Rootless Living Issue 10 | July / Aug 2021

BRIDGING THEGAP

BETWEEN WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

LEARN MORE...

WE STRIVE FOR NOTHING LESS THAN CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE.

TRAVEL

17

FREE OVERNIGHT CAMPING AT 2000+ UNIQUE

DESTINATIONS

We are a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and attractions that invite RVers to stay in 2000+ stunning camping sites. The $99 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.

FROM THE FOUNDERS

People are hitting the road and things are getting... busy.

Full-timers are in a unique position having lived this day in and day out. We find ourselves in a position to educate, inspire and help. As things get more and more crowded this summer, you have probably seen first-hand how some folks

In general, on a public holiday we like to stay away from popular locations, in part for our sanity but also to allow those who don’t do this full-time to have a spot. Even though people see our lifestyle as “always on vacation” we understand for most people, their trips in their RV is a vacation.

My biggest take away from being at a popular spot during a holiday is to look for ways to help those on vacation. For full-timers, they are pretty easy to spot: the rental vehicles, the tent campers setting up their brand new everything, the group letting their trash blow everywhere, and the folks who set up, well, right in front of you.

just don’t get it. You find yourself in the perfect lakeside spot, only to have someone else set up 5 feet away from you or even right in front. Yea, this happened.

The unwritten rules of RV life sometimes only come from experience and maybe it’s our job to help educate. As the saying goes, you don’t know what you don’t know and even in the age of social distancing, sometimes people still don’t quite get personal space. Like hey, maybe don’t drive over my fire pit to take your photo. Yes, this happened

We have been on the road full-time now for four yearsandthispastMemorialDaywedidsomething a little different. Instead of moochdocking to beat the crowds. We joined them. On the beach at Lone Rock, Lake Powell we experienced the fun, the crazy, and best of all, made a ton of new friends.

With so many people breaking some of the unknown rules … especially personal space; I decided instead of getting frustrated I would just offer to help. Most of the time they would ask for tips, got excited to see someone living a life they look forward to, and it ends up being a great way to make new friends.

This summer and beyond, as things continue to get more and more crowded, look for small ways you can help those on vacation. Not everyone gets to do this full-time, so let's see if we can help make it more enjoyable and maybe they too will one day find a way to try living on the road fulltime and pay it forward.

Until the next issue … stay Rootless.

Demian Ross, Publisher @demianross demian@rootlessliving.com

Nikki Kirk, Editor @nikkirk7 nikki@rootlessliving.com

THE FEED#rootlessliving

@adventure_bigblue

“Who needs roots when you have wheels?!”

“Sometimes the view from the side of the road is worth pulling off for.”

“How come no one told us north Georgia was so beautiful?”

“Life is short but the world is wide - so dance on rooftops and enjoy your own damn company.”

Join the Rootless Living Community and see your shots in the magazine!

Tag us on Instagram @RootlessLivingMag or use the hashtag #RootlessLiving

You can also follow us on Facebook @RootlessLiving

seek adventure find community

Download Today!

Nomad Near Me connects you with friends you know as well as friends you haven’t met yet.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

How the RV Community Helped Us Become Digital Nomads

By David Garcia and Anette Padilla

We don't know if we would have become digital nomads if 2020 hadn't shaken up our lives. Before Covid-19, we both had stable corporate careers in Los Angeles. In March 2020, we ran the Los Angeles Marathon on a Sunday and then the city locked down that Tuesday. Soon after, David was let go from his job as a SEO Consultant, and then I was furloughed from my job in Corporate Philanthropy. It was hard but it was the perfect storm. Losing our jobs is what pushed us to become digital nomads.

We're not your typical full-time RVers. We're a MexicanAmerican couple from Los Angeles who had never stepped foot in an RV before choosing this life. We knew very little about RVs. They were just something we saw parked in our neighbors' driveways but never had the chance to experience firsthand. So, why did we decide to become digital nomads? We wanted to set ourselves free of everything we "should" do and start doing things we

"wanted" to do. We wanted to visit national parks, move in together, avoid the high-priced rent in Los Angeles and explore the country. RV life sounded like a perfect fit.

Within three months, we purchased an RV, renovated it with help from our family, and then purchased a truck a few days before hitting the road. It's now been six months since we started our RV journey. A lot has already happened in this short time. We've traveled to 4 states, visited 11 National Parks, had one flat tire, one car accident, David launched his Marketing Agency, and we got engaged. I think it's safe to say we've earned our Instagram name @outdoingstuff.

Since we're still relatively new to the RV Community, we'd like to share three lessons we’ve learned:

No amount of YouTube videos or blogs can prepare you for RV life.

Since we didn't grow up around RVs, we didn't know the difference between a travel trailer and a fifth wheel, grey water or black water, or even how people showered, cooked, or went to the bathroom in RVs! We had a lot to learn, so YouTube and Google became our teachers. Despite watching endless "how-to" and "day in the life" YouTube videos, we didn't know everything. We could have waited to be RV experts before hitting the road, but, in our experience, the best way to learn is by diving in and learning as you go.

We accept that things will go wrong and mistakes will happen, but it's all a part of the journey. Sometimes they're small and other times they're big and expensive. Like the time we briefly put our RV in storage and didn't know we had to plug it into power. We assumed our refrigerator would run on a full tank of propane and fully charged

batteries. We were wrong, so wrong. When we came back a month later, we were greeted by a foul smell and a warm and moldy fridge. This is how we learned that RV batteries do not recharge like batteries on our phones. When they die, they're dead for good and need to be replaced. Every mistake is a lesson, so we are constantly learning as we go.

The RV community is helpful and accommodating.

We first learned about the helpfulness of RVers from Mike, who sold us his 2016 Keystone Cougar Travel Trailer. It was the first RV that David and I toured together, and luckily, it was just what we wanted. Mike, knowing we were beginners, offered to teach the basics. He taught us how to hitch, level our rig, dump our tanks, and showed us every detail of the RV. He gifted us his generator and countless other RV accessories that we didn't even know we needed at the time. We learned more in those two hours with Mike than we learned in hours of researching on our own.

Since starting this RV journey, we've met countless RVers like Mike who have taught us and helped us. When our tire blew on the Highway in Navajo Nation, an RVer named Kyle pulled over and helped us change our tire. When our water hose froze, a neighbor stopped by to teach us Southern California kids some tricks for getting through winter. And when we transitioned to full-time boondocking, Tanner and Nayeli of @EssentiallyStreaming came into our lives to teach us their ways. Without their friendship and generosity, we should still be running our generator all day and fumbling

through boondocking.

There isn't one way to be a digital nomad.

We were intimidated by the RV Community at first. When we started researching online, we mostly came across RV accounts with large, expensive, beautifully renovated RVs with freshly painted walls. They mostly stayed in RV parks, and the people were primarily white. They didn't look like us, but we thought this is just the way it was.

