Take 2: more room = more adventures!
- Thread starter SoulRaven
- Start date
Help Support Van Living Forum:
Hmm.
You may need someone to challenge you. Please do not project that onto me. My need tends to be the exact opposite. I challenge myself by default because it's literally the only way I can survive. And - I kid you not - it's in my doctor's note that I must NOT under any circumstances be encouraged to "push myself", as this exacerbates my medical condition.
You share about your life in a way that is intended to instruct me on how I should live mine and I don't appreciate it, no.
For me, last night and two months ago and last year I needed friends in my life to tell me that, y'know, it's perfectly reasonable and understandable to be losing your shit when you are constantly struggling to have the basics of food, water, and shelter - and encountering those not being met frequently. I'm the one always expecting more of myself than I can feasibly deliver and my friends are the ones who help me realize what's reasonable.
You may need someone to challenge you. Please do not project that onto me. My need tends to be the exact opposite. I challenge myself by default because it's literally the only way I can survive. And - I kid you not - it's in my doctor's note that I must NOT under any circumstances be encouraged to "push myself", as this exacerbates my medical condition.
You share about your life in a way that is intended to instruct me on how I should live mine and I don't appreciate it, no.
For me, last night and two months ago and last year I needed friends in my life to tell me that, y'know, it's perfectly reasonable and understandable to be losing your shit when you are constantly struggling to have the basics of food, water, and shelter - and encountering those not being met frequently. I'm the one always expecting more of myself than I can feasibly deliver and my friends are the ones who help me realize what's reasonable.
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2010
- Messages
- 7,706
- Reaction score
- 56
I'm deleting posts that are off topic. Bitty is telling HER story.
Bob
Bob
So, I'm having one of those "you know you're a vandweller when..." moments. Up until now, the gist of my story was that I had to grab a van quickly and get the hell out, haven't had the resources/ability to fix it up to make it actually comfortable and do not have the option of stick housing.
As of this weekend there's now a good chance some sort of housing is going to work out. A few friends' leases are just about up, we get along uniquely well due to sharing similar living requirements and they were like "hey...we're going to be apartment shopping, want to move in too?"
I think it took me about 30 seconds to mentally plot out a course to selling this van and fixing up a smaller vehicle to partially live out of and/or travel in. Because even when 'living' in a builting, if I'm going to have a vehicle it's going to be something I can stay in, duh.
Parking this thing in Seattle is seriously prohibitive, as is the poor gas mileage. 'Downgrading' to a smaller rig while simultaneously having the stability of a stable place to stay and extra hands to help means I could actually create something a lot more functional.
It doesn't really make sense to me to have a vehicle you can't comfortably spend a couple nights in at the very least.
We'll see how everything shakes out. I'll be over here doing research and grinning to myself...
As of this weekend there's now a good chance some sort of housing is going to work out. A few friends' leases are just about up, we get along uniquely well due to sharing similar living requirements and they were like "hey...we're going to be apartment shopping, want to move in too?"
I think it took me about 30 seconds to mentally plot out a course to selling this van and fixing up a smaller vehicle to partially live out of and/or travel in. Because even when 'living' in a builting, if I'm going to have a vehicle it's going to be something I can stay in, duh.
Parking this thing in Seattle is seriously prohibitive, as is the poor gas mileage. 'Downgrading' to a smaller rig while simultaneously having the stability of a stable place to stay and extra hands to help means I could actually create something a lot more functional.It doesn't really make sense to me to have a vehicle you can't comfortably spend a couple nights in at the very least.
We'll see how everything shakes out. I'll be over here doing research and grinning to myself...
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2010
- Messages
- 7,706
- Reaction score
- 56
That's wonderful news, your good attitude, hard work and endurance are being rewarded!
Bob
Bob
Best of luck Bitty! I hope the transition goes smoothly so you have time and energy to focus on living, even thriving, instead of just surviving. Keep us updated as you can. I wonder about you when you are away too long.
anewbiewannabe
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2015
- Messages
- 566
- Reaction score
- 0
gypsychic said:
X2
karl
Well-known member
X3
Always appreciate your posts. Wishing you the best.
