What's A-Day-in-the-Life like for you guys?

[Lucy]

I've been thinking about this lately. I've got a pretty specific hobby to fill hours with once I'm out on the road - I'm a writer. But that got me wondering what people who have lived like this for a while do with the hours in their days. Especially the ones who camp for a while and don't use up time traveling.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>So...give me an idea of what a day in your life is like while you're out in your vehicles. I expect there must be a very different answer for almost everyone. </div>

 

[akrvbob]

I live on public land so it may be a little different than most. <br><ul><li>My dog Homer and I go for a walk every morning and every evening, so that takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. </li><li>There has been other people in camp with me for the last 6 months, so I spend some time visiting with them every day. </li><li>I do what everybody else does, wash up, brush my teeth, cook food, daydream, just busy stuff everybody does.</li><li>I listen to Sirrius Satelite radio every day.</li><li>I get online for email, work on site, write for forum, work on a Kindle Ebook on vandwelling.</li><li>I have a Kindle so I read quite a bit.</li><li>After dark i watch TV. I seldom get TV so i carry my favorite TV shows on DVD. I usually watch an hour drama and a 1/2 hour sitcom every night. </li></ul>Somehow I am busy every day and sometimes i don't get everything done I want to get done. What I know for sure is i have a wonderful life i wouldn't trade for anything!! Bob<br>

 

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">I'm not working right now so there's a&nbsp;lot of&nbsp;spare time.&nbsp; Though the van is parked at Dad's house, I spend little actual time in&nbsp;his house and am not using any of his electricity most of the time.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Some common activities include...</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Watching TV morning news (when I first wake up).&nbsp; Snitching wifi from "Donny's Network" (someone in his neighborhood) and checking Facebook.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><br>-&nbsp;Bike or walk 1.5 miles to&nbsp; McDonalds and hang out with the morning group of disabled or retired people.&nbsp; This bullsh** session can go on for a couple of hours to as long as five hours!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp;Bike or walk to the grocery store and grab an item or two if needed.&nbsp; Head down to the post office and check the mailbox.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Work on the various van projects as needed during the day.&nbsp; (cleaning, small improvements, maintenance, etc.)</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Mow Dad's yard as needed.&nbsp; There are plenty of other maintenance tasks to do around his house.&nbsp; He keeps me busy working off the free rent for the driveway.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp;In the afternoon, I like to ride the bike (w/ the netbook) to McDonalds and play on the Internet, hang out with friends, etc.&nbsp; It's fun to people watch a little (this McDonald's is in a very diverse "hood" neighborhood and gets crazy!)&nbsp; This is where I do most of the blog work.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Occasionally, in the&nbsp;evening I&nbsp;go to&nbsp;Lindale Mall (1 mile away) and go for an hour walk around the mall.&nbsp; The Chinese dudes in the mall give the best massages!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp;Several times a week, I go&nbsp;to Anytime Fitness and work out.&nbsp;&nbsp; I love their spacious, clean showers.&nbsp; Going in the middle of the night is a favorite time - it's often vacant.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Read the kindle.&nbsp; I've been working on a couple of good books that had been shelved.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm going to finish&nbsp;"The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells and then it is on to "Les Miserables".</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Crochet is a favorite past time but I usually don't do this unless in a coffee house or lawnchair.&nbsp; In the van I have to do it in the driver's seat.&nbsp; I cannot sit upright in the back of the van -&nbsp;modifying the bed to&nbsp;some kind of a bed/couch is the plan for later this year.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Watch some TV in the evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our&nbsp;urban&nbsp;has many 100% strength TV channels.&nbsp; I don't need or want any more channels.&nbsp; The free stations suffice.&nbsp; What is funny is that Dad's basic cable is analog and doesn't get all the local channels.&nbsp; I watch the hi-def stuff in the van for free.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp; I carry and album of more than&nbsp;240+ DVDs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Recently I picked up the full series (all the years) of the Six Million Dollar Man episodes.&nbsp; They were a little dorky but are still fun to watch!&nbsp; The DVD player is a Blu-Ray.&nbsp; I like to use Redbox when out of town for&nbsp;a fun movie night.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- If camping at a campground, very little broadcast TV gets watched.&nbsp; It's more fun to walk the trails and explore.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Saturday night at 8:00 is a Star Trek (original series) rerun.&nbsp; The other night I had to pull over and set up behind a Hardees for an hour while passing through a town in order to catch a good episode.&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">With the warm weather, many more hours have been spent on the bike.&nbsp; Today I just roamed around all day riding a little, having a coke, eating a bite, pestering friends, visiting the bike shop, tormenting the bike trail's geese (hissing back at them!), and just chillin'.&nbsp; </p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The only common denominator is that each day has minimal stress and more activity than at this point last year.&nbsp; I don't miss the rat race one bit.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">V.T.</p>

