you understand my situation and that I've thought of alternatives). 

So during those 2 months I'm going to set my SUV up for stealthing.  I will be working full-time so I will be in the SUV just in the evenings and on weekends.  On weekends I plan to make the hour trip to higher elevations to hopefully get away from the heat.  I have read and watched and researched stealth situations and scouted out the areas in and around my place of employment and feel comfortable that I can find places which are safe and quiet. 

My sister knows of my plans and she's not happy.  I keep getting emails from her with other suggestions and I appreciate her concerns.  But I would like to find something to say to her that will ease her fears a bit.  I do have measures I will put in place to keep safe and she's aware of these.  And I do have a back up in place in case this just doesn't work.  It's not a preferred back up but it's the best for what it is. 

Maybe there's nothing I can do that will make family worry less.  I don't know.  All I know is I'm okay with and I don't think that there will be anything to be concerned about.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

If you told her your safety measures and back up plan, and she still is worried, there is nothing more you can do. At some point you have to tell them its your life, they cant live it for you. She has to accept that, because there is nothing she can do to stop it.

 

[Thirsty Boots Nomad]

Maybe there's nothing I can do that will make family worry less.  I don't know.  All I know is I'm okay with and I don't think that there will be anything to be concerned about.

From my experience, and from what I've heard from several other people currently or previously on the road, that's the gist of it; ... there is almost nothing you can do to make family worry less.  When my parents were fulltiming, they were on the road for close to 4 years before returning to a s & b existence and the entire time had a few family members sending them "alternative" methods to live because they were worried ...

Just have to consider their viewpoints, decide if your plan covers the what-ifs, and do what your heart tells you is the best option for you at the time (knowing you can do something else when/if circumstances change enough).

 

[Vanholio]

The only thing I can think of is connecting to urban vehicle livers like you, particular in DC, and get some testimonials. Example, "I got to know Jake, who's been doing it for five years here in DC. Never had a problem." You might try to find some folks like these on the vandwellers subreddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/vandwellers.

All that said, I tend to agree with previous posters that there isn't much you can do to change their minds.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

People have been programmed their entire lives that anything less than conventional idea of housing is ludicrous and that the world eats people alive if they go outside of these norms. Just as it took a lifetime of programming to give these people this idea, it takes a considerable amount of time for them to actually see there is another way of living. You're the first person they've known to want to live this way so after they see you doing it and thriving at it they'll start to come around.

 

[Ballenxj]

People have been programmed their entire lives that anything less than conventional idea of housing is ludicrous and that the world eats people alive if they  go outside of these norms. 

This pretty much sums it up.

 

[slynne]

This isn't for everyone but if you really trust your sister, there are apps you can put on your phone that will allow her to see where you are at all times. Or rather, she can see where the phone is. That might ease her mind? Or maybe you could call her in the mornings so she can can know you survived the night? My mother admitted to me that she gets worried if I don't post something on facebook every day so I make sure to post something, even if it is just a link, so she can see that I am ok. I also gave her my google password so she can look me up on google locate if she needs to. It makes her feel better and I know she won't abuse the information.

 

[DuneElliot]

Maybe introduce her to this website/forum, some of the YouTube channels out there and show her how many other people are actually doing it and how safe they are.