The beauty of becoming a digital nomad is you can create the life you want. Do you want to live in a travel trailer, or do a school bus conversion? Do you enjoy the amenities of an RV park, or do you prefer to boondock in nature? The options are endless, and we're still learning about the possibilities.

The more we learned, the more we realized that the RV community is big and comprises countless subcultures— the only "right" way to do it is your way. Since hitting the road, we've started to discover full-timers who align more with our lifestyle, interests, and beliefs. We began meeting people on Instagram and in person who were authentic and

showed us new and different ways to enjoy this life on the road.

David and I often look at each other as we enjoy a sunset, a hike or a new city and say how grateful we are to live this life. It wasn’t easy, but it has all been worth it. It is a privilege to get to explore our country and beautiful native lands from the comfort of an RV.

About the Authors

David and Anette are an RV living and outdoor loving Latinx couple. Follow their adventures on Instagram at @outdoingstuff

Ihave a huge passion for the outdoor lifestyle, and I'm a self proclaimed life enthusiast! I've always been a wandering soul and free spirit for as long as I can remember. I grew up playing outside, taking care of stray and/or wounded animals, camping and road tripping with my family, and so much more. I'd like to say my childhood was a dream for a kid who loved adventure as much as I do. The way I was raised absolutely allowed me to be, and later become, the person I was always destined to be. I couldn’t thank my parents enough for providing such an environment.

As I continued to grow older I've never lost that curious side of myself, and that has shown in many aspects of my life. I moved to California straight out of high school and went to a college there for a little while. After deciding I missed the PNW I moved home after 9 months and ended up trying out three more colleges in Washington state… I will admit I can be very indecisive at times because I'm interested in so much that it can be hard for me to commit to one thing.

When I met my current boyfriend of 4 years on Instagram in 2016, Jeff, I was ecstatic because I found a man who was equally as adventurous and curious as me! We dated for about a year, long distance, until one day we decided we wanted a change, so we agreed to buy a one way plane ticket to Kauai, HI. We lived on the island for a little over

Finding Your Truth

By McKenzie Dorn

a year, and it was the experience of a lifetime. We loved living in a place where on your days off work you could pretend you were on vacation, spend time laying on the beach, surfing, hiking, camping and so on. But after some deep reflecting on what we wanted our life to look like long term we decided island life was not a forever thing. So we moved to a mountain town called Cle Elum, in Washington state, where we currently reside. Talk about a total 180 of a move haha. We absolutely love the mountains, and living in a place where there are four distinct seasons allows us to enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. Some of our favorites are camping, hiking, and skiing/snowboarding.

For most of my “working” life I have been working in the service/customer service industry to get by. I love working with people, but I knew deep down that it wasn’t something I could do forever. Just last year I started my own photography business! I have always had immense passion for photography but never pursued it professionally because of the lack of time while having to work other jobs. I picked up a friend's camera one day and a fire was sparked in my soul. It all clicked! I can link all of my greatest passions within photography. My love for nature, adventuring, and my deep love of human connection. As of right now I consider myself a lifestyle and adventure photographer, specializing in portraits (couples, engagements, families,

intimate weddings) and landscapes. In the future, I want to dive deeper into the niche of content creating and partner with outdoor brands to travel, and create amazing marketing content for companies!

I have been interested in the van lifestyle since I was around 18 years old. The nomadic lifestyle is appealing to me because you aren't restricted to paying a large monthly mortgage or rent, and you have the freedom to roam as you please. I finally saved enough to buy my dream motorhome (1986 Toyota Dolphin) in December of 2020, and have only road tripped to Oregon and around Washington state so far, but I plan on visiting as many US National Parks as possible this year! I am stoked to expand my photography portfolio on the road and visit all of my bucket list places across the country!

But, I am getting ahead of myself. There’s another message I want to share. Since childhood I’ve been a pretty happy human, but around the ages of 18-23 I was not who I wanted to be, I didn’t feel the way I wanted to feel, I was depressed, and chose to drown my sorrows with alcohol & negative self talk. I gained weight. I made bad choices. I just felt GROSS. I sulked in those feelings, I felt stuck in the mud, I got comfortable being uncomfortable.

At one point in time when things were the worst ever, I went through this awakening where I realized this just needed to stop. I started making small healthy changes, I read self development books, got more in touch with my spirituality, and ultimately started noticing my life benefiting from this! I haven’t stopped this journey since, and because it’s a never ending process, a huge reason I share so much light on my social media platforms is because I made it out of that dark place and I want to help others get there too. My life is not always sunshine and rainbows. Nor do I try to convince myself that it is. I still deal with bad stuff, a lot. I still deal with imposter syndrome, depression, and anxiety. Just like

most people do. The only difference between now and 4+ years ago with the way I live and view my life is that I actively practice mindfulness, gratitude, law of attraction, prayer and many other things. I accept everything for what it is, turn each experience into a learning opportunity, and move forward with a positive mindset!

One of my favorite phrases is “I'm growing through what I go through.” And believe me when I tell you this process is never over; We are all constantly evolving, learning and unlearning. That’s the beauty of it all. We have the power to change, change who we are around, change what we’re doing, change whatever isn’t making us happy. I want to list a few lessons I’ve been learning on my journey through life:

I’ve learned to surround myself with those who bring out my best qualities and distance myself from those who bring me down. I’ve accepted the fact that when you grow you lose people sometimes, and that’s OKAY.

I've learned to stay true to myself. I stand up for myself and my morals. I’ve had to learn how to not let others take advantage of my kindness and soft heart.

I’ve learned to celebrate every success and failure, no matter how big or small. I believe in myself and the journey I’m on. I’ll always follow my heart and listen to my intuition regardless of who makes me doubtful. And most importantly I’ll never let anyone bring me down or stand in my way of the woman I’m becoming!

My biggest hope for you, whoever is reading this, is that wherever you are in your journey you can stop to reflect on the fact that you’ve come so far, you’ve done your best, and you still have time to be the person you want to be. It is okay to change your mind, it is okay to fail… keep trying new things, keep chasing your deepest desires, never lose sight of your authentic self. You are limitless.

About the Author McKenzie Dorn is a 26 year old from Washington State. You can follow her adventures on Instagram at @kenzdorn or check our her photography at @kenzielee.photography

FINDING FREEDOM ON THE OPEN ROAD

By Lori Spallone

We’re not normal. We’ve never been normal. We’ve alwayssoughtalternativelifestyles.We’readventurous and impulsive. And now we live in a school bus.

It all started with a planned trip to Chicago for a family wedding in October 2018. What wasn’t planned, was buying a school bus, forfeiting our plane tickets home, and driving 1,000 miles with our young children back to Colorado.

We tried to live a normal life. We had a 1,300 square foot house in beautiful Fort Collins. My husband Sam worked a 9-5 corporate job and I stayed at home with the kids.

But it never felt right.

Every day I looked at the clock, waiting for Sam to come home. Waiting for my life – our life – to start. We would eat dinner together, put the kids to bed and be left with about an hour of quality time at the end of the day.