 

[SoulRaven]

me a typical day starts with the birds waking me about 5am. and getting up around 6am... I turn on the news as i make a cup of coffee... I sit and look out on my million dollar view, some times watching the forest friends enjoying the sun as it comes up... About 9am I am out of the van radio in hand and listen to world news or opion radio as i work my mind with mind puzzles till around 1-2pm... I head in and make a lunch and take a siesta for about 2 hours with music on the radio... up by 4pm and think over dinner, get a few chores done, and think of dinner... head in&nbsp; and enjoy TV, Comp, or a movie, cook dinner and hit the sack about 9-10pm....<br>

 

[yesican]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Soon, soon...I will have your life of no stress!&nbsp; Thank you for sharing this; it gets the desire fired up!&nbsp; Can't wait to live like you all.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Rae</p>

 

[travelingchic]

wow that does sound amazing and reminds me why I want that lifestyle. &nbsp;I like the idea of waking to the sun and birds. &nbsp;nice life. &nbsp;

 

[Wild_E]

I get up and go to work,<div>or do computer work</div><div>or call customers</div><div>or work on projects</div><div>or remodel my Box Truck</div><div>or sit inside on those very windy, rainy cold days, light up a candle to take the chill off and ask the Dog,,, why do you want to go out in this shyte??&nbsp;</div><div>as she looks at me ! wagging her tail no less&nbsp;</div>

 

[Vivid-Dawn]

Chores in the morning - tidying up, laundry, make the cat's food (I feed them raw meat...with all the pet food recalls, it seems better to have <i>real</i> food for them). 1-6pm I work some weekdays. Neither office needed me the last couple weeks, though, so lots of extra time to myself.<br>Spare time for me is crafting. Crochet, knitting, sewing (currently with machine, but I dunno if I'll have space and/or electricity for that when I start living in RV), weaving and artwork. There's so many projects on my "craft wish list", I doubt I'll ever get them all done before I die! LOL<br>

 

[dborla01]

Hi, Lucy. We have talked on chat and I like your rig. We have a dental office for now and we&nbsp; would love to travel as some of you do. I will start taking my soc. security next year, turned 61 lately. Folks we hear from say take it earlier than later. <br>We are currently looking for a mini-van so we will camp and take our bicyles to ride places.&nbsp; Darrell<br><br>

 

[Lostinspace]

I took my SS at 63 after I was laid off and the unemployment ran out.&nbsp; Not much call for engineers now-a-days.&nbsp; Now I'm 66, 67 in january.&nbsp; I work for the state at a third of what I used to make.&nbsp; So working on getting the right vehicle for me and the dog to start doing the roads.&nbsp; I like the idea of taking it easy now and going where my nose points or the weather dictates.&nbsp; I guess I'll keep my farm as a return to base.&nbsp; Realestate is in the crapper for the foreseeable future anyway.<br /><br />Thanks for the day out of the life of a vandweller.<br /><br />Wade in NW Florida <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" />

 

[AnAtlantaBlogger]

