Hi and welcome to vanlife50 where I start from the beginning of my van life story and take you on the journey of discovering with me the freedom of life on the road. This current journey starts here, living in an apartment in North Carolina. When my lease runs out in 375 days, I plan to have everything in place to where I can just hop in my van (not purchased yet) and go.
I have lived in a van before...for 2 months after my first marriage fell apart. I had a full time job as a restaurant manager so there was income. I packed a few bags and into the van I went...no planning, no knowledge of how to survive without the comforts of a house, nothing. I found that it started easier than I could have imagined mainly because I had that income. I used public restrooms, slept in a sleeping bag inside the van I owned at the time which was a Ford Econoline conversion van. I used free wifi from a McDonalds and would go inside to charge both my phone and laptop. For bathing I would go inside the restaurant and take a "sink bath" in the bathroom in the middle of the night when the restaurant was closed. I also found that baby wipes were essential to my cleanliness if I just needed a quick wash.
At the time I wasn't planning on staying in the van and after 2 months I found an apartment but I have always looked back on that short time of life on the road, in my early 40s at the time, as one of freedom and adventure. I loved the challenges and obstacles I faced living in a van, the freedom of mobility, and of course the money I saved by not paying rent.
So, yes it is possible to just pack a bag, hop in your vehicle, and go! Just start today and leave the world behind. So why then have I decided to re-sign a lease on my apartment and give myself 375 days to do it this time? Well, first thing is that I know this time it will be permanent...not that I am overthinking things, which I have tended to do in the past...but I do want to set myself up for success. Having some sort of savings at the beginning and a steady income stream will be crucial.
Also, to make sure I am fully prepared, I asked ChatGPT to divide this year into segments where i can build my situation up to the point of departure with complete knowledge that I am ready for this new, exciting chapter in my life.
This is the basis of what it gave me:
I've (chatgpt) created a comprehensive timeline based on 29 periods of 13 days each, targeting July for your van purchase. The plan breaks down your transition into five main phases:
Research & Planning (Periods 1-5)
Van Acquisition & Preparation (Periods 6-11)
Van Build (Periods 12-19)
Life Transition (Periods 20-25)
Van Life Adaptation (Periods 26-29)
So, with that...I am on to the first phase of my journey.
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