Weekends were packed, the calendar was full. We were busy, but unfulfilled. Something was missing.

Yes, we bought the school bus on impulse, but a burning desire to live simply while spending more quality time together as a family had been at the forefront of our minds for years. People had told us countless times “Enjoy every minute together because before you know it, your kids will be grown up and out of the house.”

So, instead of allowing time to fly by, we decided to become more intentional. To slow down, live in the moment and create an environment for our children where they could learn and grow outdoors. A life immersed in nature. The bus became our vehicle towards achieving these dreams.

Turning the school bus into our home was a process full

of ups and downs, and a whirlwind of emotions. In the beginning, it was so much fun ripping seats out and sketching up plans. Goals to complete the bus in a year or less were fully on track. After two years of weekends, after work and any spare moment, our dream tiny house was still far from complete. It felt as if we would never finish.

So, we decided to take a giant leap.

In October 2020, Sam quit his comfortable job after 10 years. We sold our house and gave ourselves a deadline. It was time to make our dreams a priority. Over the next three months, we worked nonstop to finish the bus build, selling or donating almost everything we owned and moving into our school bus home. Oh, and yeah, we also started our own online retail business allowing us to work wherever we want, whenever we want. Everything we had strived so hard to achieve was finally a reality.

In January 2021 we hit the road and we haven’t looked back. We are free.

This is a long-term plan for us, so we built our tiny home on wheels accordingly. The bus is fully off-grid with 1,520 watts of solar on the roof and 200 gallons of fresh water safely stored under our California King size bed. Our apartment size fridge and

four-burner range allows me to cook fresh, homemade meals every day. We have a bigger kitchen than we had in our previous house and enjoy dinners together at our dinette table.

Our couch is ridiculously comfortable and our kids love their bunks. Our tub and shower are strategically placed over one of the wheel wells allowing for roomy and relaxing baths at the end of the day. The instant hot water heater makes on-board showering a glorious experience, and sunsets and full moons simply look better from our rooftop deck. Our favorite element has to be the wood burning stove, which adds a magical ambiance to any cool evening.

Best of all, no matter where we are, we are always home.

Our first stop was a nomad gathering that we had been looking forward to since we bought the bus. We beelined it from Colorado to Quartzite, AZ for Skooliepalooza, and it far exceeded our expectations. We pulled in just as the golden sun set with purple hues over the desert cliffs. Exchanging hoots and hollers out the window as we drove past other skoolies, announcing our arrival and celebrating our unity. When we stepped off the bus, we were met with handshakes and hugs welcoming us to the community.

Now don’t get me wrong, this life has its challenges. Driving a 37-foot, 20,000-pound school bus is difficult. Finding a place to park and filling up with fresh water are not easy tasks. But we wouldn’t trade it for anything, because we’re living our life on our terms.

We’re spending quality time together as a family while our children are still young. We wake up and go to sleep with the sun. And our children are covered in dirt at the end of the day. They learn through playing outside, meeting new friends, chasing their natural curiosity and visiting new places. They are becoming more and more adaptable and flexible. Growing to be more helpful and understanding every day.

Today, we determine our route based on the weather, family and friends to visit, nomad gatherings to attend and beautiful sites to explore. Our children are part of the National Park Junior Ranger program and earn a new badge after hiking in the park and filling out the coinciding activity booklet. This is experiential learning at its best.

At every stop and place where we set up camp, I watch in awe as our children make new friends, play inventive games and learn everything they can about the world around them. I smile with gratitude at the life that we have created for ourselves. The universe lining up just right, causing the path to unfold before us as it should.

So we’re following that path, one step at a time. Life only gives us one shot to live the way we were meant to. To fulfill our purpose set before us and help others along the way. To love one another, enjoy life, and be free.

About the Author: Lori and Sam Spallone are married and live full-time in their self-converted 2001 Thomas school bus with their three young children. They strive every day to live in the moment. Inspired to help others organize and simplify, they created the AvitaVera diaper caddy. Follow them on Instagram @avitavera or check out their website avitavera.com.

TRAVEL DAYS

With Kids

By Jessica Baker

30 minutes or so for someone to use, or try to use, the potty! I was constantly scrambling to quickly pull up Google Maps to find a safe and easily navigable place to pull over before we had an emergency.

Wenowpre-planpottybreaksasmuchaspossible.Wehave learned how often we need to stop and map out rest areas and truck stops before hitting the road. That way, we know where and when we'll pull over with our 40-foot home in tow rather than winging it. We stop about every two hours and make sure everyone tries. If both the kids don't try at our designated break, I can pretty much guarantee that one will need to go five miles down the road. No more of that!

Podcasts For The Whole Family

I get carsick fairly easily, so reading books to the kids on travel days is out of the question. Audiobooks and podcasts can be a great way to engage kids with a story to help pass the time. We rarely have an opportunity outside of the truck to spend time sitting quietly listening to a pictureless story that lets imaginations run wild. Long drives are perfect for this. We've found a few podcasts and audiobook collections that engage the kids, don't lull Ross to sleep behind the wheel, or drive the adults completely crazy.

Wow In The World

We were so excited to think about the adventures that lay ahead when we hit the road in 2018. The RV life was going to allow us to see so many places, experience new things, and visit friends and family throughout the country. But, we'd have to get "there" first. I was less than enthusiastic at the thought of long travel days with my then two and three-year-olds. With my husband, Ross, taking on the responsibility of getting us and our tiny home on wheels safely from place to place, it was on me to make sure our sanity stayed intact too. From the get-go, it has been my job to keep the kiddos happy and healthy on travel days. Well, I'm pleased to say, everyone has remained happy and healthy up to this point. It didn't take me long to find ways to keep everyone happy, help pass the time, and ensure we stay on schedule as much as possible. Here are my tips and tricks for travel days with kids:

Potty Breaks

When we started full-timing, one of my kids was still in a diaper, so there was only one tiny bladder to think about. Fast forward six months, and we were then stopping every

This family-friendly podcast by NPR, hosted by Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, shares stories about the latest news in science, technology, and innovation. It answers important questions such as, "do rats like to be tickled", and our kid's personal favorite, "why do wombats poop in cubes?" The topics can be silly but very interesting and even educational.

Story Pirates

A nationally renowned group of comedians, musicians, best-selling authors, and incredible teachers take story ideas submitted by kids and turn them into entertaining and super fun podcast episodes. Since the authors are as young as five years old, the storylines can get pretty wild. Curious what the world would be like if dogs were janitors? Guess you'll have to listen to that episode to find out!

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon

This audiobook collection includes the classic fantasy trilogy of Elmer Elevator and the flying baby dragon. My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, and The Dragons of Blueland are each wonderful stand-alone stories but

listened to in succession, they are an unforgettable experience.

