Okay, that title is a bit strong. I am not and never have been a boondocker. But I will be. I nearly wet my pants the last couple weeks after I found out about this lifestyle, realized there is a community, and all the bells started ringing throughout my heart.
It will be a year or two before I start, as I am looking after my father in law who is 99, still lives alone, has great health. When his 99 year old body finally throws in the towel I will buy whatever rig makes sense to me at that time and start figuring out this lifestyle. Until then I can explore options, watch YouTubes, and bug you lot on this forum. I will be blessed because I should have enough money to keep my wee rental house and boondock at the same time.
I am a dual citizen NZ/US and I grew up backpacking (we called it tramping) around NZ in the 60's and 70's and even worked for the forest service there doing wilderness survey work for three summers where we spent 3 months at a time in the wilderness. Those were among the happiest days of my life, and I would like to do some backpacking here in the US but my body is in its 60's and can't run uphill all day the way it did in my teens and 20's. However I feel like boondocking fits the situation perfectly.
I came to the US in 1980, lived in Big Sur for almost 2 years, met my wife, had a daughter, started my own landscape business, wife died in 2012. Don't lose your spouse. Bugger me that is the hardest thing I ever had to deal with. My daughter currently lives in NZ, and the big aha hit when I realized when my fil passes it will be just me and I can do what I want. I could go live in Baja, or the Yucatan, or I could go backpacking and then I discovered boondocking. Bullseye. Search over. Clarity achieved.
To be clear - I LOVE my work as a landscaper. I am not very good as a businessman, but I could happily work till I fell over dead in a garden. I am semi retired - you hire me you get me. No employees. Bossing sucks from both sides. I already shared this new vision with my major clients and one burst into tears they were so happy for me. Seriously - I have great clients - we are very close friends. I am not boondocking because of my miseries - I am feeling pulled.
Except I am pretty clueless at this point. Not really - those early years we lived off what we could carry. Having a vehicle is already scandalous luxury. But the US is a much bigger country.
I also grew up atheist but took up a meditation practice early this century and have grown tremendously in a spiritual sense. Part of the appeal is I want some alone time. At least until I don't, and then whenever I want it again. I have had some life experiences that I need some time to dig into. The reality of meditation is you travel vertically as opposed to horizontally. You go inward. We all do it, even if you say it is all hooey. That is just your way of doing it. I think it makes you a little more interesting as a person and I suspect there are a lot of interesting people in this community.
And now I have found this forum. I can start my journeying right here getting to know some people, getting feedback and pointers on how to do this thing. And then maybe when I actually get on the road and meet some people we will already have friends in common.
I see the big logo at the top of the page. Thanks Bob - I owe you already.
Steve
PS my moniker swlands is from my initials Steve Williams and I make a living as a landscaper.
It will be a year or two before I start, as I am looking after my father in law who is 99, still lives alone, has great health. When his 99 year old body finally throws in the towel I will buy whatever rig makes sense to me at that time and start figuring out this lifestyle. Until then I can explore options, watch YouTubes, and bug you lot on this forum. I will be blessed because I should have enough money to keep my wee rental house and boondock at the same time.
I am a dual citizen NZ/US and I grew up backpacking (we called it tramping) around NZ in the 60's and 70's and even worked for the forest service there doing wilderness survey work for three summers where we spent 3 months at a time in the wilderness. Those were among the happiest days of my life, and I would like to do some backpacking here in the US but my body is in its 60's and can't run uphill all day the way it did in my teens and 20's. However I feel like boondocking fits the situation perfectly.
I came to the US in 1980, lived in Big Sur for almost 2 years, met my wife, had a daughter, started my own landscape business, wife died in 2012. Don't lose your spouse. Bugger me that is the hardest thing I ever had to deal with. My daughter currently lives in NZ, and the big aha hit when I realized when my fil passes it will be just me and I can do what I want. I could go live in Baja, or the Yucatan, or I could go backpacking and then I discovered boondocking. Bullseye. Search over. Clarity achieved.
To be clear - I LOVE my work as a landscaper. I am not very good as a businessman, but I could happily work till I fell over dead in a garden. I am semi retired - you hire me you get me. No employees. Bossing sucks from both sides. I already shared this new vision with my major clients and one burst into tears they were so happy for me. Seriously - I have great clients - we are very close friends. I am not boondocking because of my miseries - I am feeling pulled.
Except I am pretty clueless at this point. Not really - those early years we lived off what we could carry. Having a vehicle is already scandalous luxury. But the US is a much bigger country.
I also grew up atheist but took up a meditation practice early this century and have grown tremendously in a spiritual sense. Part of the appeal is I want some alone time. At least until I don't, and then whenever I want it again. I have had some life experiences that I need some time to dig into. The reality of meditation is you travel vertically as opposed to horizontally. You go inward. We all do it, even if you say it is all hooey. That is just your way of doing it. I think it makes you a little more interesting as a person and I suspect there are a lot of interesting people in this community.
And now I have found this forum. I can start my journeying right here getting to know some people, getting feedback and pointers on how to do this thing. And then maybe when I actually get on the road and meet some people we will already have friends in common.
I see the big logo at the top of the page. Thanks Bob - I owe you already.
Steve
PS my moniker swlands is from my initials Steve Williams and I make a living as a landscaper.
