Rootless Living Issue 4 | July / Aug 2020

LESS JUNK MORE JOURNEY

FULL-TIME

FAMILIES

THE NEW AMERICAN DREAM

HELPING YOU FIND THE BEST

SOLAR PANELS

FREE OVERNIGHT CAMPING AT 1000+ UNIQUE

DESTINATIONS

We are a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and attractions that invite RVers to stay in 1000+ stunning camping sites. The $79 yearly membership gives members unlimited access to stay overnight at any one of our Host‘s locations. We kindly ask our members to support their Hosts by purchasing one of their local products with each stay.

SOLID FOOTING FOR ROOTLESS LIFESTYLES

BAJA27

FULL-TIME FAMILIES39

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 11 | From the Publisher

Page 12 | The Feed

Page 13 | From the Editor

Page 14 | Reader Photo

Page 16 | Quality Solar Panels

What to look for when making your solar decision

Page 19 | RV Renovations

Page 27 | Baja California, Mexico

One quick trip and a ton of fun

Page 31 | RV Tech School

Start your own mobile technician company

Page 35 | Goodbye Cubicle, Hello Adventure Tips to transition your desk job to remote work

Page 39 | Full-Time Families

The new American dream

Page 40 | Less Junk<More Journey

Page 43 | Road School

Page 46 | From Olympic Trials to Full-Time RVing

Page 49 | One Crazy Dream

Page 52 | Adventure Seeking, Brave and Us

Page 55 | Camping Journals for Kids & Adults

Page 57 | Tripawds

How far do you go for a dog?

Page 59 | Rocky Mountain National Park

An outdoor enthusiasts dream

Page 63 | Favorite Boondocking Locations

Page 68 | Gear Guide

Page 70 | Contributors

For Digital Nomads, By Digital Nomads

Page 71 | Podcasts for the Drive

When we first sat down and discussed ideas for themes for each issue of the magazine we knew fulltime families would be one. Some of the most amazing people I’ve met on the road or via social media are families who travel with kids while the parents are still working. They’re creating businesses they can run from the road, some you might recognize in this magazine, all with the goal to spend more time as a family.

Before late 2016 I had no clue families lived in an RV full-time while traveling. To be completely transparent, I am not sure I would have tried when my kids were young if I’d known about it. As a single dad with custody of all four of my kids, there were a variety of different reasons why this lifestyle might not have worked for me and my family.

One stumbling block would have been homeschooling. I had a different view of it now than I did back then. I see these “road school” kids out playing with sticks, climbing trees, kayaking, out on hikes and of course learning about history where the actual history took place. Now don’t get me wrong, I still see the kids with a screen device 4-inches from their face, but I seem to see more of the kids enjoying nature then I remember seeing back in the city.

I do have regrets about not doing at least one RV trip or more camping with my kids when they were all living with me, but I now look forward to doing those trips with them as adults and one day with grandkids. While my kids may never leave the large metropolitan areas they know and love, the goal is to offer a way for them, and one day their kids, to break from that life a few times a year.

The full-time family issue is really meant to encourage families to think about what’s possible for them. Maybe not full-time, maybe it’s just for a season. I do wonder if there was a publication like this back then, if this lifestyle would have shown me it was possible and affordable, would I have loaded the kids up and headed out on the road?

I do hope it encourages you to keep going or maybe to start thinking about what you and your family can do full-time, part-time, or even on vacation.

Until the next issue … stay Rootless.

Demian Ross @demianross demian@rootlessliving.com

THE FEED#rootlessliving

“I love that there is finally a resource for digital nomads regardless of their chosen mode of travel or level of experience. This is awesome!” - Laura

@Parks.and.Wils

@TheMarvelousMiners

“We do have a few outdoor hobbies that allow us to more fully experience the places we travel to.”

@BehrNecessitiesRV

“We are officially “those people”... But with temperatures reaching above 100°, can you blame us?”

“Don’t wait until your kids grow up to see the world; let your kids grow up seeing the world. #DoSomethingMarvelous”

@ChiefWildCrew

“Sweet, sweet summertime!”

It feels like every time a new season rolls around I’m saying it’s my favorite. I love spring, I love fall. Maybe winter gets just a passing nod. Summer though, summer has always had my heart.

Summer is the time when families all over take and make an extra effort to spend time together. One of the things I remember most about growing up is all of the family camping trips, summer vacations and even some state-to-state road trips. When travel turned to flying, some of that simple fun seemed to be lost.

Personally, I love that road trips are having a renaissance. Sure, flying is a lot more affordable these days but the beauty and spontaneity of a road trip creates some truly amazing memories. More and more, families are looking to road trips and RV living to help them stay connected. In fact, a common theme with the families we’ve spoken to is how they set out with the simple goal of spending more quality time together.

Everyone’s journey is different and what each family’s life looks like living on the road full-time varies, but one thing they all have in common is the lasting memories they’re making. Some of the best memories are small little moments, fostered simply by being together. I hope their stories encourage you and your family to take a road trip this summer or maybe even inspire you to start planning your full-time journey.

FROM THE EDITOR FROM THE EDIT OR

Nikki Kirk @nikkirk7 nikki@rootlessliving.com

8-years-old and making s’mores on one of our regular family camping trips to the Oregon coast.

As full-time travelers, we needed a place to social distance. It’s hard to imagine a better place then the Arizona desert with our solar panel arrays supplying us with power for work & Netflix binge-watching.

By Jake Sublett | NomadicMoments.com

QUALITY SOLAR PANELS

What To Look For When Making Your Buying Decision

Whilethetrueheartofanysolarsystemisitsbatteries, the piece that gets all the glory and attention are the solar panels. And with good reason, they’re what’s keeping your RV batteries charged up to power your offgrid lifestyle.

As with most things solar, it can be confusing when you start doing your research. What kind is best, what’s the latest technology, and will they really work? We sat down with the professional team at Future Solutions to get a better idea of what to look for in a solar panel and understand the options out there.

First, let’s quickly cover what the panels are doing for your solar system. Solar panels are capturing the light from the sun and converting it into DC electricity which is sent to the solar controller. From there, a solar controller regulates the electricity to the appropriate voltage required by your batteries. Your RV is running its power off the batteries with the AC electricity your inverter supplies, not the solar panels directly. The panels are simply recharging the batteries for your future use.

Monocrystalline vs. Polycrystalline: What’s the difference?

When it comes down to price, this might be your first option to save money without compromising on quality. Monocrystalline and polycrystalline refer to the type of

cell in the solar panel. Monocrystalline panels are made up of cells formed using a single source of silicon (mono) whereas polycrystalline panels are made up of cells formed from multiple sources of silicon (poly). Think of it like all the extra silicon leftovers from the mono panel creation process being melted down and formed into cells for the poly panel. Poly panels lose some efficiency but not much in respect to the array size capable of being installed on an RV. If you’re looking to save money and a more sustainably produced product, poly panels are a great option.

Wattage and pricing

When determining the amount of panels you want to add to your RV, you first need to identify your power needs in wattage combined with how much usable space you have on the roof. While we’d love to cover our RV with panels, we do need to leave room for maintenance and access to our existing rooftop appliances like air conditioners. To maximize your wattage footprint, Future Solutions recommends 175W or 300W panels.

A panel will generally run you about a dollar to two dollars per watt depending on the supplier. So, for one 175W panel you could be spending anywhere from $175 - $350. Buying tip: Whether you are having the system installed or buying a ready kit, make sure you know which type of panel you’re purchasing. As we mentioned

Photo Credit: Himmelberger Bus

earlier, a poly panel has a slightly less efficiency rating and with it a slightly lower price.

The lifetime of a solar panel

There are a ton of solar panel options out there, both from reputable companies and on third party marketplaces like Amazon. If you think you are getting a great deal on a solar panel, you might just be getting what you pay for. Quality solar panels should come with a minimum 20-

year manufacturer warranty. A solar panel will still run at 80% of the efficiency it had when you bought it, 20 years down the road, if you’ve installed a good quality panel.

You might also be worried about a wayward tree branch scratching your panels. However, most quality panels can easily have scratches buffed out. Panels also come with hail ratings from the manufacturer. So, if on the off chance you have a hail storm roll through, solar panels are very tough and can usually come out of it unharmed.

Always have a backup

No matter how top of the line or how many solar panels you have installed, if the weather isn’t cooperating, your batteries might not be able to recharge from the solar panels. If you have a large battery bank that is all charged up and are conservative with your energy, a single cloudy day won’t really affect you. But if you are running a heavy power load like an air conditioner or your panels are covered by overcast or trees for an extended period, you won’t be able to recharge your batteries fast enough. Having a small generator or a back-up plan to plug into power is still something to consider for your solar system.

Huge thanks to the team at Future Solutions for helping us understand all things solar. Future Solutions specializes in custom off-grid solutions and they offer both onsite installations in Elkhart, Indiana as well as DIY kits shipped direct to you. If you’d like Future Solutions to design a system specific to your RV lifestyle, get in touch on their website, fsi-solutions.com and find them on Instagram @fsi.solutions and Facebook @FutureSolutionsInc.

Photo Credit: Jake Sublett

Photo Credit: @DebtlessRV

RENOVATION RV A

COASTAL FARMHOUSE ON WHEELS

Sometimes it feels like a renovation is never quite done. But when it’s this much fun, why would you stop? Danielle and her family are living tiny in their renovated Grand Design fifth wheel. She and her husband own a local small business in their community, so while they don’t get to travel a ton, they are making the most of their farmhouse on wheels.