Activities

For travel days, I pack a backpack full of games and activities that the kids can access throughout our trip. I make sure to include activities that can be easily played while on the road, and that will keep the kids entertained for more than two minutes.

Seek and Find Books

We've built up quite the collection of hardback seek and find picture books that the kids just absolutely love. We have age-appropriate books for each kid, so ones with just pictures for Hazel, and others that require some reading for Finn. Good old-fashioned Where's Waldo books are our favorites. These books travel well, are something the kids can do on their own, and keep them entertained for long periods of time!

Wipe Clean Activity Books

Mazes, connect the dots, find the difference: that's our jam. My kids could blow through an activity book in less than 30 minutes, so the wipe-clean type allows for multiple uses and endless fun. We have fun wipe-clean games and educational books, great for wasting time as well as roadschooling!

Legos

I had a hard time deciding if legos would be a good idea or a bad idea for travel days. It turns out they're fantastic! (If done properly). We use a small carrying case for the truck, so only a fraction of our legos join us while traveling. Each kid has a green square that can easily be placed on their lap and make for a safe place to build their creations. The legos keep the kids engaged for long stretches of time and end up on the floor much less than I ever expected!

SOS Apps

I try to limit screen time on travel days. While it's so easy to throw the kids their iPad and let them go to town for six hours, I try to not let that happen. But, if I need to get some work done, or we've exhausted all other forms of time passing strategies, I give in to the screen. I've found some apps that make me feel better about myself as a mother and that the kids actually find enjoyable.

PBS Kids

PBS's whole mission is to educate and inspire, so allowing my kids to watch their shows and play their games has to be okay, right? I think so! They have one app just for shows; Wild Kratts and Molly of Denali are two of our favorites. And, they have another app just for games. The games are educational and vary in difficulty, with some easy enough for my four-year-old and others challenging enough for my six-year-old.

Khan Academy Kids

This app is wonderful as it's one of the few truly free

educational games available. And, it's actually fun for the kids and teaches lessons in a great way. The kids can work on reading, language, writing, math, socialemotional development, problem-solving skills, and motor development. Skills are taught entertainingly by a cast of friendly animals the kids have come to love.

Quit While You're Ahead

Nomatterhowwellyou'reabletokeepthekidsentertained, happy, and healthy on travel days, there will come a time when enough is just enough. Everyone, especially tiny travelers, has that point where they just can't sit strapped in any longer. For us, that max is eight hours. Six hours or less is preferred. Since traveling is such a big part of our lifestyle, we don't want the kids to dread travel days, so we try to call it before it gets to be too much. As full-time RVers, we have the luxury of time to break up trips over multiple days. We have our entire home to make sleeping at a rest stop comfortable. There is rarely ever a reason to force ourselves to drive further than everyone is comfortable with. So, find your family's breaking point, and stop before that. It'll be worth it in the long run (or drive).

It's funny, and something I never thought would be the case, but I now look forward to travel days. I'm excited about going somewhere new, I enjoy watching the world go by outside the window, and I love that we're forced to spend uninterrupted time together as a family. With a bit of planning, lots of patience, and plenty of snacks, you're sure to love travel days with kids too!

About the Author

Jessica Baker is from Park City, Utah and has been traveling North America full-time with her husband, two kids, and three cats since 2018. She has been in digital marketing for over 10 years and now works as a part-time freelance SEO Consultant. She enjoys hiking, skiing, and just spending time with her family in the outdoors. You can follow her adventures at boundlessbakers.com, or on instagram and facebook at @boundlessbakers

LOUISE AN RV RENOVATION EXPERIMENT

By Casie Tomaz

Tomaz Coast to Coast was born the summer of 2020. We initially purchased our own RV to vacation in and realized she was seriously ugly, ha-ha. It’s a trend for some reason, new or old RVs, they all look like a Nevada Casino. We gave “DeLorean” a full makeover, starting with the paint, which we used the wrong type to start, and it peeled off. Then we learned to sand and use an oil based primer. But man, once we were done, we had the bug for renovation. One quickly became three. With each finished RV, we got a bit bolder and more confident in our own renovations. Neither Igor nor I have any background in construction or RVs, we are 100% YouTube educated, and I feel in today’s day and age that’s absolutely acceptable.

With our second RV, we removed a wall and built a beautiful headboard. We wanted to have something that was our “signature” and quickly realized opening the layout was one of them, along with one “wow” feature. By the time we got to our third RV we felt we could really try something new.

This brings us to “Louise.” Louise was abandoned in a storage unit which was a blessing for her. Of all our RVs she was by far the oldest at 30 years old but had the least amount of water damage. It’s exhilarating at first when you start tearing everything out; Tossing cabinets and ripping

out the floor. But then you get to the “fully demoed and oh my gosh we have so much to do still” phase. This is where Igor and I play off each other, we just keep moving. He will repair the floor while I keep our three toddlers alive, kidding, while I keep sane. Then we trade off. I do the painting, and details. We “try” to fully renovate and finish an RV in five weeks. While Igor still works full time, this is challenging but we make it work. With this last RV we had a timeline as we were moving across the country and needed to downsize all of our belongings, including selling our renovation and our personal RV.

I’m not even sure where the idea came about for an epoxy pour bathroom. It is usually Igor who comes up with these “let’s try this” ideas. So, he said, “Case Case, let’s try to make our own epoxy countertops, and then bathroom shower walls.” This far into our marriage I have learned he has these crazy ideas but he’s also incredibly gifted with his artist side so I go for it. We ended up dismantling the nursery for our mock studio and created the bathroom walls. We used foam board, metal tape, and flex seal paint to help seal it and then poured the epoxy on top. It looks so cool! Sometimes when these ideas come to fruition it surprises you. The majority of our renovations consist of me harassing Igor to install something out of order because I just want to see it come together. This was the bathroom;

he was stalling, and I couldn’t wait. I won, obviously. Once it was in, it just stopped you in your tracks. We hadn’t even finished the dining table or hood vent when I was asking Igor to finish the floor and the shelves just so I could get a picture.

We did so many unique things for Louise. We cut the bunkroom wall in half so it could open up the floor plan. Then we removed the bedroom wall again, and made opaque slider doors, we cut stick and peel flooring into hexagon tiles and glued it down then sealed it. Finally, we decided to try a River Table. Who has a River table in their RV? This was something I was so excited for. The pour didn’t go exactly as planned; we had a slight miscalculation of the epoxy material, but we still did it. I will be honest to say as soon as it was done, I didn't want to try it again. Imagine a River Table through the kitchen sink!

So much of the RV renovation is just being able to dream. Everything is possible. Utilize everything. It’s the reason we decided to sell everything and move across the country. So we could be able to do this full time. To dream and create and give back. With each RV we sell, I am so excited to think how the next family will use it. I am excited to think of someone having coffee at our River Table, of sharing the vision we have with others. We are constantly searching for the next RV, a travel trailer, or a Class C, or a fifth wheel. We know in our future we will renovate another RV and rent it out. I know the saying is the Sky's the Limit, but I feel for us, the Road is the limit, and nothing is stopping us.

