The Weaning Project

[lterry]

I'll probably rename that eventually, but this is the process for now.

It started out that I lived in my 1990 Roadtrek Independent in my driveway, showered inside the house. I did this for three months.
Then I began showering in my van (I know, big leap, right?)
Then a month ago, I left my driveway and started blacktop living - Lowes, Publix, Walmart for the most part. But I stayed in the same town where my job was. My family were all within 30 miles of me.
Now, as of yesterday, I moved 3.5 hours away from my family...most of them. My only "string" is my daughter who is going to college here - South Alabama in Mobile.
See what I mean about weaning? She's my "just in case" now, though she is in a dormroom where I have vowed to give a huge amount of space. I would have ripped the band-aid off totally if weren't for how young my daughters are - 19 and 17. So the weaning is not just my own.
After Christmas I plan to either move to South Florida - North Naples area - or to Orlando and see if I can get a PT job at Harry Potter World...I can dream. Go ahead and call me a kid, but I absolutely love that place, having gone twice in one summer.
My current job is such that I'm able to transfer to different stores as many times as I like as long as I stay a little while at each location.

I arrived in Mobile last night. It would have been much earlier except that I took my time, stopping in such interesting places as Defuniak Springs (pictures included), and the tunnel going into Mobile was closed due to a wreck. Yes, if you're coming from the east you must go through a tunnel. There may be a way to bypass but I and most other travelers don't know that way. The cool thing about traveling like a turtle is that I can turn my engine off when it looks I'm in a holding pattern for a while - use the bathroom, grab a bite to eat. I could tell the people behind me were super jealous. That's what I took there surprised faces to be anyway while I poured myself a fresh glass of tea.
It rained most of the night in Mobile, of course, and it was surprisingly cold. My daughter and I went on a little shopping trip. Rain boots are a thing of necessity here. I also got an air horn can to surprise any snoopers. I stayed at Lowes last night - no snoopers were interested in me as I'm not very striking. To date I've never had anyone interested in what I'm doing, including law enforcement.

One difference from the Dothan Lowes and the Mobile Lowes, the internet signal is much, much weaker. Right now I'm sitting in the Arbys parking lot. Like Dothan, they have a very strong signal. It's nice and sunny right now. Maddie dog is lying in her bed - I've parked where she can bask in the sun. I'm probably going to go meet my new boss in a little while then go to a really big park I saw earlier.

Life is good - My life is free

 

[Yogidog]

Awesome!! Good for u! My daughter and I are going through the weaning(ammuptaton) process also, so hard and so healthy to have a life!

Harry Potter excellant have fun, yay u!

 

[ilovemyvan]

Hi Iterry

If you need an address to put on your Disney's application PM me. We're about 50 miles away but it's closed enough to be believable.

All the best to you.

Nicole

 

[Raven+Squid]

Very cool!

 

[Rugster]

That tunnel is so cool (being from Florida, it's the only tunnel I have ever been in)

 

[lterry]

Hi Iterry

If you need an address to put on your Disney's application PM me. We're about 50 miles away but it's closed enough to be believable.

All the best to you.

Nicole

I will definitely hit you up when/if the time comes, and hopefully it will! Thanks for the offer

 

[nobodyG17]

Make sure if you ever fire off that air horn you are safe about it.  If you do it in a closed space your hearing might not ever recover.   I would honestly be really careful with it in a small space like a vehicle.

 

[lterry]

Thanks for the tip.
 The goal is to shock a potential intruder, not harm myself. It's a small one but I will make sure to aim it well and at least an arm's length from my own ears  :shy:

 

[Canine]

Dang,that's a great idea about the air horn to scare lurkers away.If it happened to me,I would definately have to clean my pants.

 

[ahh_me2]

Air horn is a good idea, will definitely startle someone.

I have also been thinking about a portable hi intensity strobe light, for at night,
it would confuse and disorient someone not expecting it, and buy me some time.

 

[nobodyG17]

Thanks for the tip.
 The goal is to shock a potential intruder, not harm myself. It's a small one but I will make sure to aim it well and at least an arm's length from my own ears  :shy:

You are welcome.  My point was just that some of those are louder than firearms.  Anyone who has fired a firearm in an enclosed space knows that it  can do permanent damage to your hearing.   Those are usually held at arms length as well.  The enclosed space will do weird things with sound and pressure being an enclosed space and all.

I want you to be safe and feel safe, but I don't want you causing permanent damage to your hearing if you ever have to use something like that in an enclosed space.

 

[rvpopeye]

OK , air horn (off a freight train)and a flashlight (10,000 lumens) probably way cheaper than a 44 magnum. Oh , and a box of baby wipes for the intruder !
Sounds like a plan !