In August of 2019 the family moved into their RV, which they are able to park on family land. They started the renovations the day they moved in. While it might not be an ideal renovation situation, they make it work. Danielle pulled her design inspiration from the area they live in, out on a rural California coast. “I wanted our home to reflect the unique aspects of our area. If I had to name the style of our RV, I would call it ‘coastal farmhouse’.”

There are some benefits to living in the RV while you renovate though. “The longer we live in the space the better idea we have of the changes we want to make

both functionally and aesthetically. We also don’t feel pressured by a timeline” Danielle said. She and her husband have done all the work on their RV. While they are not professionals, they learn as they go and have experience from when they renovated their home before trading it in for RV living.

The first thing to go? The window treatments. The couple built a deck and stairs, allowing more functional space for the family and their dogs. They also built out a new bed in the bunk room and painted pretty much the entire interior. They removed the reclining chairs and dinette set and added a new sofa and desk for the kids to do homework. Lighting was installed and then there were those beautiful beams!

We all know any farmhouse these days must have shiplap, right? Danielle took out the original interior stairs and replaced them with shiplap to match the shiplap on the largest wall in the fifth wheel. “I gave the bunk room and master bedroom doors a facelift using

paint and ceiling tiles!” Danielle says. “In the bathroom we installed peel and stick tile and I did a stenciling treatment, as well as painting the vanity and replacing the medicine cabinet.”

Danielle loves to design on a budget. “I believe you can make huge changes to a space without spending a lot of money. It forces you to be creative, which I love. Some of my favorite changes in our fifth wheel we made with little to no money!” The fireplace, for example, cost $13 in materials with repurposed lumber for a mantle and “shiplap” using a sharpie. She also updated the master closet doors by making window grids with electrical tape. “Our light fixtures are actually trash cans we converted into lights by using an inexpensive light kit from Amazon.”

But the biggest bang for your buck Danielle says is in the paint. You can completely transform the interior of your RV

with new paint. “We have spent approximately $2,500 on our renovation so far and that includes the new furniture pieces we purchased, a new couch and a medicine cabinet.”

“We have made countless mistakes throughout our renovation,” Danielle says. “The most humorous probably being when I attempted to give our bunkroom door a makeover. I wanted to add paneling to the outside of the door, I took the door off and sanded it, installed the paneling, painted it and then went to reinstall it only to discover I had done all of the work to the wrong side of the door! Whoops! That is only one of MANY mistakes we made on this journey but we have learned so much, I wouldn’t trade one of those mistakes!”

Check out more of Danielle’s coastal fifth wheel on Instagram @slo.gathered.home.

RENOVATION RV

THE DIESEL & SOLAR POWERED FIFTH WHEEL

The remodel and renovation of our 29’ fifth wheel was something we dreamed about. However, it didn’t get serious until we realized the frame of our trailer was cracked behind the pin, under the fiberglass covering and bowed in the back. For us this meant two options; we either get rid of the trailer we love and know as home to buy something new or we fix it and in the process upgrade the systems. We went with the latter since it allowed us to make our remodel dreams a reality.

It just made sense to us to make what we had into what we really wanted versus buying something else and possibly having some of the same issues we were currently struggling with. So we set out to make it happen. We moved out and put the trailer in a barn so we would have a protected place to work on it. We spent about three months rewiring, plumbing, changing out major components, adding solar and a battery bank, painting, and redecorating.

By Lauren Arnold and Ben Cabutage

We began by taking the large fiberglass pieces off of the front of the trailer. Inspecting the damage, we came up with a plan to weld a combination of supports and repairs into the frame. Next we removed the slide room and stripped the majority of the inside off the main body. The goal here was to inspect the sub floor to make sure it was still structurally intact and check for mold. After finding the floor in better condition than we expected, we decided to move forward with the whole project.

With all of the finished flooring, furniture and windows removed we decided to coat all of the raw wood with Kilz primer to help seal out moisture and prevent mold growth. We painted the walls and cabinets, built new valances out of cedar shingles and reclaimed fence posts, and laid new laminate flooring and minimal carpet. It was so hot that summer we could only paint during the wee hours of the morning so during the day we worked on repairs and installing our new systems.

Another one of the goals was to try to eliminate propane. We were able to change over everything except the stove and oven. This meant installing a new hot water system with a new fuel source of diesel. Because of the change in components, we came across challenges like where to put the diesel fuel tank and what to do with the gaping hole in the side of the rig now that we had removed the old furnace. The benefits of the new system have way outweighed the challenges.

Other additions were a 12-volt DC compressor refrigerator which fit in the same space as the old 2-way refrigerator, a 600-amp hour AGM battery bank, pure sine inverter, battery-to-battery charger, and 495 watts of solar on the roof with room to expand. Speaking of the roof, we knew we needed to replace the rubber membrane. Once we had removed the old membrane we realized that some of the plywood boards were soft and would need to be replaced. When we removed the soft boards we discovered mold and decided to remove the entire roof and insulation and replace all of it.

The old insulation was fiberglass; we replaced all of the fiberglass insulation on the roof and in the front cap

with foam insulation. Then we put the new boards on and glued down the new rubber membrane. We were also able to do some structural work and gain space in our storage compartment. We extended the step up to the bedroom out into the living area and were able to push back the wall hiding the wiring in the storage compartment. This allowed us to gain more storage and add a ski rack. Once all the major repairs and upgrades had been completed we started putting all of the furniture, windows, slide room, and on the exterior the fiberglass pieces back in.

We finished the project by installing the new trim and filling the trailer with its first tank of diesel. Since then, we have made improvements on the suspension and continue to make small improvements on our storage, organization, and power systems with no plans of stopping. While the major part of the project has come to an end, we don’t consider it finished. We are still striving to make it better by adding new systems and improving on the changes we made.

About the Authors

BenandLaurenarefull-timeRVers,travelingandworking seasonally for the past five years. They met working seasonally in Montana and have been traveling together ever since. Their goal is to seek new adventures, learn as much as possible, experience all life has to offer, and continue to grow along the way while living comfortably.

You can find Ben & Lauren on YouTube by searching Road-Stead-ing

Do you have a renovation story you’d like to share? Email us at collab@rootlessliving.com

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

EIGHT FUN-FILLED DAYS IN BAJA

By Lindsey Graham & Danny Rekart

The fear and mass amount of “be carefuls” we received when we announced our eight day trip to the north section of Baja California, Mexico was slightly alarming. We knew a bunch of nomads who had spent months in Baja with no major issues, but there was still a slight lingering intimidation of the unknown. Our spanish is and was terrible at best and mixed with last minute planning, we were setting ourselves up for quite an adventurous trip. We figured we would just wing it, per usual. What could go wrong, right?

The Border

Mistakes were made, and we paid for them in precious time. Due to our poor spanish speaking skills, we were at a complete disadvantage trying to find someone to help us. We may have crossed the border without getting our passports stamped or collecting our travel visas, also known as an FMM card. Shock from our careless mistake became very apparent the moment we crossed the border. As we frantically started googling what to do next, cars were flying by us on the chaotic streets of Tijuana, silent tears started running down my face in frustration. Then, we both started laughing because it was an unimaginable rookie mistake and there was nothing we could do to retrace our steps.

We decided our best and maybe our only option was to re-do the border. We pulled a U-turn and navigated our way back through the infinite long line. We accepted our fate, and were entertained by watching the mass of merchants fluttering between the cars to sell their goods.

It ended up being a 3 hour detour, but one that I am certain we will never forget.

Ensanada “Home of the Best Margarita of our Lives”

We trekked down this scenic route that hugs the jaw dropping coast of Tijuana. Nerves were still a little rattle once we arrived in Ensenada and we decided our first official act in Mexico would be to dabble into the margarita scene. As well as shovel as many tacos into our mouths as we could. It was a solid plan, and one that became our overall theme in Baja.

Photo Credit: @LetsPlayRideAndSeek

Ensenada is a large tourist town with cruise ships and a thriving nightlife. We met up with our friend, Holly and she caravanned with us for the entire trip. We found the best margarita of the whole trip on our first try. It was at the Bar Andaluz which claims to be where the original margarita was created. I haven’t checked the authenticity of this statement, but they can definitely whip up a good one and at only $3 USD each, they were a good investment.

We then set out on foot for some street food. La Guerrenense offered the freshest seafood tortas, but also required some adventurous eating. Then there was Tacos Fenix, where we sat by locals on upside down buckets and scarfed down tacos of delicious fried seafood. They were authentic and only $1 USD each. Make sure you get the orange sauce!

We found a secure place to park our vans thanks to iOverlander, which is the app we used the entire time to navigate our way around Mexico. It’s free, it works offline, and it has a plethora of insight on where to find fresh water, where military stops are, and where to park at night. We ended up finding a secure 24-hour parking lot that cost $8 USD per vehicle. It felt safe enough that we left our beloved vans while we checked out the nightlife.

San Felipe “Get Your Beach On”

As we trekked all the way east to San Filipe, we encounteredaroutethatflowedwithdiverselandscapes, but also some less than desirable road conditions. We experienced our first military checkpoint on this journey which I was overly nervous for. It went without a hitch, the soldiers were really nice and gave Mogley, our cat, a little rub and we were on our way.

San Felipe has a completely different feel than Ensanada. It’s a vast flat area, slightly underdeveloped, and a sleepy tourist town located on a stunning stretch of beach. We fueled up with tacos at Taqueria Adriana, which were good but a little over priced at $2 USD each. We also grabbed a margarita at Restaurante Rosita and learned a valuable lesson. Always ask for the price before you order. We paid $6 USD for each margarita and we are pretty sure we could have haggled a lower price if we would have asked before ordering. Another rookie mistake, everything is negotiable.