Always appreciate your posts. Wishing you the best.
masterplumber
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2013
- Messages
- 1,277
- Reaction score
- 0
Best wishes and prayers for you Bitty. I hope everything works out for you. I can totally see a mini van working for you in the situation your hoping to create. Good mileage and a little more room inside to spread out on those "not so good days" than you would get in something like a small station wagon. We once had a Chrysler Caravan that got around 25 mpg.
LeeRevell
Well-known member
My Grand Caravan does 19MPG city and 25MPG highway. The longer body gives more room to stretch out, without getting cramped by your gear.
But the Astro may give a little more headroom.
But the Astro may give a little more headroom.
Thanks so much everyone. I've been too overwhelmed to post around the forums nearly as much as I'd like and get to know you all, but I'm touched by the care.
Someone helped me crunch the numbers and it turns out I'm only getting 9 mpg. I'll call up the mechanic on Monday because I hear the carburetor may be out of adjustment. I'm also in need of an oil change but may not be able to afford it this month because I've been driving more due to this new development. 20 minute drives to friends' houses adds up fast.
And OH MY GOSH don't ever drive through the heart of Seattle in the middle of the night unless torturing yourself to death is your thing. The roads may be almost completely empty but that doesn't mean you own it - the stoplights rule the night. I'm pretty sure they're on timers instead of sensors. You will stop, and remain stopped, for a very long time. No other vehicle in sight, just hanging out there. And then once you're finally free a block or two later you'll be stopped again. For several minutes. It's ridiculous. After doing it twice I now avoid it at all costs.
I'm going to start a new thread about vehicle selection. The first time around I was really pressed for time, whereas now I have the luxury of going about the process more thoughtfully. A relative also wants to contribute to up the purchase budget, and though I'm hesitant to accept due to a really problematic history this could be a chance to mend the relationship. That sentence reads all wrong - as if payment could mend relationships. It's totally not like that. Said person has tried to "help" me in the past by deciding what I need and then forcing it down my throat, accusing me of ungratefulness when their solution didn't happen to work for me. Also a history of giving gifts that they then feel they have the right to demand to borrow whenever they wish. This resulted in me returning all gifts and getting the hell away from said individual. Now it seems they're taking me more seriously since I've been on my own for a bit, apparently realizing they don't have control over my life anymore and seem open to assisting on my terms. It's a matter of trust on both sides to try this out again, but I received an unsolicited apology and I think there's a new recognition of my autonomy as an adult despite my disabilities (I'm 26 already!) so it's time to see if those fences can be mended by tackling this project together.
Someone helped me crunch the numbers and it turns out I'm only getting 9 mpg. I'll call up the mechanic on Monday because I hear the carburetor may be out of adjustment. I'm also in need of an oil change but may not be able to afford it this month because I've been driving more due to this new development. 20 minute drives to friends' houses adds up fast.
And OH MY GOSH don't ever drive through the heart of Seattle in the middle of the night unless torturing yourself to death is your thing. The roads may be almost completely empty but that doesn't mean you own it - the stoplights rule the night. I'm pretty sure they're on timers instead of sensors. You will stop, and remain stopped, for a very long time. No other vehicle in sight, just hanging out there. And then once you're finally free a block or two later you'll be stopped again. For several minutes. It's ridiculous. After doing it twice I now avoid it at all costs.