About the Authors

Casie & Igor are the adventurous team behind Tomaz Coast to Coast. They have 3 wildly beautiful little boys, and a picturesque farm in northern Massachusetts, where they work on RV renovations. Find them on Instagram at @tomaz_coast_to_coast or on their website at tomazcoasttocoast.com. All photos were taken by Audra Sykes-Clark and you can find more of her work on Instagram at @audralynnphoto

ONE FAMILY'S RV JOURNEY TOWARDS RACIAL HEALING

By Nathan Stanton

After months of preparation and planning to go full time as a family of 7 (plus a puppy!) we finally launched on August 20, 2020. We were as prepared as we could be in our 33 foot travel trailer pulled by a 2003 Excursion. Like any full timing family knows though, this life does not come without obstacles, no matter how much you prepare. A couple of weeks into our journey around the country we had run into several big issues.

We’d launched from the northern California town of Redding full of excitement. Our first stop was Bend, Oregon. We marveled at the verdant, overwhelming cathedral-like pine trees and gentle rolling mountains that would consolidate into the pristine Mt. Hood. The slight hippie vibes gave way to the crystal clear waters of the beautiful Deschutes River. We soaked up all the beauty around us while trying to get a hang of this whole full-time travel thing. A highlight from Bend was visiting the last Blockbuster in the nation, a blast from the

past for sure. Our children walked through the time capsule of a store still in operation, not quite understanding what they were seeing, as us 80s kids were taken back to a simpler time. Our plan (devised pre-covid) while traveling was to host creative, racial healing events around the country through our not for profit called Forgive Us. The objective is to provide a platform for artists in each city we visited to speak about injustice and the state of our nation. We had our first event scheduled for Portland just a few weeks after leaving California. Portland is an interesting city to say the least. While many of its enclaves are progressive and liberal, there remains an ugly reality of its inception. It is astounding to think this state once had a law that excluded black people from living there. It seemed like the perfect place to begin our nationwide mission of healing and forgiveness. Unfortunately, things started feeling apocalyptic leading up to the event.

It began with a winding trip from the storybook surroundings of Champoeg State Park just south of Portland to the coastal town of Seaside. The RV Park we were staying in was a mere fifteen minutes from the beach, so we hurried out that day to explore as soon as we got there. The sunshine gave way to a desire to find seafood and being on the ocean it was not hard to find. We enjoyed it as the quintessential travel day ended. However, that night brought gale-force winds that rocked the trailer all night long. Prayers were vital to our sanity but we made it through the tumult. We awakened to scattered items and smoke blown west from the Portland area. This killed the air quality and with it the freedom to move outdoors for the following weeks. We had to postpone our original date for the Portland event because of the wildfires.

After much debate, we decided to rearrange our plans and head up to Washington for a bit to visit friends and then come back down to Portland once (hopefully) the fires died down. We rescheduled the event for two weeks later. As if the fires weren’t bad enough, other unsettling events began to unfold in the days leading up to that time. The governor declared a state of emergency in Portland and all the parks were shut down (including Alberta Park where we were supposed to be holding our event). The protests against police brutality continued unabated in the City of Roses now known nationwide for its tenacious protests.

Nestled in the shadow of beautiful Mt. Hood, we patiently waited for the rescheduled date to arrive. Unfortunately, this particular date was beginning to attract obstacles of its own. There were protests by black militant groups and counter protests from the Proud Boys, a racist conservative club scheduled for the same day. They each planned

marches near each other and the park that our Forgive Us event was supposed to be held at was physically situated between them, with a completely different message. Our message was simple. There can be no reconciliation without a reckoning. There has to be truth telling, acceptance and admission in order for us to heal as a nation. Thankfully, despite all of the obstructions, the event went off without a hitch. We enjoyed the inspirational creativity from some of Portland’s finest artists and creatives.

We continue on this journey fully aware of the historical importance of traveling the country at this moment. Every time a body falls from police brutality or some other violent confrontation with the state, the racial relational wounds of our nation, have salt poured in them. Then protests strike up and everyone is up in arms and ready to make a change. But it seems as soon as the weather cools so does the passion for the cause. Yet we march (drive) on and continue our journey of encouraging forgiveness as we roll our Excursion and travel trailer far and wide, through Trump country and Biden cities alike. It remains to be seen if we can humble ourselves enough to awaken the conscience of us all. But we have found that living constantly on the edge of our comfort zone musters a courage in us to continue. I pray this becomes the reality for a nation divided but full of promise.

About the Author

Nathan and his wife Liz are on a country-wide RV trip with their 5 beautiful children. They organize and hold Forgive Us events in order to heal racial division. You can follow more of their journey on Instagram at @stanton7wanders or on their website forgiveusmin.com

YOU CAN DO IT ALL AS A NON-DIGITAL NOMAD TRAVEL+WORK+PLAY

By Josh Fuss

s a kid, I wore a life jacket when I was learning to swim. I thought it was the only thing that kept me from sinking and I was reluctant to take it off. In adulthood, the careers and "normal" lifestyle that my wife and I had built were beginning to feel a lot like that life jacket. They were keeping us afloat, but holding us back from a more fulfilling life together. Like the life jacket when I learned to swim, the house, our 9 to 5 desk jobs with 24 hour obligations, and the lifestyle we'd grown accustomed to needed to go.

We made a plan to live and travel full-time in our truck camper. Remote jobs were a consideration, but getting out from behind a computer sounded great. After creating a budget to pay down our debt before hitting the road, we realized our expenses would be significantly less, and work camping jobs that pay $10-$15/hr would be a viable option. Work camping has become much more than a way to find work. It has helped us meet other full-time RVers, focused our travel planning, and given us some spectacular, once in a lifetime memories.

We jumped into work camping with our first season in Kentucky for Amazon Camperforce in 2019. As we adjusted to a new schedule and the physical nature of the job, we found our stride a few weeks in. Our feet stopped hurting, we got used to night shifts, and built relationships with other work campers. We had an awesome team of work campers, who have become close friends to us. Those friendships have also led to job referrals and connections for other gigs. Our next two jobs would come from recommendations from friends we made at Amazon. We've now worked two peak seasons for Amazon. The second season took us to Reno, and we made connections with more work campers there.

The southwest called to us, so we searched for winter jobs there. Having heard about the opportunity to work camp seasonally for Jackson Hewitt in Albuquerque, we headed to New Mexico. The job location gave us a place to call home in the southwest for a few months. With a great starting point in Albuquerque, we took advantage of every day off and explored New Mexico as much as we could. Sand dunes, hot springs, slot canyons, exploring little

known places in the desert, and getting our first introduction to long term dry camping all showed us why New Mexico is the "Land of Enchantment''.