We arrived at a location I found on iOverlander, a packed sand spot overlooking the bay. It was wild camping so there was no fee. We were finally going to experience our first time staying on the beach. Something we dreamed about when we first started building out Bruce, our van, and it was finally becoming a reality. We spent two nights and met up with some more friends who were

heading back to the states. That night we cooked shrimp purchased off the back of a truck and made incredible shrimp tacos.

Bahía de los Ángeles

We had knowledge that the next town was going to be very desolate so we fueled up the vans at the Pemex and stocked up on groceries at the Calimex, a local supermarket. It was a long day on the open road with views full of huge cacti. We went through two military checkpoints and once again, the soldiers were super nice and we had no issues.

We ended up staying at a “free” wild camp site at La Gringa. There was plenty of space for all of us nomads to find a spot on the rocky beach. We found out there was a non-mandatory donation to the people that maintained the land and kept it trash free. It was by far the cleanest land we had stayed on during this trip, so we donated $120 pesos which is a little under $5 USD. The tide rose dramatically high that night and endless layers of stars shone above us, we marveled at this beautiful place we got to temporarily call home.

On day two at Bahía de los Ángeles, we decided to check out the town and that’s when it happened. We ate the best tacos of the entire trip, the ones that make my mouth water everytime I think about them. It was at China’s Place Taqueria and each was made to order. They were packed with love, grease, and flavor which has now left me jaded on what a true street taco should taste like. After that life altering experience, we headed back home for some fun in the sun, margaritas in a can, and a cotton candy sunset.

Cactus Wonderland

Sadly,weneededtostartourjourneybacktothestatesas our last days in Baja were quickly approaching. We found land that was packed with those larger than life caci. It was another day with no service but the experience living near these ancient beasts was well worth the disconnect. It turned out to be one of our favorite places we’ve parked, and also near one of Baja’s infamous beaches. We only had a half a day there but could have easily stayed for another day or two, or maybe even a week.

Ensenada: Round Two

Our last night was spent in Ensenada. It only seemed fitting to end our trip where it all began. We all secretly wanted a few more of those delicious margaritas from Bar Andaluz. We parked in the same parking lot and spent the night meeting locals, listening to a mariachi band and drinking beers at Hussong’s Cantina.

Our eight days spent in Baja was the perfect blend of tastes and overall an enjoyable experience. We allowed for quite a few unturned stones that have us itching to go back. We’ve only scratched the surface to this incredibly beautiful land. Plans are in the works for a longer stint, and I can’t wait to witness more, revisit some of our favorite spots, and practice my spanish along the way. Salude!

You can find Lindsey and Danny on their YouTube channel by searching Lindsey and Danny Vanlife or on Instagram @lindseyanddannyvanlife.

RV TECH SCHOOL TRAINING FOR RV OWNERS & TECHNICIANS

There are common questions that come up when someone wants to know about full-time RV living, if you are not retired, a regular one is “What do you do to make money?” Many people can work remotely with a laptop, cell phone, and good internet but what about the people who enjoy the hands-on work of repairing or simply enjoy interacting with people, in person? Is there a way for them to earn a living on the road? Is there ever.

One of just two schools in the United States, the National RV Training Academy, or NRVTA, is certifying mobile repair technicians and RV inspectors through its nationally recognized certification courses. With the amount of RVers on the road growing each year, these technicians and inspectors are in high demand.

Likemostfamilybusinesses,theNRVTAstartedsmallbut its name is now on almost all RVers radar. Terry Cooper, a founder and co-owner, was program director for the RV Maintenance program at the Texas State Technical College in Waco, Texas. It was a two-year program where graduates would go on to find employment as service technicians with RV dealers. When the funding for the program was cut, Terry was moved to teaching the solar program but he finally retired from teaching and in 2009 went into business offering consumers hands-on RV maintenance classes.

Terry is known as the Texas RV Professor. Terry and his wife Evada, along with business partners Steve and

Kathy Jo Anderson, owners of Workamper News, hit the road full-time traveling the country and teaching their 5-day course in campgrounds along the way. Over the years it transitioned from being an RV consumer class into the National RV Inspectors Association, or NRVIA. The NRVIA officially launched in January 2014 which is when Evada’s daughter Stephanie Henson left corporate America to help run the business.

It is currently run out of the Big Red School House and Community Center in Athens, Texas. NRVTA offers three different programs ranging from one to five weeks in length. They’ve brought back the consumer course, named the Week 1 RV Basic Maintenance class and it’s where all RV techs, inspectors, and RV owners start their training. The 5-day course allows students to learn everything from the 3 different electrical systems on most RVs, to the propane system, plumbing, major appliances like RV refrigerators, air conditioners, as well as preventative maintenance. If you are thinking of going full-time or just RVing in general, this course will teach you how to fix 80% of the problems you and your RV might face. The Week 1 course also offers the option to earn the certification as a Level 1 RV Inspector through the National RV Inspectors Association. Level 1 Inspectors are qualified to do basic inspections for banks, insurance companies and extended warranty providers.

After Week 1, students can move on to either the NRVIA

Level 2 Advanced Inspector Course or the newer, fourweekAdvancedRVTechnicianprogram.Intheadvanced technician classes students focus each week on a different system and skill. There is the four-day course in air conditioners and heat pumps, the absorption refrigerators course, the water heaters & furnace course and the exterior systems course. They even have some new courses coming soon in solar and generators so graduates can go on to offer a variety of services in their mobile repair businesses.

While we were visiting the school the water heater and furnace course was in session and students received both hands-on instruction as well as classroom theory training. Dealers and manufacturers donate RV appliances and equipment to the school for the students to learn. For the final hands-on exam the instructor will bug an appliance allowing the students to identify and fix the issue to earn a passing score.

When Terry was running his consumer classes back in the campground days, students would often call him up and ask him to go look at a used RV they were considering buying. This is what led him to add on classes for inspectors. Terry created the processes and templates for teaching inspectors how to do a thorough RV inspection and the National RV Inspectors Association was born.

The team began recruiting members for their original inspector course but very quickly realized they needed to start an advanced inspector course. When someone purchases an extended warranty, the warranty company will usually send someone out to check all the systems to ensure they function, like the hydraulic and mechanical systems. However, they don’t check for wear and tear on a unit and this is the information a buyer of a used RV really wants to know.

So the NRVIA developed an advanced class, or Level 2, for people who are running an inspection business. It involves detailed walk throughs on full-scale inspections throughout the week. The course teaches students how to prepare professional reports with photos, do fluid analysis testing by extracting motor oil or transmission fluid and sending for analysis. Fluid analysis is important on a used motorhome because it can tell you if there are any minerals or shavings in fluid, what issues the system might have and how to fix it. Think of this like your annual blood work you have done during your routine physical exam.

Whether you are interested in starting an inspection business, an inspection & light repair business, or a mobile technician business, the NRVTA teaches you more than just the technical side. In Week 1 students spend the morning sessions of each class learning how to market and develop their business. They invite the student’s spouse or partner to join in these morning sessions because very often they are a team in their business with one handling the business side and one handling the inspection or technical side.

NRVTA graduates stay busy once they leave and start their businesses. In RV hotspots like Tampa, Florida, an inspector can work full-time doing 3-5 inspections a week and able to charge anywhere from $500-$1000 each. For mobile techs who are looking for a part-time business they can do while traveling, all you need is a pop-up sign in a campground and the work comes to you.

The NRVTA and their students are a family, staying connected with all their graduates through continuing education events and facebook groups for business owners. They also have a code of ethics they uphold all their graduates to. In just the few months since we learned about the academy, we’ve come across 4 of their students and every one of them had nothing but great things to say about their time at the school and beyond.

Ifyouareafull-timeRVerorlookingtostartyouradventure soon, the NRVTA offers their beginner course to RVers online as well. You can hit the road with the knowledge of how to fix or troubleshoot 80% of what may go wrong with your RV.

If you are looking to start a repair or inspection business, the NRVTA is your go-to resource. Their graduates are nationally recognized certified RV technicians and the opportunity to grow a successful business is huge and ever growing.

For more on the National RV Training Academy or to sign up for a class, head to NRVTA.com

WATER

RESISTANT SUNGLASSES POUCH

2 WATER

BOTTLE

BRING EVERYTHING @timandfin Created by:

HOLDERS

HELLO ADVENTURE GOODBYE CUBICLE,

TIPS ON TRANSITIONING YOUR OFFICE CAREER TO WORK REMOTELY

BY JESSE AND RACHAEL LYONS

It’s easy to assume that people who live on the road are free spirits, untethered from the anchors of society. But to be honest, we are both very practical. Most of our lives are similar to any other American: every Monday morning we log onto our laptops at 8:30 AM and begin a 50+ hour work week. We sit in meetings, have bosses, answer calls, collaborate with teammates, manage teams and complete projects. We’re longtime employees, listed on a W2, and have been promoted through the ranks of our companies. The only difference is now, instead of commuting to our offices in Boston, we walk 20 feet from our bed to our desks in our fifth wheel RV.

We’re Jesse & Rachael Lyons, and we’ve been working and traveling full-time in our RV since November 2018. Moving into a fifth wheel and going nomadic went against the structured lives we had built so far. We met while attending business school near Boston. After graduation, we started building careers in marketing, married a few years later, and moved into an apartment in Cambridge. By the time 2018 rolled around, our routine as urban young professionals was repetitive. Every day for four years, Jesse took the subway to his job at a technology startup downtown. Rachael drove to suburbs and put in a full day with the relocation company she’d worked with for six years.