I'm going to start a new thread about vehicle selection. The first time around I was really pressed for time, whereas now I have the luxury of going about the process more thoughtfully. A relative also wants to contribute to up the purchase budget, and though I'm hesitant to accept due to a really problematic history this could be a chance to mend the relationship. That sentence reads all wrong - as if payment could mend relationships. It's totally not like that. Said person has tried to "help" me in the past by deciding what I need and then forcing it down my throat, accusing me of ungratefulness when their solution didn't happen to work for me. Also a history of giving gifts that they then feel they have the right to demand to borrow whenever they wish. This resulted in me returning all gifts and getting the hell away from said individual. Now it seems they're taking me more seriously since I've been on my own for a bit, apparently realizing they don't have control over my life anymore and seem open to assisting on my terms. It's a matter of trust on both sides to try this out again, but I received an unsolicited apology and I think there's a new recognition of my autonomy as an adult despite my disabilities (I'm 26 already!) so it's time to see if those fences can be mended by tackling this project together.
I woke up cold. Really cold. Shivering cold. Adjusting my sleeping bag this way and that made zero difference - still half asleep and shivering uncontrollably, I resorted to kneeling in a huddled ball with the sleeping bag entirely over my head, attempting to just get enough heat to venture out and scramble into my thermals and pull the other sleeping bag over me, maybe even the hat and gloves too.
It wasn't working.
Geeze, I thought the coldest weather was behind me, I mentally mumbled to myself. A friend was borrowing my thermometer so I could get a read on the exact numbers.
I managed to put on a thermal top and grab my other sleeping bag to pull over me, a move that chilled me to the bone. When the second bag made no difference to my violent shivering, it suddenly dawned on me to take my own temperature.
It registered at 103.2 degrees.
It's times like this when living on your own in an ill-equipped van really sucks.
Thankfully, I was still parked near a friend's apartment, who about 4 hours earlier had assured me if there was anything I needed I should call. The scenario was near déjà vu to Monday night, when I had called in excruciating dental pain after maxing out my pain meds. We spent all night in the E.R. and both friends took sick days off work to stay with me the next day as I was shuttled from place to place without relief until finally the severely abscessed tooth was pulled. I cannot imagine how difficult that would have been alone - I'm in the waiting rooms and elevators literally unable to stop writhing, moaning, pounding my fists into the floor and myself, and there's a receptionist who's mad at me for being unable to fill out paperwork, insisting that I cannot receive treatment until I do so. Friends carried me around where there were no wheelchairs, spoke for me when I could not, and held my hands even when I didn't squeeze back because gosh I'm just not used to people being there for me.
That was all Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I lay in a daze most of the day, not eating, not sleeping, not speaking, just silently processing the shock of being in excruciatingly unbearable agony for 12 hours.
And then the moment I close my eyes to sleep I wake to this. And I'm calling for emergency help for the second time this week.
I insisted we not got to the E.R. just yet. Even as my fever climbed to 103.6 I was convinced I could do a better job handling it than medical people would. They'd fixate on giving me antibiotics, which cause me inordinately severe side effects (e.g. incapable of recognizing places or people) and upon refusing those they wouldn't know what to do with me besides give me an I.V. and prevent me from eating or drinking anything "just in case". No thanks. I sat in front of a heater with blankets and ice packs covering me all over, adjusting however was comfortable. Drank a lot of water, monitored the fever amidst jokes about how "hot" I was. The decent was gradual, but eventually it was holding steady just under 100 and by then the sun was coming up, time to contact my no-nonsense naturopath (one of the few specialists on my team not already consulted with a couple days earlier) and say "Hey, I've got a serious situation, is there any alternative to antibiotics?" She calls back. "Yup. It'll be on your doorstep tomorrow." Ah, I love the good ones.
My van's insides are a total wreck from 5 mights straight of only brief dozing for sleep and days filled with various incapacitating factors. Food is going bad, I missed the week's food bank runs, and various other things needing to get done just aren't. And I have to remind myself to let it go. Life used to be this way 24/7, at least there's an end in sight to this stretch of incapacitation.
It wasn't working.
Geeze, I thought the coldest weather was behind me, I mentally mumbled to myself. A friend was borrowing my thermometer so I could get a read on the exact numbers.
I managed to put on a thermal top and grab my other sleeping bag to pull over me, a move that chilled me to the bone. When the second bag made no difference to my violent shivering, it suddenly dawned on me to take my own temperature.