Summer of 2020 brought us to Yellowstone National Park on the recommendation of friends we worked with at Amazon. Spending five months in one place seemed stifling at first, Yellowstone grew on us though. The volatile nature of the forces at work beneath Yellowstone means that any stroll around a geyser basin is no typical "walk in the park". Living in the park near Old Faithful put us close to one of the most thermally active areas. We saw incredible things at less busy times, often without a single park visitor in sight. Watching an eruption from Giantess Geyser after it laid dormant for years was an out of this world experience. If I had to trade my previous life just for my experience in Yellowstone, I would do it without hesitation.

Work camping jobs don't often offer high salaries, but added perks like free or heavily discounted campsites, meal plans, flexible work seasons, and the opportunity to live in some of the most incredible places on earth are worth the risk to shed the life jacket of the "normal 9 to 5" and dive in.

If work camping is something that might be for you, here's a few things to consider.

1. Live frugally. Everyone has a different definition of "living on a budget", so I'll just throw out a number here. Amy and I live on a combined gross income of approximately $40,000/year. We rarely go to restaurants, breweries, museums, or really anywhere that requires a ticket, we find free stuff to do instead. We also take 3-5 months off every year. During our time off we opt for free activities, like hiking, and we dry camp on free public land.

2. Be flexible. Every seasonal or work camping job comes with different salaries, perks, and opportunities. Be open to different kinds of work that you have never done before and be prepared for a shifting schedule.

3. Know what you need. If a free site with full hookups is all you need, consider volunteer camp hosting in a state park, a national park, or a national forest campground. For a little extra cash, look for private campgrounds that offer a site in exchange for 10-15 hours worked, and paid hours for any additional time. Check out KOA for a network of campgrounds that hires work campers. For full pay for all hours worked and a free or low cost campsite, consider

seasonal jobs that aren't the typical work camping jobs like working for a concessionaire in a large National Park. Tour companies, like Pink Jeep Tours, are a great resource for seasonal jobs as well.

4. Know when and where to look. If you think it's too early to start looking for a work camping job, it's probably not. If you want to start work camping in the next few years, start looking at the jobs available now to get a feel for what's out there. 9 months ahead of time is not too early to start applying for work camping gigs. Check out workamper. com and sign up for their Workamper News emails. Next, hop on over to coolworks.com. CoolWorks is a great place to find jobs at parks, hotels, tour companies, or outfitters. For jobs in the parks, try the concessionaire websites as well. Check out Aramark, Xantera, Delaware North, or Forever Resorts just to name a few. For National Park Service

jobs, check the USAjobs.gov website. Amazon offers a great way to make some cash during the holiday shopping season as an Amazon Camperforce employee. You can apply for camperforce jobs at amazondelivers.jobs/about/ camperforce.

5. Do it. It's time to take off the life jacket and dive in. You can't plan every detail or mitigate every problem, you just have to do it. Start your first gig and talk to other work campers about the jobs they have done. They can give you a lot of great ideas. The best resource you will find for work camping is the community you will build on the road.

About the Author

Josh Fuss is a full-time RVer living in a truck camper with his wife, Amy Rupp, since May of 2019. You can follow Josh and Amy as they document their travels, work camping jobs, and life on the road on IG @chasingharley, on FB @chasingharleyblog, and on their website at chasingharley.com.

CONNECTION LOCATIONS PLANNING

WORKING PARENTS ON THE ROAD

By Ally Wilinksi

We began our full-time RV journey during the pandemic, after selling our home and all of our belongings to hit the road in August of 2020. We travel with our two boys, 5 and 2.5 years old, and our chocolate lab. Adam works as a Business Development Executive at a Global Consulting Company and I own a Recruitment and Career Coaching company. My job has always been virtual, Adam’s was very reliant on client face to face interactions. When it became apparent that things were not going back to normal anytime soon, we decided to list the house.

We have two very energetic kids, love adventure, and for us - exploring as a family while making time to continue to grow our professional careers was important to both of us. As it turns out, our story and our adventure has been AMAZING for both of our careers. It’s been the perfect balance for all of us and it’s a great ice breaker for any new conversation!

To make this lifestyle work for us we break it down into three

catagories: Connectivity, Work Location, and Scheduling.

Connectivity is key. We are those people that move weekly and usually only plan about a week or two out. We change our minds and want the flexibility but the first thing we do before we book is check reviews for cell service. We love Campendium and use RV Trip Wizard to plan and often scan campgroundreviews.com for how many bars of service we can get in any given area because that’s a guaranteed internet source for us. Oftentimes, we are holding our phones as we drive around the park, counting our bars!

RV parks have spotty internet access. We will always ask about Wi-Fi at check in, sometimes you’ll be surprised. If we do find quality internet, we often use this time to download movies or apps or to stream movies - yes, that’s us draining the Wi-Fi at the park, sorry! You can also ask to be closer to the office and sometimes they have signal boosters throughout the park that you can be closer to as well, depending on where you’ve chosen to camp. Regardless, and no matter what the website says, RV park Wi-Fi’s are pretty unreliable.

We often use hotpots to work. We have AT&T Connect for Airstream on the hood of our rig with an unlimited SIM card and Verizon cell service for our phones with an additional line on an iPad. This allows us to diversify our internet providers and we can plan accordingly depending on where we will be camping. We know we need 3 bars of LTE in order to video call. Another tip is to join video on your computer and dial in on your phone so if it does get disconnected using the higher bandwidth, your voice call won’t skip a beat.

If an area has less than 3 bars or sometimes, we want to

camp in more remote areas, we either take time off or find somewhere on or off site to work.

The first thing we do when we arrive at a new location after setting up is find the “Work Spot”. It’s key to find your place onsite when you arrive to avoid the “where am I going to work” stress that comes along with no dedicated workspace. If you’re really lucky, the RV park has an open

office space for digital nomads and occasionally, it’s a large laundry room with a table.

Other places we’ve worked include our car, inside the RV while the spouse takes the kids out, city parks sometimes have great Wi-Fi, local coffee shops, breakfast restaurants like Denny’s, Waffle House, or Panera, and any place we can think of with a plug, a place to sit, and some shadepreferably with free Wi-Fi.

Finally for location, our friends gave us a tip before we left that we dubbed the “rule of 3’s”, we’ve mostly expanded this to the “rule of 4s” but it is a good strategy depending on the ages of the kids involved. This means, no more than 4 hours in the car, we stay places for at least 4 nights, and we arrive anywhere we are going before 4 pm. We have broken this rule, sometimes we will travel 2-3 days backto-back to get to a location but for the most part, we travel on Saturday or Sunday for 3-4 hours and stay for a week. It allows everyone to be settled before each new week and we get to explore a new area for a week at a time! Also, arriving before dark allows us to get set up and to find the work spot before it’s too late.

Every Sunday, we sit down and write our schedules on a dry erase calendar that hangs in our kitchen. Usually, Adam puts his meetings down first and then I’ll book mine around his open spots because mine are usually 1:1 calls vs his actual meetings. We also add Jack’s virtual school schedule because we like to make sure that 1 parent can sit with Jack while the other hangs with Drake. This helps ensure for effective communication of our work schedules and has been key for us balancing everything.