 

[lterry]

I have seen, conquered, and accomplished many of my goals already since leaving the S&B.

Maddie is even making new friends. 


The last two pics are at the Japanese Botanical Gardens in Mobile...if you're ever around, go there. It's free and beautiful.

 

[WriterMs]

Yay YOU! Weaning worked and likely caused you a lot less stress than being in a s&b one day and on the road the next. Aren't balloon flights fun?

I travel with an air horn and have had to use it, too. LOL...a couple of times when wandering groups of cows decided hanging around my van was much more fun than grazing out in the grassy areas. The cows are not the problem except when they decide to rub up against my van (animals seem to LOVE my spare tire mounted on the back), but they leave piles of stinky stuff, have flies buzzing around them and make noises that are not conducive to naps nor night sleeping.

I roll down the nearest window and hold it outside or step outside to use it. I just need a few short taps to get them moving. Even banging pots had not worked on some cows that are used to being around people in a well-used dispersed camping area in the national forest.

Thinking of those cows... I need to ask HDR why cows seem to like to lick rocks covered with ash in the fire rings. They must like the wood carbon or something??

 

[lterry]

Yay YOU!  Weaning worked and likely caused you a lot less stress than being in a s&b one day and on the road the next. Aren't balloon flights fun?

I travel with an air horn and have had to use it, too.  LOL...a couple of times when wandering groups of cows decided hanging around my van was much more fun than grazing out in the grassy areas. The cows are not the problem except when they decide to rub up against my van (animals seem to LOVE my spare tire mounted on the back), but they leave piles of stinky stuff, have flies buzzing around them and make noises that are not conducive to naps nor night sleeping.

I roll down the nearest window and hold it outside or step outside to use it. I just need a few short taps to get them moving. Even banging pots had not worked on some cows that are used to being around people in a well-used dispersed camping area in the national forest.

Thinking of those cows... I need to ask HDR why cows seem to like to lick rocks covered with ash in the fire rings. They must like the wood carbon or something??

Cows? How delightful! I would probably love them - the novelty of it - but after a little while I'd be like you, wanting to shoo them away. I know horses lick salt rock, I have no idea about cows and ashy rocks.

 

[DebC]

I think you are so smart!! This sounds like a very doable way to enter RV full timing life...at least for me.
When I first started entertaining the idea I wanted to leave yesterday, but of course couldn't as I don't even own a van or RV! Now that a few months have passed I've thought about how to make it happen and sometimes it seems overwhelming, but your plan is very appealing.

Thanks for sharing and abundant blessings and safety as you travel!

Deb

 

[lterry]

I think you are so smart!! This sounds like a very doable way to enter RV full timing life...at least for me.
When I first started entertaining the idea I wanted to leave yesterday, but of course couldn't as I don't even own a van or RV! Now that a few months have passed I've thought about how to make it happen and sometimes it seems overwhelming, but your plan is very appealing.

Thanks for sharing and abundant blessings and safety as you travel!

Deb

I guess the gradual way did have its pluses. It worked for me anyway.

 

[lterry]

A quick update:
I have since moved away from Mobile, Al and to Crestview, FL then Fort Walton Beach, FL as the latter was much more to my liking.
It's funny how much I've changed...relaxed. I used to consider myself a positive person, but I see now that I was only desperately trying to make the best of a not-so-dreamy life. I am positive now for a very real reason, life is great. Or maybe this life wouldn't feel as great if I hadn't gone through all the other "standard" stuff before. Whatever the answer is, I am happy.
I have a job with the same company - they still haven't kicked me to the curb (the last location I only stayed at a week before asking for a transfer).
I go to the beach almost every day. The waves are awesome, the sand is something I still grin over instead of bitch about.
I still stay in parking lots for the most part, and have only been interrupted (by a person) once. An officer knocked on my door for a well-being check...he said he was worried about me. After I assured him I was fine except for being woken up, he let me be.
It's funny how I've adjusted to the high temperature. I mean I've always lived in these temperatures but I've also always been in air conditioning. I have an air conditioner and generator that came with my van but I never use either except when I'm exercising the generator. It's really more of an inconvenience than a welcome form of electricity, but I have to remind myself that it's a necessary evil since I could desperately need it one day.
My next move will be further south in Florida, then I want to work my way to Arizona.

 

[Queen]

This is so fun to read!! Congratulations on breaking free from the ordinary and getting to live the extraordinary.

 

[rvpopeye]

It's always great to hear someone that found true joy in the lifestyle I love too !
Glad you're doing so well. The daily beach trip would make me smile too.