<p style="margin: 0px;">I'm not working right now so there's a&nbsp;lot of&nbsp;spare time.&nbsp; Though the van is parked at Dad's house, I spend little actual time in&nbsp;his house and am not using any of his electricity most of the time.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Some common activities include...</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Watching TV morning news (when I first wake up).&nbsp; Snitching wifi from "Donny's Network" (someone in his neighborhood) and checking Facebook.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><br>-&nbsp;Bike or walk 1.5 miles to&nbsp; McDonalds and hang out with the morning group of disabled or retired people.&nbsp; This bullsh** session can go on for a couple of hours to as long as five hours!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp;Bike or walk to the grocery store and grab an item or two if needed.&nbsp; Head down to the post office and check the mailbox.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Work on the various van projects as needed during the day.&nbsp; (cleaning, small improvements, maintenance, etc.)</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Mow Dad's yard as needed.&nbsp; There are plenty of other maintenance tasks to do around his house.&nbsp; He keeps me busy working off the free rent for the driveway.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp;In the afternoon, I like to ride the bike (w/ the netbook) to McDonalds and play on the Internet, hang out with friends, etc.&nbsp; It's fun to people watch a little (this McDonald's is in a very diverse "hood" neighborhood and gets crazy!)&nbsp; This is where I do most of the blog work.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Occasionally, in the&nbsp;evening I&nbsp;go to&nbsp;Lindale Mall (1 mile away) and go for an hour walk around the mall.&nbsp; The Chinese dudes in the mall give the best massages!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp;Several times a week, I go&nbsp;to Anytime Fitness and work out.&nbsp;&nbsp; I love their spacious, clean showers.&nbsp; Going in the middle of the night is a favorite time - it's often vacant.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Read the kindle.&nbsp; I've been working on a couple of good books that had been shelved.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm going to finish&nbsp;"The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells and then it is on to "Les Miserables".</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Crochet is a favorite past time but I usually don't do this unless in a coffee house or lawnchair.&nbsp; In the van I have to do it in the driver's seat.&nbsp; I cannot sit upright in the back of the van -&nbsp;modifying the bed to&nbsp;some kind of a bed/couch is the plan for later this year.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Watch some TV in the evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our&nbsp;urban&nbsp;has many 100% strength TV channels.&nbsp; I don't need or want any more channels.&nbsp; The free stations suffice.&nbsp; What is funny is that Dad's basic cable is analog and doesn't get all the local channels.&nbsp; I watch the hi-def stuff in the van for free.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">-&nbsp; I carry and album of more than&nbsp;240+ DVDs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Recently I picked up the full series (all the years) of the Six Million Dollar Man episodes.&nbsp; They were a little dorky but are still fun to watch!&nbsp; The DVD player is a Blu-Ray.&nbsp; I like to use Redbox when out of town for&nbsp;a fun movie night.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- If camping at a campground, very little broadcast TV gets watched.&nbsp; It's more fun to walk the trails and explore.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">- Saturday night at 8:00 is a Star Trek (original series) rerun.&nbsp; The other night I had to pull over and set up behind a Hardees for an hour while passing through a town in order to catch a good episode.&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">With the warm weather, many more hours have been spent on the bike.&nbsp; Today I just roamed around all day riding a little, having a coke, eating a bite, pestering friends, visiting the bike shop, tormenting the bike trail's geese (hissing back at them!), and just chillin'.&nbsp; </p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The only common denominator is that each day has minimal stress and more activity than at this point last year.&nbsp; I don't miss the rat race one bit.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">V.T.</p>

"The only common denominator is that each day has minimal stress . . . "


You have no idea how strong an impression such a simple sentence has made on me!!! It is so exciting to think of the pleasant future awaiting me as I adopt your lifestyle. Thanks

 

[Willy]

Get up, take a leak, choke down my drugz, get dressed, coffee perkin', let the dog out, drink coffee, do stuff, pop a log sometime during that, cook 'n gag the result down, more drugz.. 'n go to sleep. ..Willy.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

"The only common denominator is that each day has minimal stress . . . "

I like that. It describes how I feel to a "T".
We like not having to get busy in the mornings. Like to take our time with coffee till we feel like cooking up some eggs and such. Maybe close to noon we might get out for a bike ride...but I grab a sandwich and a beer first, LOL.
Afternoon is usually spent exploring whatever area we're visiting. Sometimes we just lounge and have a few cold ones.

We had enough of schedules in our lives (I'm 66), so we do pretty much what we want when we feel like doing it...so long as we don't step on any toes.
Some people prefer something of a routine, I salute that.
We like our casual life.