This is gonna be a project... but man, I'm so gosh-darn excited about it! I'm pumped!
But first - a quick disclaimer.
Okay, now, back to it.
Come on in, you're getting rained-on!
I've got a lot of stuff to do - I need to tear this out, install soundproofing,
insulation, a subfloor, a ceiling, a fan, you get the picture.
I still have to decide on some of the layout details, but I can see it in my head already -
it's gonna be a pretty sweet little micro-camper,
and if you're worried about this channel becoming all about vans, don't be worried.
I am just viewing this as another short-term, temporary experiment in minimalist living.
I'm thinking five or six months, 'til it gets cold and wintry again,
and then I'll get a studio apartment somewhere and just
use this as my "adventure mobile" on the weekends.
I'm looking for a challenge: both with the build itself, but then with daily life
and trying to figure out how to do things in a way that's both comfortable,
and enjoyable, and sustainable in a longer term period of time.
I'm going to have to be constantly finding solutions to things for a while.
I'm used to taking a lot for granted in an apartment, but no longer
will I have super easy access to a bathroom, or a stove, or Wi-Fi, or a mailbox.
I also want to learn to be comfortable in that discomfort.
I trust myself, and I know that I can figure it out.
If I end up absolutely hating this, then I'll just find myself a new apartment.
I'm not tied to this lifestyle. What I'm tied to is experimentation,
and keeping my eyes open, and keeping my mind curious,
and trying to challenge myself to do things that might seem a little bit out-there,
might seem a little bit scary.
I'm excited to become painfully conscious of just how much I've been taking for granted.
I also want to get out in nature more -
after the build, I plan on taking road trips most weekends.
I have friends and family in nearby states,
and I want to get out and see more of the country and visit them.
During the weekdays, I'm gonna spend time where I'm already spending time:
work, the gym, coffee shops, libraries, museums, restaurants...
Plus, I'm gonna have to start going to the laundromat.
Luckily, since I plan on spending most of my
time in the same geographical radius that I'm familiar with,
I don't have to worry too much about bathrooms on the weekdays.
There are plenty of 24/7 places around here that I already know about.
And as far as cooking goes, I have access to a toaster oven and microwave at work,
I have coffee there, but on the weekends,
I'd like to have a very simple kitchen set-up here.
So I'm not sure what exactly that looks like, but most likely, it'll just be for coffee and eggs,
and maybe some sautéed, frying-pan stuff.
I don't think I'm gonna have a fridge. Maybe I'll have a little cooler or something.
I'm not completely confident in this, and it does scare me a lot,
but in my mind, that's all the more reason to do it and to try it.
This curiosity will not be quenched until I actually experience it for myself, I guess.
I've been listening to, and watching, and reading things
by other people who have lived the van life for almost a decade now,
and I just have to get it out of my system.
I do plan on settling down someday, but for right now, I'm still young.
'til next time!
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