With our bosses and clients, we are VERY transparent about our travels. Everyone we work with is well aware of what we are doing, and we set expectations of our timelines and deliver accordingly. Most, if not all, of the people we work with are so excited about what we are doing and ask about our travels for the first 10 minutes of every conversation.

Wearesuretosetpersonalandprofessional boundaries on our work hours too. It’s hard to say no to helping on client projects or piling more onto your plate but knowing what you’re able to accomplish and what can wait is critical. We’ve been able to find a great balance of work and personal time; we work a few nights a week but not all. We are also conscious to not just “trade off” watching the kids either - we spend a lot of time as a family and continually keep our priorities in check which often involves reminding ourselves and each other why we are on this journey in the first place.

All in all, we are loving the life we are living and every day we continually improve in our ability to remain flexible while navigating this crazy world. We’ve all been thrown into a multitude of situations this year and our personal focus has been about the preservation and improvement of our mental health combined with endless exploration and new experiences together as a family. Creating the life you want isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.

About the Authors

Ally & Adam work and travel full time with their two young sons - Jack and Drake, lab mixCharlee, and a ridiculous amount of plants for a 200 sq ft Airstream. For any recruiting or career services help, feel free to connect with Ally on Linkedin linkedin.com/in/allywilinski. You can follow their journey on Instagram

@StateStreamingStacy

BELIZE A REMOTE WORK PARADISE

By Rosanna Stevens

My name is Rosanna, I’m British and I am a freshly minted nomad, a convert, a new recruit. My journey into this lifestyle came via a long-distance relationship that first convinced me that I could move abroad. I set about designing a new career for myself that was portable, flexible, and dependent only on me. I came up with travel and food writing which had always been a grand passion of mine. I quit my 9-5 in London, rented out my apartment and headed for California for an extended visit to see my partner, and from there my story really begins.

As my time in California drew to a close, I asked myself why I was going back to the UK. If my new career was flexible, shouldn’t I be as well? Where else could I go, other than home? And so, my gentle exploration of the digital nomad lifestyle began.

My first question was ‘where?’.

I thought about challenges I might face and the perks I wantedasanewnomad. Loneliness,noprofessionalgrowth opportunities and bad internet were top of the challenges list, while good weather and new experiences were my ideal perks. I wanted to find somewhere that would solve the issues and deliver the boons. With several countries around the world now welcoming Digital Nomads with open arms and special visas, there was a lot to sift through. Eastern Mexico was a strong contender but eventually, I decided upon Belize.

Sitting on the coast of Central America, with the Caribbean Sea and over 450 islands on its east and dense jungle and the Mayan Mountains to the west, Belize has an idyllic location. English is the first language, it’s in a central US

time zone and the weather is nothing short of glorious. I was sold.

Visitors arriving in Belize by plane all land at Belize City and from there can either take a car, boat or shuttle flight to anywhere in the country but tend to congregate in one of three spots. The largest island, Amergris Caye, or backpacker friendly Caye Caulker are popular choices, or inland in the Cayo District or down south in Placencia. The islands will give nomads proximity to some of the best diving in the world, Cayo will place them near the jungle and Mayan ruins and Placencia delivers a bit of both, being on the mainland coast.

I stayed in Placencia, a long peninsula in southern Belize with a lagoon stretching along one side and the Caribbean on the other. The hotels that line the narrow slip of land are all very welcoming to nomads dropping in to base themselves there and work for a day. There is also a charming village full of bars and restaurants all thrilled to meet you, although they might not want you to work too hard. One friend of mine was sent a cocktail in the middle of a Zoom meeting purely because ‘she looked stressed’ and then had to explain the sudden appearance of a frozen margarita to her client.

As it is a tourist hub, internet connections are good and reliable enough for work and there are plenty of people to meet and learn from. I chose to stay at Umaya Village, a resort that acts as both a home and a hub specifically for digital nomads providing strong internet and a community to engage with. Everyone who stayed in its self-catered apartments offered themselves as a host for weekly workshops, talking about their career and experiences so

that we could learn from one another and expand our skill sets. The resorts, airbnbs, and rental properties are plentiful and of good value, although internet speed can vary so it is worth checking this in advance.

I tended to start my days early with yoga or a paddleboard on the lagoon, then spend the morning writing and in meetings, zoomed friends and family over lunch and then took it easy in the afternoons and evenings. The extra 2 hours I gained back in time from California made a big impact as loneliness can strike when you’re travelling on your own and want the comforts of a friendly voice.

Challenges came in the form of an occasional planned power outage (you get a text in advance to warn you but it’s still a bit of a shock), and at one point during my stay, a tractor accidentally pulled down all the internet cables, marooning us from the digital world for a day. Accustomed as I am to the luxury of uninterrupted internet service, it was frustrating. I learned that at times like these it’s best to just shut everything down and take a break. After all, you’re in the Caribbean, it can’t be that bad right? It did, however, also teach me to purchase a pay as you go data sim card so that if I really, really needed to get back online, I could just hotspot from my phone without incurring huge data roaming fees. Purchasing Skype packages also helped when making phone calls, as most network providers don’t include Belize in the areas abroad that they’ll cover, and you’ll be charged a small fortune to call anyone.

I learned another lesson the hard way through a fellow nomad who left her laptop outside during a tropical rainstorm (they can really sneak up on you). Whilst we found someone local who could fix it, getting the parts shipped in

would take 3 weeks. Next day delivery is definitely not a thing in Belize (if delivery is possible at all). I discovered that oftentimes, the local bus driver doubled up as the postman, dropping packages off as we went. Needless to say, that particular journey took a lot longer than expected but it was a charming way to get to know the local area and see how things worked! Everything is imported in Belize and not all brands are widely available, so any necessities or creature comforts need to be packed in your suitcase unless you’re comfortable using a completely random type of shampoo for the entire time you’re there.

Otherwise,thelocalsupermarketsarewellstockedalthough it’s worth finding out when the fresh fruit and veg deliveries are and timing your visit accordingly. When eating out, the cuisine is a mixture of the different ethnicities and cultures to be found including Mexican, Creole, Mayan and more. Once you have been there for a while you will begin to douse everything you eat in hot sauce made by the famous Belizean, Marie Sharps.

The weekends are for adventures. There is so much to see and an abundance of nature to satisfy any explorer. I ended up with so much footage for my YouTube channel it will take years to sort through it all! Hiking through the rainforest, jumping into a waterfall and gazing up into the canopy listening to the screams of Howler Monkeys was possibly one of the most intense and breath-taking moments of my life.