We were ready for a change, but struggled to find a next step that fit our desires. We weren’t ready for kids. Many

of our friends were buying homes in the suburbs, but that didn’t interest us either. A change-up in our careers would have added variation, but we liked our jobs. We wanted to add more adventure and travel to our lives, but that seemed expensive and unattainable. Then we discovered RVing, and immediately knew it was the right step for us.

Sourcing income on the road is one of the biggest challenges for RVers. We had careers, so it felt obvious to take them on the road. As marketers, we already worked on laptops. It was just the matter of convincing our employers that we could do our jobs just as well remotely as we had in the office for many years.

Our plan for income was not guaranteed, but we were committed to making our full-time travel dream a reality. We started searching for a used fifth wheel, and in May 2018 we purchased a 2001 Keystone Cougar. It was the perfect floorplan to renovate into our dream home on wheels. Every weekend we drove two hours north to Maine, where we were storing and renovating our fifth wheel. We were hoping to depart before winter, and by July we knew we couldn’t wait longer to notify work of our plans.

There are three keys to taking an office job on the road. The first is the ability to do the majority of your job remotely, usually via computer. As marketers, 95%

of our jobs could be accomplished as long as we had internet and phone access. There are often elements of your job that are more productive at an office. For Jesse, this was running his company’s events. For Rachael, it was managing her team. But we knew we could still contribute our talents to these tasks remotely, delegate some parts to onsite team members, and periodically travel back to the office as required.

The second is committing to moving forward with your digital nomad plan regardless of the answer from your employer. This shifts the power of the decision to you, not your company. It forces your employer to decide whether it is more painful to lose you in the office, or lose you as an employee entirely. We both believed that our employers would say yes to our plan, but agreed that if one said no, we would find new remote jobs. Our dream was more important to us than continuing the trajectory of our careers.

The third and most important is already creating value at your company. If your boss trusts you will be productive without direct management and finds your talent and experience hard to replace, it will be difficult to justify letting you quit to find remote work elsewhere. This is why we were confident in our plan. Over the years with our employers, we became integral members of our teams.

We knew Jesse’s company had just been acquired, so we timedouraskswiththattransition.Theacquiringcompany was based in Los Angeles, so in the introduction to his manager, he informed her of his plans. To the manager, the answer was obvious. Jesse’s former boss had informed her of Jesse’s value, and from the manager’s point of view, he would be remote from her if he worked

from the Boston office anyway. We had our first yes!

The next week Rachael met with her boss. She told him that we were leaving Boston in the fall to travel, but that she loved her job, and that she would prefer to go remote rather than quit. To her surprise, her boss said yes immediately. He told Rachael that as a boss he wanted to keep her on the team, and as a friend he wanted her to pursue a lifestyle that made her happy. So that was it – we were both ready to take our office jobs on the road!

Not everyone will have the same outcome. Our companies already had multiple locations and were equipped to connect employees across branches with technology. Both companies also already had positive experiences with remote employees. These factors made an easier transition, and are something to consider when you ask your own employer to work from your RV.

In November 2018, left Boston for our full-time travel journey. Transitioning our jobs to the road was weirdly both easy and challenging. From our companies’ point

of view, we opened our laptops on our first workday in our RV without skipping a beat from the previous week. We work hard to ensure our availability and productivity on the road never lapses. No matter where we are, we are always in front of our laptops during business hours (and often later).

But that means different sacrifices. We move our RV after-hours or on weekends,andscopeoutthedatasignal at campsites before booking. We fly for business trips or to our home offices every few months, sometimes driving hours one way just to get to an airport. Balancing our work commitments and travel plans is a constant stressor. Taking simultaneous conference calls only ten feet apart in a tiny space is a struggle. The distance from our teams can be a hurdle.

To us though, it is unquestionable that every challenge is worth it, and working from our RV is the best decision of our lives. When we close our laptops, an adventure begins. In our first year of RV travel we visited 27 destinations across eleven states. We spend the hours between our jobs hiking national parks, exploring cities, sampling local restaurants and

breweries. Instead of cubicles, we work from vineyards, redwood forests, beside oceans and among saguaros. Our weekends are spent with friends and family across the country, and we spend quality time with each other everyday.Whenwewakeup,wedon’tdreadtheworkday, we look forward to our next excursion. Every day we feel like we’ve discovered a secret to life, allowing us to enjoy life to the fullest while pursuing careers.

Since we’ve gone remote, we have both been promoted. Our companies have confirmed that our performance is equally exceptional on the road as it was in an office. As an added bonus, we approach each week happier and with more energy.

The remote work revolution is coming. Companies that can be conducted remotely have been forced to send their employees home to work in response to COVID-19. In March, most employees at our companies had to begin working remotely, not just us. When this crisis is over, many companies will realize it’s no longer a necessity to work from an office. The one silver lining is it’s the perfect time to take the leap. When the pandemic is over, where will you want to work? For us, the answer is everywhere.

Follow Jesse & Rachael on Instagram @thetasteforadventure

FAMILIES FULL-TIME

There is a new American dream.

There are only a few simple steps … sell your home, sell all your stuff, find a way to make a living on the road, enroll the kids in a homeschool program, buy an RV and hit the road.

Maybe you’ve heard of them, these families who sell it all to travel full-time. Interestingly enough, most didn’t know anyone living in an RV full-time, had never owned or been in an RV, and some had never been camping as a family but they figured it out and are now living their best lives.

People are pushing back on everything they were told and figuring out a new way to live a life that puts their family first. A lot of families will tell you, it’s in the blink of an eye from the time you bring your kids home from the hospital to sending them off to college or out of the house. They only get a limited time together under the same roof and they are making the most of it.

If you are trying to figure out a way to hit the road with your family, we truly hope the following stories of these full-time families will encourage you to take the leap. When you see a family who looks like yours, doing something you didn’t think was possible, you can start to understand what’s possible and maybe your family will be the next to hit the road.

LessJunk<MoreJourney

Maybe it was perfect timing or maybe it was just meant to be, but when Nathan approached his wife Marissa with the idea of giving up their four bedroom, two bath house to live in an RV, she said yes. When their baby girl was just 6 weeks old, they made the decision to sell it all and downsize into an RV. The couple had struggled to get pregnant and Marissa was looking for every opportunity to spend more time together as a family.

It’s not that they disliked their house or even their neighborhood, they just knew there was more out there for them. Marissa worked as a Registered Nurse but when she had their daughter, Hensley, she wanted to stay at home. It was during this time that Nathan, who owned a computer repair shop and designed websites, crunched the numbers and decided they could afford this if they downsized to a smaller house or even an RV.

In May of 2015, after a year of planning, downsizing, buying an RV and preparing their job transitions, they hit the road. They bought their first RV that year of preparation and like a lot of full-time RVers, they had never done anything in an RV. In fact, they had never even stepped into one.

Their first RV was a 28 ft Earthbound trailer which looked sort of like a spaceship with a cork floor and euro-style cabinets. They got it for a great deal and thought if they didn’t really like it, they could always turn around and

sell it. It was a disaster from the start and they still can’t believe they continued RVing after the first night in the RV.

While the private seller described it as like new, when they showed up it was clear it wasn’t. They were told everything worked fine and with a hurricane closing in on the area, they quickly checked a few things and set out for a campground to spend that first night. Soon, they heard water pouring down from everywhere in the RV. All over the bathroom floor, coming out the back of the RV, the toilet and water heater all broke and the floors were damaged.

Needlesstosay,theydidn’tlikethatRVsotheypurchased a 43 ft fifth wheel. Nathan, being brand new to this whole RV thing, did not enjoy driving around an RV of that size. They downsized again to a 40 ft motorhome. “We were the three bears of camping.” Marissa says. “This one was too little, this one is too big and this one is just right.”

The family continues to change RVs as their lifestyle and needs change. Being Airstream fans, they moved into their Airstream when their travels were focused on visiting national parks and having a smaller rig made it a whole lot easier. After having their second child, they needed more room and storage than an Airstream provides so they moved back to a 40 ft fifth wheel. Their Airstream days are not over though, they just need more

room to stretch for their growing family right now.

Nathan and Marissa are introverts and never planned to become content creators. The accidental YouTubers were sharing videos with their friends and family back home to help them understand this crazy RV adventure they were on. Since the couple wasn’t interested in watching a whole hour of themselves sitting on a beach, they knew no one else would be either. They cut it down to 4 minutes, added in some music and threw it up on YouTube for their family.

Marissa says she fell in love with the lifestyle by watching an RV video and she wanted to share their own journey to hopefully inspire others. When they started RVing in 2015, there were really only How-To RV videos out there and they wanted to showcase more of the everyday lifestyle. One day they decided to sit down in front of the camera and talk about the video they were showing. That’s the video that really connected with people.

Their channel name, Less Junk, More Journey, is actually a reference to the couple and why they started this journey. Nathan has always loved minimalism and Marissa wanted the family journey. So, while Nathan is less junk, Marissa, who is all about more journey, deals with having less stuff in order to get it. In their old four bedroom house, two of the bedrooms were walk-in closets so Marissa says if she can do it, anyone can!

When they started creating videos there weren’t a lot of RVers out there documenting. Now if you want to create an RV YouTube channel, you have to really niche it down. But back then, just an RV lifestyle was niche enough. It’s really hard to grow a YouTube channel if you’re just going to do it casually. The family decided to give it everything they had, putting in 30-40 hours a week for 6 months and see what would happen. For the first 3 months they really didn’t see any momentum or uptick. But in time it did work and after about 2 years of creating content, they were finally able to scale back other work projects and clients and go full-time into YouTube content creation.

One of their biggest regrets is not documenting their journey from the very beginning. “Going through the process of downsizing and preparing our lives for the RV life could have been very valuable to share with others through video.” Marissa says. She encourages other families to not be afraid to document the journey because you can help others who will relate to the overwhelming feelings, fears and concerns.

