Time management.. Freedom?

[livesimply5]

I've heard that when some people start off vandwelling that they have a hard time with time management..almost to much freedom, like not knowing how to fill your day. Did any of you find this to be true at some point? Thanks.

 

[MrNoodly]

To me "time management" implies having too much to do for the time one has. "Oh no! There are things on my list I didn't get done today!" So when I retired from a career filled with lists and schedules and deadlines and constant pressure, I was thrilled to be able to do nothing all day for days at a time. Napping is great. Just thinking and observing are great. Reading is great. Writing is great. Zoning out is great...

 

[Almost There]

I've heard that when some people start off vandwelling that they have a hard time with time management..almost to much freedom, like not knowing how to fill your day. Did any of you find this to be true at some point? Thanks.

I retired slowly over the course of many months so I never had the sudden impact of 'nothing to do'!

What I found was, that as a full time retiree and full time van dweller, I never lacked for something to do, even if it was sitting on the side of a lake or river watching the ducks and the water move.

I almost brought part time work with me on the road but after a couple of months of travelling, I have no idea where on earth I'd find the time to work...

You've got to remember that certain tasks that are taken for granted in a S&B environment are handled completely differently when van dwelling - supplying water is not just turning on the tap anymore, it's filling whatever water containment system you're using. Disposing of your own waste is not just putting out the garbage to the curb or flushing the toilet.

My days are full of things I want to do, not just have to get done!

And if I run out of things to do, I can always go sit on the beach....

 

[Mobilesport]

I've heard that when some people start off vandwelling that they have a hard time with time management..almost to much freedom, like not knowing how to fill your day. Did any of you find this to be true at some point? Thanks.

For me it was the opposite , it took alot of time just to find a parking place ,, to get water , to dump trash ,, to pick up messes like cups of pop that I forgot on a table and then drove off with pop flying all over the place , even to this day it still takes alot of time just to make the vehicle livable and more comfortable , it seems its never ending , look up 403 vandwellers youtube channel , hes about a 11 year vandweller and he sums it up when he says " rv living is overrated"

 

[Mobilesport]

For me it was the opposite , it took alot of time just to find a parking place ,, to get water , to dump trash ,, to pick up messes like cups of pop that I forgot on a table and then drove off with pop flying all over the place , even to this day it still takes alot of time just to make the vehicle livable and more comfortable , it seems its never ending , look up 403 vandwellers youtube channel , hes about a 11 year vandweller and he sums it up when he says " rv living is overrated"

I'm not retired though.

 

[rvwandering]

Both of us felt a bit lost, that something wasn't right when we first retired and started living in our RV. We had been so busy with full time jobs and rental property that always needed some kind of attention that suddenly having nothing that we had to do and nowhere that we had to be was strange. It only took us a couple of months to get used to it though.

You do need some type of hobby or interest or you'll probably be bored. Think of all of the things that you want to do some day when you have more time. When you start van dwelling you'll finally have the time to do them!

 

[Damian Rolling]

Bob had a good blog post a while back on this very topic:

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/boondocking-2/finding-heaven-earth-boondockers-spend-time/

Damian

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I know I can sit and relax all day and keep myself entertained doing pretty much anything, whether it be reading a book, cruising the internet, cooking, working on a project, cleaning the rig, etc and I can do this all with in a 6 ft radius of my seat.  My gf is the exact opposite, if she sits still for 30 min she's hanging off my back begging to do something!

Having a hobby helps, for me it's tying flies for fly fishing.  And just recently got into trying my hand at wood carving.

 

[highdesertranger]

that's some nice work ERLH. highdesertranger

 

[arctic cat]

I was working 16 hours day with maybe a weekend off every 3 week. Weekend meant arrived Saturday at 3 pm and leave Sunday at 10 AM. Then one day in 2008 all came to stop after 24 years (my line of work only required 20 to retire) It was extremely hard to do. I have an excellent income, all the time of the world and nothing to do. From 2008 until 2010 I became extremely depressed, very depressed. Got rid of my nagging ex-wife and began doing solo expedition, overlanding on my Jeep.

That along keep me occupied. Since I don't like modern equipment because of possibilities of malfunction everything is manual. Everytrip is different and everytime I learn. on the down time I work on my equipment and the winter I head to the Caribbean and work on an small house there. When I come back work on my motorcycle for bike season, which is short in Texas and now I'm working in an old van. While i'm very fluid in my routes I structure the days like a work day and do certain things to keep me occupied. Even when travelling you need a day off and that is my eat out, go shopping day.

 

[LadyJo]

I've heard that when some people start off vandwelling that they have a hard time with time management..almost to much freedom, like not knowing how to fill your day. Did any of you find this to be true at some point? Thanks.

When I have done a bit of extended time camping, there is always some thing to do. Cleaning, fixing, upgrading. Getting water, ice, taking the trash away, setting up the porta potty for next use. Cooking, dishes every day or two.

Once full time there is laundry, showers or washing up, buying more food. Pay bills online, send emails to friends & family.
Then there are naps, watching the world go by, taking a walk, helping someone that you see could use a hand.
Read a book, check out the internet, watch a movie on the computer. There is more to do if you have a hobby or two.

 

[ArtW]

I was working 16 hours day with maybe a weekend off every 3 week. Weekend meant arrived Saturday at 3 pm and leave Sunday at 10 AM. Then one day in 2008 all came to stop after 24 years (my line of work only required 20 to retire) It was extremely hard to do. I have an excellent income, all the time of the world and nothing to do. From 2008 until 2010 I became extremely depressed, very depressed.

 

[arctic cat]

ha ha ha AFTER I RETIRED it was very hard and did not have anything to do..............

 

[accrete]

Bob had a good blog post a while back on this very topic:

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/boondocking-2/finding-heaven-earth-boondockers-spend-time/

Damian

Thanks for re-posting to that link, what a well written article : ) So many good points (and replies).

While my wife and I are still in the workforce we have modified our time when on our ~monthly~ adventures in the van. We used to have to be "doing" like the norm, then became more comfortable with simply "being". We can now sit in our comfy camp chairs pretty much all day and do much of nothing and be ok with it. We do hang out with peeps on trips that will have nothing of that sort of "waste of time" as they call it. To each his own. We actually have incorporated that sort of mentality 24/7 also and IMO we are better for it.

As for hobbies they include reading (we both have kindle paper whites), playing simple card games or dominoes, taking pictures, hikes, and plinking if we can. I also dabble with art and music creation on my iPad Air... she is usually launching cute little birdies through the air on her iPad Mini ; ) We also can spend hours doodling about the camp/rig tweaking things. Even things like hammocks/tarps can be quite enjoyable to dial in for fun and passing time.

Thom