It registered at 103.2 degrees.
It's times like this when living on your own in an ill-equipped van really sucks.
Thankfully, I was still parked near a friend's apartment, who about 4 hours earlier had assured me if there was anything I needed I should call. The scenario was near déjà vu to Monday night, when I had called in excruciating dental pain after maxing out my pain meds. We spent all night in the E.R. and both friends took sick days off work to stay with me the next day as I was shuttled from place to place without relief until finally the severely abscessed tooth was pulled. I cannot imagine how difficult that would have been alone - I'm in the waiting rooms and elevators literally unable to stop writhing, moaning, pounding my fists into the floor and myself, and there's a receptionist who's mad at me for being unable to fill out paperwork, insisting that I cannot receive treatment until I do so. Friends carried me around where there were no wheelchairs, spoke for me when I could not, and held my hands even when I didn't squeeze back because gosh I'm just not used to people being there for me.
That was all Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I lay in a daze most of the day, not eating, not sleeping, not speaking, just silently processing the shock of being in excruciatingly unbearable agony for 12 hours.
And then the moment I close my eyes to sleep I wake to this. And I'm calling for emergency help for the second time this week.
I insisted we not got to the E.R. just yet. Even as my fever climbed to 103.6 I was convinced I could do a better job handling it than medical people would. They'd fixate on giving me antibiotics, which cause me inordinately severe side effects (e.g. incapable of recognizing places or people) and upon refusing those they wouldn't know what to do with me besides give me an I.V. and prevent me from eating or drinking anything "just in case". No thanks. I sat in front of a heater with blankets and ice packs covering me all over, adjusting however was comfortable. Drank a lot of water, monitored the fever amidst jokes about how "hot" I was. The decent was gradual, but eventually it was holding steady just under 100 and by then the sun was coming up, time to contact my no-nonsense naturopath (one of the few specialists on my team not already consulted with a couple days earlier) and say "Hey, I've got a serious situation, is there any alternative to antibiotics?" She calls back. "Yup. It'll be on your doorstep tomorrow." Ah, I love the good ones.
My van's insides are a total wreck from 5 mights straight of only brief dozing for sleep and days filled with various incapacitating factors. Food is going bad, I missed the week's food bank runs, and various other things needing to get done just aren't. And I have to remind myself to let it go. Life used to be this way 24/7, at least there's an end in sight to this stretch of incapacitation.
Thanks, guys!
Woke up to a local couple reporting my van, interrupting the first good night's sleep I was having in a week. So I got ~4 hours of quality sleep - still the best in a while.
I knew I should have moved the van sooner but was literally too ill to do so safely. I managed to get out before anyone responded to the report, at the expense of no more sleep for the day. Now it's time to scramble my plan before I'm too ill to drive again, and my essential medicine will be arriving today at the apartment complex I just left.
*Yawns* not one of the better van dwelling days.
Woke up to a local couple reporting my van, interrupting the first good night's sleep I was having in a week. So I got ~4 hours of quality sleep - still the best in a while.
I knew I should have moved the van sooner but was literally too ill to do so safely. I managed to get out before anyone responded to the report, at the expense of no more sleep for the day. Now it's time to scramble my plan before I'm too ill to drive again, and my essential medicine will be arriving today at the apartment complex I just left.
*Yawns* not one of the better van dwelling days.
masterplumber
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2013
- Messages
- 1,277
- Reaction score
- 0
I feel for you Bitty, I just went through a similar tooth incident last week, was fine one morning and then in the worst pain I can remember by that night. Had to have an emergency root canal the next day. It was even worse pain than when I had shoulder surgery. Hopefully now that now that your tooth is out and you've got some new meds your overall health will begin to improve. They say that problems in your mouth can effect you whole health and I'm beginning to believe it. I know it's probably not going to instantly fix everything, but hopefully it's a start. Still sending my best wishes an prays your way.