It’s also easy to get caught up in the YouTube game, with clickbait terms or thumbnails, but Nathan and Marissa find joy in staying true to themselves, their family, and creating content that embraces who they are. Being themselves and showing the highs and lows has attracted many fans. Their YouTube channel now has more than 130k subscribers tuning in each week to see what the family is up to.

There are some challenges with having a family on the road. The hardest part with a newborn in an RV is the sleeping arrangements. Even if you have an RV with ‘walls’ they are not able to block out noise. They also learned that having a washer and dryer in the RV is a must with a newborn. The parents also worry a little about their children making deeper, meaningful connections with people as they grow up. Since they aren’t in traditional school and they don’t always see the same people.

Their extended families are close knit and all live in the same area of Tennessee. The family is able to plan 3 to 4 month RV routes which circle back to Tennessee where they can spend a month or two with family. In fact, they spend more quality time with their families now than they would if they lived right next door to them. They’ve also built a small full hookup site near Marissa’s mom so they have a home base to come back to. They are in their 5th year of RV living now and this home base has really helped prevent burn out.

“Kids are tough whether you’re in a house or an RV so why not be in an RV.” Marissa says. Since she had Hensley for her first year in a house and now baby brother JJ with his first year in an RV, she says it wasn’t much different. They might not have as many toys but they don’t really play with them anyways. They’re busy playing outside with sticks or digging.

“Our biggest piece of advice for those considering this lifestyle is find a community.” Marissa said. “Our first year on the road, we grew lonely and had so many questions. Once we found communities on the road that grew into friendships, it changed everything for us in a positive way. This journey is incredible, but it is even more meaningful to share with friends and like-minded souls.”

Follow Nathan and Marissa on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or Pateron @LessJunkMoreJourney or visit their website lessjunkmorejourney.com.

ROAD SCHOOL

By Malinda Fuller

Why We Think It’s the Best Form of Education

“What about their socialization?” It’s a question that most home educators are used to hearing—and full-time traveling families even more so. Every wellmeaning grandparent, friend, coach, and even stranger, is concerned about whether homeschooled kids will be “socially well-adjusted.” Of course, for many parents, keeping their children out of a traditional classroom has little to do with restricting socialization because typically, what they are giving up in the quantity of peersocial groups is exchanged for quality interactions and relationships.

Homeschoolingitselfhascomealongwayovertheyears. Long gone are the images of a family of seven children, all clad in matching floor-length prairie dresses, pigtails, and a lack of awareness of what was going on outside their small-town bubble. Online influencers have made homeschool look cool and achievable, and the plethora of online academies, co-ops, and charter schools have made home education not only a better option for many families but the best solution.

Educational games, free web classes, libraries, YouTube, and hands-on environments like science and art museums, give kids the chance to learn through a variety of mediums. Students of every age have the flexibility to work at their own pace and spend more time pursuing what they are most passionate about (sports, art, science, music). Because of this, many children excel in the home education environment. Rarely does it mimic a traditional classroom setting, and that’s freeing for many families (especially the parent assuming the “teacher”

role). “Learning” isn’t limited to a desk in a classroom, and neither is socialization something that happens in a one-hour window on a playground after lunch.

Full-time nomadic families use the term “road-schooling,” which means an education that utilizes local or regional resources. “Educating” is less about getting through a curriculum,andmorefocusedwithfullimmersionwherever you are. You can spend a month exploring Washington DC with all the historical options, and in other seasons, focus more on math or language arts while staying in a remote area. Rather than learning every subject from one (or a handful) of teachers required to teach from textbooks, nomadic children have the opportunity to learn from adults who are either passionate about what they are sharing or have specialized education.

The opportunities for full-time traveling families are endless. Every national monument, park, farm, historic location, museum, theme park, and market is a new opportunity to discover something new. A day trip into a new city affords options like talking to small business owners, city employees, librarians, museum curators, and artists. An afternoon hiking on a trail or sifting for shark teeth at the beach means an encounter with excited employees or retirees. There is no limit to what they can explore, and this kind of learning is so memorable.

One of our family’s favorite places to explore is in the National Parks, thanks to the Junior Ranger program. Our kids get educated about wildlife, ecosystems, the park’s history, as well as the people who helped build

it. They earn badges for completed activities, but before they can be “sworn in” as junior rangers, they have to interview a staff member, asking questions and recording answers. While it seems like a fun activity, they can be very involved and time-consuming. Our kids love the program and look forward to earning new pins for their ranger vests. All families with a 4th grader can access National Parks and Monuments for free by using the “Every Kid In the Park” pass.

We love to adventure regardless of where we are. We have taught our kids to embrace new situations, ask questions, and be thankful for every opportunity. Both had passport stamps by their first birthday because of visits to see extended family in Canada and Mexico. Before our full-time nomad journey started, they had already visited more than a dozen states and seen many national and local places of interest. They have experienced more than most adults in their short lifetime, and we love watching their lists of “where to go/what to do” continue to grow.

We had already been homeschooling for several years before we decided to become full-time nomads. We had adjusted to being together 24/7—combining homeschool, self-employment, and working remotely. We knew that this would help our transition to full-time

travel, but finding community on the road was a priority.

We knew there was a large population of traveling families, and thanks to the internet, the Fulltime Families network, and flexible plans, we’ve been able to meet people and find great friends to travel and do life with. These parents are often the best teachers to our kids because they pass on both skills and knowledge freely. Our kids have been introduced to coding, sat in on art and cartography classes, learned all about sourdough bread, completed writing lessons, yoga instruction, and more, as a result of being with other full-time traveling families.

We try to complete most of their schoolwork in the morning so that they can have the afternoons to play, explore, and create with friends. The kids build forts and lego creations, play games, work out, put on plays, and create masterpieces of all types. We’ve loved the flexibility of road-school as well as the different opportunities that our kids have had. They have learned so much because of the people we’ve been with, and the places we’ve visited. The friendships that they’ve gained will go with them into the rest of their lives, as will the memories that they will have of our nomadic adventures.

About the Authors:

Alex, Malinda, Lydia & Madi are a full-time nomadic family saying “yes” to adventure and life in a fifth wheel. They love national parks, sand dunes, the mountains, small towns, good food, and new experiences. They love to be outside and love boondocking, but have found that it’s more about the people that you’re with, than the place that you’re parked. Find them on Instagram @thefulleradventure.

Photo Credit: @Our1Chance

FROM OLYMPIC TRIALS TO FULL-TIME RVING

By Angel Thomas

How exactly did we get to be living full-time in a 27 foot travel trailer and loving it? I’m Angel, wife to my amazing husband, Roland. Momma bear to 13 year old Ariel, and 5 year old Victory. Like most of you, we are prettynormalpeople.Iwasahomemaker,homeschooling mom who did crafts and sold them for a little extra cash on the side. My husband worked in sales for a major industrial manufacturer. He did extremely well in his field and reached the top 5% at his company. We served in the marriage ministry at our church and volunteered a few days a week in our community. Completely normal people.

That is, until we did something crazy. My husband tried out for the 2020 Karate Olympic trials and almost made it! It still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. Now don’t think Roland is completely out of his mind, he’s been training in karate since he was 5 years old and received his black belt at 14. The thing that made his decision insane was that he hadn’t trained in 8 years. He

was completely out of shape. But when he heard karate was going to debut in the 2020 Olympics for the first time, he felt like he had to go for it.

When it came time to head to the trials in Reno, we decided to turn this into an epic road trip. This trip really set us up to make the decision of a lifetime and finally go for it. To travel the United States full-time in an RV. We will never forget the memories we made on that trip. From cliff jumping in Lake Tahoe, to watching an out of this world alien parade in Roswell, New Mexico. We got to experience the Grand Canyon and make memories we still hold close. These are the reasons we said yes, with no hesitation, to selling all of our possessions and going for it.

We sold or donated all of our stuff and checked to see when our lease was up on the apartment so we could set a date. Since we already homeschooled our children that was no big deal. The next thing we needed to figure out

was a way to earn an income while on the road.

We had a pretty good savings but we knew that if this was going to be something we would do long term we would have to figure out a way to earn money on the road while we travelled. The first was obviously to join the YouTube community and start sharing our journey, so we did. Of course to get paid on YouTube you have to have more than a few videos and 12 subscribers. One of which was my mom and the other eleven our close friends and church members. So we definitely had our work cut out for us and a long journey ahead with YouTube.

WestartedsellingonAmazonwithaprivatelabelproduct and eventually branched out to Retail Arbitrage and that’s where we really started to pick up steam. Within 3 months we had our first $10,000 month and it was on. When we saw how much money there was to be made using Amazon alone, we were ready to hit the road fulltime. We also got into photography, videography, and even a bit of social media managing. And yes I would definitely say we got in a little over our heads but we were on a mission.

While on the trip to Reno, Nevada we had quite a few stressful experiences which helped make the decision for us to buy a travel trailer. One thing we knew for sure was tent camping was not the way we were gonna do it! I mean don’t get me wrong, we love our nine person tent camper and air mattress. But while on our first stop at White Sands, New Mexico, Roland and I both ate sand and failed horribly at putting up the tent. Our family of four ended up sleeping in our very cramped midsize SUV. It was the worst night of sleep ever.

When we were camping just outside of the Grand Canyon, we got caught in a thunderstorm and had to set up our tent in the rain. That was fun. On the bright side we did tour the Grand Canyon and wow, what a dream! When we knew tenting wasn’t going to work, we started down the road of elaborate Instagram van life dreams. The reality of the cost to buy and convert a van for a family of four quickly set in and we decided it was out of our price range. We went through the process of elimination from Class A motorhome to finally a travel trailer.

