by What does a typical day look like for us, and how does it vary from our expectations?
First, Doug and I typically have very different weekdays. He is still working full-time while we are on the road, and while he does have flexibility in his schedule, his work schedule and needs are our top priority. That means we are looking for fun things to do during the week that can be done after work, or will only take a short time during the day.
As a result, I am doing most of our research and planning, and also taking on tasks that we previously shared, such as doing laundry, which can take a few hours of time at a laundromat. And of course, we have a limited supply of clothes, so there’s only so much postponing this task that we can do.
Our day typically starts at Planet Fitness for showers when we are near a location. Of course this takes more time than does taking a shower at home. Then we get Doug set up for work, while I do some other tasks, such as laundry or grocery shopping, or working out at the gym a few times a week. I also try to schedule time for a “walk and talk” with girlfriends each week.
I thought for sure I would have all kinds of time in the van, and I’d work on some projects I’ve really been wanting to get to, like taking an online photography class or really studying Spanish rather than just keeping my Duolingo streak going. I also thought I’d get back to running, and keep up with my 10k-steps-a-day program. So far, none of that has happened.
I thought Doug and I would be watching a few movies a week on our laptops. I think we’ve watched two movies so far, though we did actually go to the movies once (to see the new Wes Anderson film, Asteroid City).
So where does all my time go? Plotting out our travels is no small amount of work. For years before we left I had undertaken a massive research project looking into places we’d like to visit all across the US and Canada, so I’ve already got a huge start. Now comes:
*What are the days and hours places are open? You can’t believe how many places are open just a few days a week or month (or year!), so now the question is, do we want to slow down or speed up in order to hit the window of opportunity?
*How much time does it take? Can we do it during a work day?
*How much does it cost, and is it covered by one of the membership programs?
*Do I need an advance reservation? Now we are really planning things out into the future!
*Is it weather dependent, and what’s my plan should that be a problem?
Here’s some things you’ve never thought about in your car:
*Can I fit in the parking lot space, or worse, in the “street parking only” spots? I spend hours on Google Street View and Google Satellite View looking at parking situations. Have you ever thought about how you’ll handle a parking meter when your vehicle takes 1.5 spots, but the fancy parking app won’t let your license plate be parked in two spots at once? This research is for every single place we go –- museum, grocery, restaurant, trailhead, etc. Every. Single. Place. And even then there are still surprises.
*Are there any low clearance concerns on our drive (low bridges and tunnels)? The van is more than 9 feet tall, and you can not program that into your typical GPS. We purchased an app designed specifically for trucks and RVs, but it often directs us on much longer routes than is really required (for instance, our turning radius, while wider than a sedan or SUV is much tighter than a motorhome or big rig). Since the app doesn’t always take us on the most direct route, I’m checking routes in advance, too. Fortunately, while there are some areas we do need to avoid, generally our height is not a problem.
Once I have a general idea of where we are going, then I need to figure out where we are staying. We’ve already written on this topic, but I’ll just say now that sometimes I spend a long, long time trying to figure out where we will spend the night, and more time on Google Street View and Satellite View.
I’m also always looking for a place to take a shower. While we do have a shower in the van, what we don’t have is unlimited water, so it’s preferable to shower elsewhere. If there’s no Planet Fitness, we will look for campgrounds, beach facilities, pools, and other options to clean up. If we’re using a lot of water, then I’m looking to find where we can fill up the tank, too.
I’m also researching where Doug can sit and work, and trying to find a place that’s convenient to the gym so I can work out or near the laundromat so I can do laundry or beside a grocery store so I can shop, etc. Even the laundromat is work–many laundries operate today only with cards that have to be purchased and loaded with a set minimum and then don’t offer refunds on the unused balance, so a good old-fashioned coin-operated laundromat is best.
You may have noticed we go to some weird sites; that’s because we both love odd things. We use Atlas Obscura as a guide. But that then means I am spending time looking up items there and trying to figure out the who, what, why, when and where (and sometimes this is a very long, very deep rabbit hole).
Given enough time, I like to check out local calendars of events, because we always appreciate special performances or or one-time events. As part of my massive pre-launch research, I did try to identify festivals and seasonal activities around the country. Coordinating these items is more work, though.
Of course we are also on the move every day, so part of each day is taken up by driving, typically around 30-90 minutes along our long-term route.
I think you are starting to see where all our time is going.
Other items you might not think about:
*Grocery shopping is more frequent, given our limited fridge and storage space.
*Dishes must be done by hand, then dried and immediately put away.
*Laundry, groceries, gym and work bags, etc., all must be put away quickly due to space limitations, but also because we cannot drive with loose items lying about.
*The van floor, while small, is in constant need of sweeping and/or cleaning, in spite of our extraordinary efforts to not track in dirt.
*Each day we must fold up our sheets and comforters and stash them, and take apart part of the bed and set up a table; at the end of the day this goes in reverse.
Let me see…there’s something else sucking up my time…what could it be? Oh yeah! Writing these blog posts, sorting and transferring pictures, updating the blog, Facebook, and Instagram, and responding to comments (I love them, keep them coming) also makes a dent in the day! I do enjoy the process, fortunately, but tick, tick, tick!
When we camped (basic pop-up type)and also had our remote camp in the Adirondacks (out house, no plumbing or power), we used our portable shower. We filled (~1.5 gal), warmed in sun where available or water warmed on gas stove. It was a lifesaver. We rigged a simple shower stall in both places. We stood in a large tote in camper keeping shower curtain liner bottom edge inside tote; at camp, tarp strung between trees in a rough enclosure. Perhaps one of these self contained showers could be adapted?
We have the equipment for this, but we still only have limited water in the van. Haven’t tried it yet, tho!