While I was away on a day trip in Austin with my friend and our kids, Roland found a 2005 Jayco travel trailer for $4,500 on Craigslist. It was in really great condition, he FaceTimed me and we checked it out together via FaceTime, making the cash purchase right then and there. We hadn’t even purchased a truck yet! A few days later we rented a Uhaul truck and picked up our new home!

It was so exhilarating after that and it was time to renovate and make her a home. I am extremely proud to say I did the entire renovation myself. We named her Journey Jay Bird and it took me two months and I almost blew us up using power tools with an unknown propane leak. But we made it out alive and she is everything I envisioned her to be.

When we decided to take our life on the road, our oldest daughter Ariel and her friends had the hardest time adjusting. She thought this was lame, and embarrassing. She didn’t tell her friends what we were doing and she actually let them believe we had moved to another state. Now that I’m writing this I actually laugh a little because how outlandish was that? Thankfully she has come around and allowed herself to be thankful and have fun most of all. She has made some good friends who she still talks with regularly. On the other hand, our youngest daughter Victory embraced all the adventure and the junior ranger programs wholeheartedly. Being 5 years old definitely made transitioning easier for her.

My advice for anyone going full-time is to enjoy the journey, make crazy fun memories and keep your eyes open for opportunities, treasures, and new friendships. Since we’ve started traveling full-time we have met and made family. We’ve paraglided off the side of a mountain in Utah, hiked up beautiful mountains in Colorado, hung out in unexpected hot springs, done volunteer projects and seen some of the worlds largest trees. It’s been a blast and we are excited for whatever comes next.

Follow the Thomas Family on YouTube at ThomasFamilyLife on Instagram and Facebook

ONE CRAZY DREAM

By Becci Ravera

ne year… One year ago we listened more to our dreams than our fears and our whole world changed. It’s been one year since we sold our sticks + bricks house and 90% of our things to hit the road and travel full time. One year ago our little family of 4 risked what felt like everything to chase some big adventures and one crazy dream.

How perfect it was that I recently ran across the blog post we did when we bought our little road home. Instantly, all the anticipation and emotion I remember feeling in those months before we left came flooding back. I still remember driving up to check out the rig and knowing, before we even saw it, that it was the one for us. We had spent months searching for the perfect little home but we knew we were looking for a diamond in the rough. We had some big requirements, an extensive checklist but one teeny tiny budget.

Then one afternoon I was doing my daily search through all the RV for sale pages and I came across this trailer I hadn’t seen in my previous searches. It caught my eye because it had almost everything we wanted and it was half the price of every comparable rig we had seen. I could tell in the photos it needed some TLC but we knew we were going to renovate the inside anyways so that didn’t concern me too much.

I reached out to the owner asking her a few questions and I remember inquiring about the low price. I needed her to know we were looking for something that we could

live in during our 6-months on the road and I needed the trailer to be safe. That’s when she told me how her family had recently returned from being on the road for the same amount of time we planned, and her boys were the same age as ours. They had traveled the same route we were planning. I knew right away this was more than a coincidence.

My little hippie heart knows sometimes you need to pay attention to signs. Those tiny too-obvious-to-be-acoincidence moments that sometimes show up to remind you you are on the right path. The entire way up to check out the trailer was filled with tiny little signs that assured me this was our new home. Meeting the owners only solidified my certainty.

After meeting, we sat and chatted for way too long. They shared their stories of being on the road, and they shared in our excitement as we told them all of the big plans and dreams we had for this little home on wheels. We could all tell it was meant to be. They almost refused our money but I told them we were happy to pay because this was a down-payment on our dreams. They hugged us with tears in their eyes telling us how happy they were to know that this space that once meant so much to them was now going to be filled with new memories for someone else.

I remember the day we first we brought our new rig home. I was overwhelmed with the endless possibilities of new memories that were about to fill this 200sqft of space. It became the only thing I thought about, I used it as

motivation. That grueling month of renovations on both the rig and our house was fueled solely by my determination to get to making those memories. Well that, and a few bottles of wine too.

Speaking of that month of renovations… can we just take a moment to appreciate what an experience it was. If I ever again think one month is enough time to completely renovate our trailer, repaint the interior (5 times!), add all new flooring, hand build the counters, reroute electrical and plumbing, all while renovating our house, running a business, and sticking to a tight budget of $3k someone PLEASE stop me. Apparently, turning a 15 year old trailer into a mini apartment is not an easy task. Who am I kidding? It was brutal, totally worth it but brutal and through it all the one thing that kept me going was the idea of all those memories waiting for us on the road.

What to hear the truth though? The real memories we made in our last 12 months on the road have been better than I could have ever imagined. One of my favorite past times is listening to our boys in the back of our truck talk about all of the memories that now fill this tiny home of ours.

Like the time we headed out on what we thought was an hour hike through Yosemite’s mist trail and ended up hiking for 8 grueling hours through what felt like every single inch of the park. That was the day we learned what challenges we could overcome together.

Or the time our one-night-stay at a horse ranch in Nevada turned into a surprise off roading trip into the desert in search of wild mustangs. When we found them I swear time stood still. I sat in awe as I listened to our hosts taught our boys everything they possibly could about those mustangs.

There was one night when our camping neighbors just happened to be well known astronomers who spent the next hour giving our family a personal astronomy lesson, high powered lasers and all, in the middle of one of Utah’s International Dark Skies park.

And my kids still laugh about the time I made them climb up the side of a mesa outside of Sedona to huddle in ancient caves for just fun. But man was that sunset amazing. These are just a handful of precious memories that now fill the walls of our little tiny home on wheels. I wish I could go back to that day when we brought our rig home and tell myself “Oh, girrrrl. You have no idea what’s ahead for you. It’s gonna be Ah-MAZING.”

Because when it’s all said and done isn’t the goal to die with MEMORIES not dreams?

Follow Becci, Anthony & family on their big dream making journey on Instagram and Facebook at @Lettersfromthewild. Check out Becci’s photography @BecciRaveraPhoto and at BecciRaveraPhotography.com

ADVENTURE SEEKING, BRAVE & US

One night a drunk driver crashed into our house forcing us to look for a new place to live. We lived in Connecticut, where our jobs, friends, and family were. But when we didn’t have much luck finding a new place, I got the idea to travel the United States in a motorhome!

We are Magda, Flori, Luna, and Tig, our dog, a full-time traveling family and we’ve been on the road just over a year now. I was born and raised in Poland, and Flori is from Romania. We both speak different languages, which means we talk to our daughter in two different languages and communicate with each other in English. We’d lived the last ten years in Connecticut. When I came up with the idea of RVing around the country, I’d never stepped foot in one nor did we know anyone living in one, but thought it would be a cool way to see the country and have a great adventure.

So the research began. We started with dealers just to see what these RVs looked like inside since we were both totally green on the subject. Not long after we realized we wanted to go with a private seller to get the most for our money. Just like that we came across a family on Craigslist that was selling their 1997 Winnebago Class A. Next thing we knew, we were going to the bank to get the cashier’s check.

By Magda Nogas

A few months later after selling 80% of our belongings, we were on the road. We didn’t have any idea how long we would be traveling, or how things would go, but not too long into this journey we realized we were hooked. Nomadic life felt so right, like nothing else before. We both like change, we both like adventure, and we both like a change of scenery. We didn’t have much money saved and we knew we needed to figure something out if we wanted to continue this lifestyle.

Flori knew he wanted to do computer programming. It’s something he would talk about here and there, so he started to teach himself with free online courses. I work two remote jobs and it’s quite amazing because I can pick how many hours I want to work. I am a certified online English teacher, and a part-time Polish-English interpreter. In between I run our blog braveandus.com which is focused on cooking in tiny spaces. I love to bake bread, make ferments and be creative in the kitchen. The idea behind it is to share that tiny living doesn’t limit us in doing the things we love. Okay maybe gardening is the only thing living tiny limits us on.

As we continued traveling and exploring, we found our groove and learned a lot about RV living. All the tricks about minimizing our water consumption, conservation of our battery life, the gray and black water tanks, and how not to fill them up too quickly. We also recently updated

to a small solar system that maintains our batteries since we do find ourselves boondocking a lot. We are not planners but rather go with the flow type of travelers. We don’t stay in places too long, if we feel like we’ve had enough of a place we pack our stuff and go.

Our daughter Luna is almost 4 and a strong willed, free spirited child. She has done really well with life on the road. One of the biggest concerns we had is where she would sit while we drove the bus. We wanted the safest place for her with easy access while driving. After much debate, we decided to put in a whole separate seat by mounting a steel frame to the frame of the bus. It was the best option for us so I can assist her while driving without getting out of my seat and a seat belt. Plus being between our seats she sees everything through the front windshield.

She likes all the adventures we go on and she’s always excited about new friends. Although it’s not always easy, as we do prefer more remote places that are not only free but wild. Many times we are the only ones in the area. People ask us about homeschooling but she is still young and learning all she needs to know right now from her daily exploratory adventures.

A few words about our girl, Tig. We rescued her in Colorado and we were not planning on having pets

any time soon. We agreed though, the only way we would have a pet is if he or she found us. Well one day as Luna and I were strolling through a park in Ridgeway we saw a farmers market. Little did we know it was an adoption event from local shelters. As we approached one of the stands we saw Tig. She was just about 3 months old and she was staring at the two of us with her human looking eyes and just like that she became part of our tribe.

As we travel, we’ve learned we prefer to boondock instead of staying at RV parks. We love people and making friends but we tend to find like minded people more in the middle of nowhere then in a RV park. Don’t get me wrong we’ve met some fantastic folks and had great conversations, but we haven’t created bonds with them, besides a good bingo game. We do stay in State Parks but RV parks just aren’t our vibe. The plan for our year got little shifted but we are still hoping to spend our next winter in Baja California, Mexico.

Follow Magda, Flori, Luna & Tig on their full-time adventures on Instagram @Brave_and_us, search Brave and Us on YouTube or check out Magda’s cooking at braveandus.com.

Crazy Outdoor Mama: Camping Journals

By Stacy Bressler

My journey to exploring the world and loving the outdoors began when I was 19. I joined the Navy right after high school and immediately left what I had known as home. I was stationed on USS Iwo Jima for five years; two deployments and multiple foreign countries later, my eyes had been opened to the world outside of Southern California. I was drawn to other cultures, seeing how different people live, and most importantly, how much they prioritize togetherness.

After being on the ship for a month, I met my husband. Things got serious quickly and four years later we were married. We honeymooned in his hometown of Jackson, Wyoming where I fell in love with the mountains and the National Parks. We knew that as soon as we were out of the Navy, Jackson was going to be our home, and everything lined up perfectly.

My husband and I wanted our family to experience the feeling of togetherness that we experienced during our travels in the Navy. Although we live in a beautiful mountain town, we wanted to disconnect. When our first child was born, we began truck camping to get away from it all. I remember thinking being free in nature was so relaxing and I craved more.

When we found out we were expecting twins, we upgraded to our 18 foot Keystone Hideout, which we took on many planned and spur of the moment trips. Our

kids got to experience being free in the outdoors and we loved explaining how mountains and trees formed and developed over thousands of years and how bugs survived in their environment. It was humbling to see their eyes light up and confirmed that distancing ourselves from our everyday life was the right choice for us. We had achieved the goal of togetherness and wanted it whenever possible.

While we were disconnected from devices on our trips, I still used my phone to take pictures to remember the trips by. After many trips, my memory about the details that went along with the photos became fuzzy. I wanted a way to keep my memories organized with the photos and write down little things that made us laugh.

I searched everywhere from Amazon to local touristy

shops to find a creative way to keep my memories organized but all I kept finding was black and white lined logs. While remembering the basics of what campsite we stayed at and what we did was nice, I wanted something that would allow me to record how I felt—vibrant and full of experiences with color and emotion behind it. None of what I found had that, so I decided to make it myself.

I knew I couldn’t be the only one who wanted to remember their feelings rather than just the basics. I searched RV groups on Facebook and asked readers of my camping website what they wanted to record in a journal. With all of the responses I received, along with my own ideas, I created a camping journal full of places to jot down memories. It also includes a page for a bucket list of future trips and a spot for pictures when you get to visit. Once the journal was completed, I was amazed at the feedback. The journal reached #1 new release in camping on Amazon the same month it was released in January 2020.

After creating my Campsite Journal, I wanted my kids to have a place to write down their experiences and ideas as well. Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t find anything to fit this need for kids either, so I went back to the drawing board and created a kids version.

The Kids Camping Journal still encourages kids to write down basics, but also focuses on exploration, connection, and curiosity through sketches, and prompts to look for the magical things in nature such as footprints, moss, bugs, and wildlife.

There are also games to give kids and families something to do and get the conversation flowing around a campfire as a recap from each day—along with plenty of laughs!

Camping has been a way for my family to get to know each other better away from distractions and chaos of everyday life. Being able to keep my memories safe forever is important to me and I am beyond happy to have a way to do so and share it with so many others who appreciate the power of experiences, vivid memories, and getting outdoors.

Follow Stacy’s crazy outdoor adventures on Instagram & Facebook @thecrazyoutdoormama and grab the journals at thecrazyoutdoormama.com or on Amazon.

TRIPAWDS

“How far do you go for a dog?” I’ll never forget the look on the PBS producer’s face when Rene spoke those words to wrap up a segment of the documentary, Why We Love Cats and Dogs. The 2009 Nature episode explores the bonds people create with their pets, and we’re the crazy dog people. After all, the three-legged fur-kid by our side was so much more than just a dog. Jerry was the reason we hit the road one year earlier. On this sunny Santa Fe afternoon, a film crew caught up with us to share his story. After two days of filming, Rene summed things up perfectly with this question. The producer was thrilled – it was the message she wanted to illustrate the lengths we go to for our animal companions.

Some would say we went to pretty extreme lengths. Child-free by choice, Jerry completed our family. He wasn’t just our companion, he was our Chief Fun Officer. During long work days while growing our marketing business, he kept us sane. Jerry reminded us daily that there is much more to life than work. And after he lost a leg to terminal bone cancer in November 2006, he taught us much more.

Our remaining time with Jerry was limited, so we sold our home, our business, and nearly everything we owned to pay him back for all he had given us. We bought a new 24’ fifth wheel to travel the country as a pack and make the most of every day together.

That crazy dog loved life on three legs for the next two amazing years. From coast to coast, he showed us how to live life to the fullest. Jerry splashed in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. He romped across Texas, and led us up

the Rocky Mountains – teaching many important lessons along the way. His wisdom is at the heart of our book, Be More Dog: Learning to Live in the Now. In it we share how we found our purpose, and turned our passion into a fulltime labor of love by serving others. The subtitle sums it up perfectly for us: Enjoying Every Day to the Fullest on the Road to Happiness.

Rene and I are by no means retired, we had only budgeted for a year-long sabbatical. When we hit the road in June of 2007, we started Jerry’s Tripawds blog to share his progress. We created our own website, Live Work Dream, in order to sell our home-based business, but it evolved into an RV lifestyle blog.

WeslowlygrewouronlinepresencewhileJerrycontinued

How a three-legged dog inspired travel, workamping, and living life to the fullest.

By Jim Nelson & Rene Agredano

to defy the bone cancer odds. Our short sabbatical grew longer and before we knew it, we were full-time RVers. One day a full-timing family we befriended gave us a copy of Dave Ramsey’s book, Total Money Makeover. We soon discovered that being debt-free was vital if we wanted to keep traveling. We quickly paid off our RV, and committed to staying out of debt. There was only one issue: we still weren’t making any money. While brainstorming ways, we recalled our conversations with a camp host couple. They worked at a national forest campground, and introduced us to workamping – a way to exchange hours worked for a free site, and sometimes get paid. Since our end goal was to settle down again somewhere new, workamping seemed like an ideal way to test business ideas we might pursue next.

Our first workamping job was at a North Carolina animal rescue. As passionate pet parents we always wanted to save dogs, but quickly discovered we are not cut from the same cloth as those who do. Becoming organic farmers was another dream, but two months working the fields in Florida fixed that idea. We worked at a New Mexico hot springs resort, and then found a Colorado dude ranch where we ended up returning for the next eight summers. Meanwhile, we grew the Tripawds community by adding discussion forums, a live chat, and free blogs for members to share their stories and support each other.

Even the best dogs don’t live forever, and in 2008 Jerry’s cancer returned. We set his spirit free near Yellowstone along the Madison River, and grieved hard. That bittersweet journey gave us the healing power we needed to carry on his legacy. The community Jerry inspired would continue to grow.

Tripawds has since become the largest support community for amputee pets and their people. It’s our labor of love and our passion. It fuels the fire within us as we continue our full-time RV travels, while managing a network of over 1,500 three-legged dog and cat blogs along with the non-profit Tripawds Foundation. Each day we awake grateful knowing that we help others with resources and support, putting worried minds at ease. Life feels more fulfilled than ever for us – and our current three-legged superhero, Wyatt Ray.

About the Authors:

Jim and Rene became location independent entrepreneurs when they hit the road full-time in 2007. Rene is a writer and makes jewelry in her mobile studio. Jim is a graphic designer and web developer. Together they manage the Tripawds pet amputation support community at tripawds.org. Their book “Be More Dog: Learning to Live in the Now” was ranked a #1 New Release in Travel With Pets by Amazon. They blog about their nomadic lifestyle at LiveWorkDream.com. Follow their journey on Instagram @LiveWorkDream & @TripawdsCommunity.

RockyMountainNationalParkinnorth-centralColorado is iconic for a reason: it’s chock-full of towering mountains, alpine lakes, roaming elk herds, and miles and miles of green forests. It offers some of the best dayhikes in the country, and with paved roads weaving into the mountains, a diverse set of landscapes and animals, too. My girlfriend Maria and I visited the park for a month last fall in our self-converted Ram Promaster, and in our first weekend we saw elk, marmots, pika, mule deer, and bighorn sheep. Outdoor enthusiasts could spend years exploring the nooks and crannies of this park, but there’s plenty to experience in one weekend, too.

When you first arrive in Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, stop at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to learn about the park. You can plan out what hikes and areas you’d like to visit and ask the park rangers questions. You’d be surprised how helpful they can be for planning the perfect hike and recommending underrated areas. Then, head to their small auditorium to watch the short movie about the park.

Next, drive up Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor’s Center on your first day in the park. It’s the highestelevation NPS Visitor Center in the nation! Trail Ridge Road is the ‘road to the sky’ that offers sweeping views of the Rockies in all directions as you climb over 4,000 vertical feet on switchback roads. It is a higher-trafficked road in the park, but you can also take the Old Fall River Road from June to September if you’ve got a 4x4 vehicle. Our Promaster doesn’t have 4x4, so we had a blast

driving on Trail Ridge Road in the fall beneath the yellow aspen trees. We climbed higher and higher until it felt like we were in the clouds, mountain peaks poking up in all directions and pikas squeaking in the distance.

As for hiking, any of the trails up Bear Lake Road are unforgettable. But be warned: the parking lots fill up very early! Maria and I hiked to Nymph Lake and Emerald Lake one morning, and the parking lot had filled up by 6:30 a.m. If you’ve been meaning to take a sunrise hike, this is the place to do it. The trail to Nymph Lake and Emerald Lake is one I’d recommend to nearly everyone: 3.1 miles with only 700 feet of elevation gain with views of beautiful lakes, forests and mountains. This is the ideal view of mountains you’ve always dreamed of.

On our second weekend, Maria and I got up early to park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead off Bear Lake Road and hike my absolute favorite trail in the park: Sky Pond. This is an 8.1-mile, out-and-back difficult trail with beautiful views of alpine lakes, but there is a tricky scramble up a waterfall to get to the final section. We trudged along in a dense, wet fog for the first half of our hike, but the hard work was well worth it. When we climbed past the waterfall and arrived at Sky Pond, the fog finally lifted, and we were greeted with a stunning view of towering peaks surrounding us.

Maria and I love traveling through public lands on our nomadic journey, and Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our favorite spots we’ve visited so far. We’ve been

on a slow tour through the western national parks while we grow our business Seek More Wilderness, where we sell outdoor lifestyle apparel and donate 50% of profits to protecting public lands like Rocky Mountain National Park. By mixing work and play on our travels, we’ve had a blast not just exploring the national parks but advocating for them, too.

Another great area of the park is past the Fall River entrance station. After a long day working in the Estes Valley library – a great work spot in town – we decided to grab a pizza from Antonio’s and drive up Horseshoe Park. We pulled off at a trailhead near Sheep Lakes and had a picnic in the meadow while we listened to the elk bugling fill the mountain valley. Afterward, we hiked the alluvial fan, which was formed after the Lawn Lake Dam collapsed in 1982. When the dam burst and water raged down the mountain, it carried debris and boulders as large as cars into the valley below. Today, you can hike to this alluvial fan of debris that was left behind from the flood. It’s a short, simple hike from the parking lot with a great view of the mountain valley.

You can visit Rocky Mountain National Park year-round, but I’d recommend visiting in September if you like hiking. The mornings and nights are cool, the elk are in rut - their voices echo over the mountain valleys. In fall, the leaves are beginning to change color and the trails aren’t muddy like earlier in the season. That’s not to say you shouldn’t visit during other seasons, though. Winter provides a great opportunity to snowshoe, enjoy the snow-covered mountains, and have more solitude

on the trail. And of course, you can’t beat the blooming wildflowers of spring or long, sunny days of summer.

Estes Park has several RV campgrounds that are just minutes from the park entrance, including Spruce Lake RV Park and Manor RV Park. Once you’re set up, head downtown. Estes Park has great restaurants, charming local shops, and some great breweries, too. We had to visit Antonio’s Real New York Pizza, which promised delicious pizza, and we were not disappointed. (Pro-tip: grab it to-go and have a picnic in the park. Don’t forget the tiramisu!) We paired it with some Estes Park beer, which was incredible. If you’re looking for the perfect spot for a date night, head to SEASONED or The View. If you’re a family, Antonio’s is great, and so is The Egg of Estes and Mountain Home Cafe.

When you’ve finished with Rocky Mountain National Park, there are still plenty of other places to see in the area. Start with the Stanley Hotel, the old, historic hotel that’s full of beautiful views and inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. After that, head to the Art Center, walk the riverwalk, catch a concert from Performance Park, or enjoy the views from the top of the Aerial Tram. Whether you’re in town for days or months, you won’t run out of things to do!

About the Author:

Isak is an entrepreneur and freelance outdoor writer. He travels full-time through western public lands with his girlfriend Maria in their self-converted van. They left their traditional life in Minnesota to live intentionally and grow their business Seek More Wilderness, which provides outdoor lifestyle apparel that defends the wild. When they’re not advocating for public lands, you can find them downhill skiing, housesitting in mountain towns, or scoping out the local coffee shops. Follow them on Instagram @IsakandMaria and shop the brand @SeekMoreWilderness at SeekMoreWilderness.com

BOONDOCKING SOUTH DAKOTA NEVADA UTAH

Tom’s Best Spring Road, Bryce Canyon

National Forest • Antimony • UT

GPS: 37.72799, -112.2487

After spending two weeks in this location it has been added to the top of our favorite’s list. Tom’s Best Spring Road in the Dixie National Forest is located just outside of Bryce Canyon, Utah. We found ourselves just a quick 15-minute drive to the entrance of Bryce Canyon National Park and 45 minutes from Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. This area provided a great home base to access the dozens of hiking trails, paved bike paths, slot canyons, peaceful meadows, and amazing views.

Like any boondocking area, we arrived and parked to scout around in our Jeep for the perfect spot. When boondocking we look for a location with beautiful views and plenty of sunshine for the solar to soak up. Another must-have is good cell phone coverage for work. Thankfully, this area is not lacking in any of these items. We finally settled in a spot nestled up against some trees giving us the bonus of some scattered shade and access to enjoy the hammock.

We stayed for the full 16-days allowed by the Dixie National Forest Service filling up our free time visiting places like Tropic Ditch, Mossy Cave, Willis Canyon, Peekaboo Loop, Red Canyon, Calf Creek Falls, and the scenic drives. We look forward to returning to explore even more in the future!

Rebekah & Jared Wells @rebekahandjared

Blue Point Bay • Lake Mead • NV

GPS: 36.36137,-114.40154

The drive to Lake Mead was one to remember, the entire drive you are in awe of how beautiful it is, with so many scenic view lookouts, it’s hard not to fall in love. There are many boondocking places to stay at and we actually spent a couple nights in 2 different locations the first being our favourite as it’s farther out and fewer people.

We visited Lake Mead mid-March and the lake was still too cold to swim in but was breathtaking to look at. There are so many hikes in and around the area, and we were lucky enough to have some wild donkeys come through and say hi. We lost cell service on the drive out but had strong service at both locations we stayed, which is nice if you work on the road.

Being this far out is amazing at night. With some gathered stones, we enjoyed a fire while watching the sunset and once the sun had set we enjoyed watching the stars. With little to no people around you get to enjoy how quiet it is at night.

Jess Oliver & Nick Naccarato @home.roller

Nomad View Dispersed Camping, Badlands National Park • Wall • SD

GPS: 43.88980, -102.22695

If you’ve never experienced Badlands National Park camping before, the only way to do it is at the Nomad View Dispersed Camping site. You can park your camper on the edge of the stark and rugged landscape of the Badlands. It offers views for miles, out of this world sunsets, and lots of wildlife.

There is a lot to do and explore in the area and of course Badlands National Park is nearby. We were able to stay connected as we had 4 bars on both our AT&T and Verizon cellular hotspots.

Cait Chew & Russ Close @RVwithRandC

GEAR GUIDE

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Woodchuck to GreySquriel, come in GreySquriel. Let’s make hikes fun and safe for all with walkie-talkies. Included: 2 units, 2 pack of earpiece, speaker, 1800mAh battery, high gain antenna, wrist strap, and desktop charger as well.

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TRIPPED BACKPACK

Beingsolightweightmakesthisthebestbackpackfortraveling,backpacking adventures, vacations or just a trip to the beach. The backpack only weighs .7 lbs! Made of high quality tear & water resistant polyester fabric. This 35L hikingbackpackformenandwomenhasplentyofpocketsforkeys,wallets, passports, tripods, and water bottles.

“

The more we can do as a family, the better the experience is”

CONTRIBUTORS:

Jake Sublett

Danielle Consolo

Lauren Arnold & Ben Cabutage

Lindsey Graham & Danny Rekart

Stephanie & Todd Henson

Jesse & Rachael Lyons

Nathan & Marissa Moss

Malinda Fuller

Angel Thomas

Becci Ravera

Magda Nogas

Stacy Bressler

Jim Nelson & Rene Agredano

Isak Kvam

Rebekah & Jared Wells

Jess Oliver & Nick Naccarato

Cait Chew & Russ Close

Rootless Living Magazine

Volume 1 | Issue 4 | July/August 2020

Publisher Demian Ross

Editor Nikki Kirk

Advertising Information: sales@rootlessliving.com

ROOTLESS LIVING • 3916 N POTSDAM AVE #3194, SIOUX FALLS, SD 57104

Disclaimer: One of the great things about digital publications is the ability to link you directly to the products or services you want to hear more about. Some of the links in this issue are affiliate links where we earn commissions on goods or services you buy. These commissions help us to continue to publish the magazine. Rootless Living is also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@rootlessliving.com

Copyright © 2020 DNI Group LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited submissions.

99% Invisible

Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places we’ve just stopped noticing.

A weekly podcast exploring the power and process of design and architecture.

Freakonomics Radio

Discover the hidden side of everything with Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books.

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, now podcasts.

A weekly, comedic court show featuring host John Hodgman acting as a judge adjudicating real-life disputes within a fictional courtroom setting.

Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast

Featuring movement voices, stories, and strategies for racial justice as we continue to build the momentum needed to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.

Parklandia

A married couple pack up everything, move into an RV and visit as many national parks as possible. Each episode is a new stop!

Over the Road

An eight-part series giving voice to the trials and triumphs of America’s long haul truckers.

A weekly news program breaking down important stories from the past week with added context and clarity.

PODCASTS FOR THE DRIVE PODC A S T S FOR THE DRIVE

Podcasts are listed as a courtesy to our readers and compiled from recommendations in various Facebook groups. If you have a podcast you think we should include, email us at info@rootlessliving.com

Judge John Hodgman

Skimm This