Belize is encouraging a digital nomad exodus to its lush Caribbean coast and with land borders soon re-opening, an RV expedition through Mexico and down the gorgeous

Many nationalities including UK and USA citizens can come to Belize with no visa required. They can work remotely as long as they aren't seeking employment in the country itself. You can stay for 30 days as a tourist and then extend it as many times as you plan to stay, costing $100 US dollars per 30-day extension. For the time being, all visitors must have a negative Covid test in order to enter the country and masks and social distancing are required.

IcouldnotrecommendBelizehighlyenoughasadestination for digital nomads and am counting the days until I can return. For me, the best part about Belize was its people and the creative inspiration I got from being somewhere so beautiful. What are you waiting for?

About the Author

Rosanna Stevens is a British writer and content creator living between the UK, Belize and California. She has also authored a guide to food styling and photography and documents all of her adventures on her blog, rosannaetc.com She is an accomplished jazz singer and cat mom to Ginger Rogers, an obnoxiously large orange feline. Keep up with her escapades on Instagram or YouTube @rosannaetc

Hummingbird Highway from Belize City could be on the cards for my next trip.

By Michelle Morgan

LIFE'S SHORT

In early 2020 when the pandemic hit the world, nobody knew what the future held. As the marketing and events manager for Spyglass Ridge Winery, I had a mess on my hands. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the winery was closed to the public for the foreseeable future. The large outdoor concerts and events that we had booked for the summer season were all being cancelled or put on hold until it was safe to reschedule them. My boyfriend Brian had been laid off from his job, and I began working remotely. We were making the best of a bad situation, riding out what we thought was just a “2 week” stay in place order.

We love to travel. Before the pandemic hit, Brian and I had already made the decision that we weren’t spending another winter in Pennsylvania. Our dream was to “chase summer” and head to warmer climates. We had begun planning our future and we were looking for a specific RV, a Thor Outlaw 38MB, to become our home for our travels. After searching many places for what we wanted, we finally received a phone call from an RV dealership in Texas. The next morning we were on a one way flight to Dallas.

It was an eerie feeling, walking through the airport with hardly a soul in sight. I have to admit I was nervous. Masks on our faces, sanitizer and overnight bags in hand, we boarded the plane. We planned to stock up on necessities upon arrival and after a quick overnight stay in the dealership’s campground, we would drive our new RV straight back to PA. Over the next several days we traveled across the US through high winds and tornadoes. Were we crazy for trying to start life on the road during a pandemic?

Our minds were made up. Brian and I both have been through hardship in our lives, as many people have. Divorce, cancer, lost jobs, lost family, broken bones, broken hearts. Our dream was to travel and experience all of the beautiful and amazing things we could find. We knew it would be a challenge but we decided it was worth the risk. We weren’t going to let the pandemic stop us. We both agreed that life’s too short to put our dreams on hold, and so our RV was named: Lifes2ShortBus.

We started preparing for our new life as full time RVers. Brian made some pretty amazing upgrades and modifications to the RV for our needs on the road and I listed my house with a realtor. By this time, I had been temporarily laid off from my job at the winery. We focused our time preparing for our upcoming adventure, travelling the US during winter months and returning to PA in the summer. That adventure came earlier than expected.

We received notice that our application for a volunteer position with the Florida State Parks was approved. They wanted us in Florida by August 1st. We had to make a decision. Could we do this? Should we do this? Our plan was to wait until November, but could we manage to leave several months early? Were we ready? Would it be safe? Florida in August?

Life on the road has been both rigorous and rewarding. Originally my remote work began due to Covid restrictions, now I have transitioned fully to remote work so I can continue to travel. As long as I have phone and internet service I can work anywhere. Some days it’s been while sunning on a sugar sand beach, others it’s been sitting in my Jeep in a parking lot in the rain.

Working with entertainment agents, national recording artists and the media, most of my work was already done remotely through email, phone calls or text. Reviewing contracts and riders, creating concert artwork, setting up promotions, etc. I have handled business calls at 65 miles per hour and planned concerts while watching the sunset on the Pacific. I have even done live on-air interviews from my RV with radio stations to promote our concerts. I work for a great company that has supported my transition to remote work. They even installed an RV site (with full hook-ups!) on the winery grounds for me to use when I return in the summers to work at the concerts I’ve helped organize. I can see the concert stage from the deck of my RV!

Taking advantage of the opportunities to travel and work remotely has given me the chance to do some amazing things. As you read this, we are celebrating our first anniversary of life on the road. We have traveled from east coast to west coast and back again. We have snorkeled the coral reefs off Key Largo and stood on the Sunset Cliffs of San Diego. We ate beignets in New Orleans and raced across Texas to get out of an ice storm. Hiked in the desert and kayaked through the mangroves. I have the best life. My advice to you, don’t wait to do what you love. If you really want something, don’t hesitate to make it a reality. Life’s too short.

About the Author

Michelle Morgan is originally from Northumberland, PA but now lives and works full-time on the road. She travels in a Thor Outlaw MB38 with her boyfriend Brian and her cat Pretty. Along with her work in marketing and event management for Spyglass Ridge Winery, she is also a certified yoga instructor, artist and enjoys riding her Zero motorcycle, kayaking and exploring everywhere she goes! You can follow their adventures on Instagram and Facebook at @lifeis2shortbus.

A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS

Just like every great road trip, sometimes life takes you in a new direction. At Heartland, we’ve launched a new journey to make our RVs better than ever. We’ve doubled down on seeking out the highest quality materials, creating fresh and inviting interiors and giving every unit the kinds of finishing touches you’d find in a new home.

Every unit goes through a top-to-tails inspection with a quality assurance expert—in fact, we have an 89,000-square-foot facility dedicated to walking each RV through a series of checklists to ensure it works exactly as it should. And with updated floor plans incorporating features our customers love best—spacious bathrooms, designer kitchens, furniture meant for cuddling up together—we’re confident every trip in a Heartland will be a happy one.

After all, that’s what RVing is all about: hitting the road with people you love, having adventures, making memories. So when you buy a Heartland, just focus on taking the journey of a lifetime. We’ll take care of the rest.

Experience the all-new Heartland online and check out 360-degree model tours, detailed floor plans, all-new features, galleries of updated decor and more.

Just visit HeartlandRVs.com.

WORKING TO LIVE NOT LIVING TO WORK

By Hannah and Cody Lane

Have you ever heard the saying “how do you starve a Jackson-hole hippie? Hide their parent's credit card under a bar of soap.” Despite the common misconception, that’s not the case for many full-time nomads, my husband and myself included. Many of us have jobs and small businesses that provide us with the means to live this way. And truthfully this lifestyle wouldn’t be possible without our full-time jobs. The most popular question we get asked is: how do you afford it? Bus life and working is actually much more attainable and realistic than you may know. We are living in a time where remote work is becoming the new norm. With that offer on the table you are left to decide: do you cut roots and travel while you work or do you stay put? For Cody and I this decision was easy. We would rather work all over the US so when 5 o’clock comes around we could go explore the world.

Some people think the nomadic way of life is unconventional, unappealing, impractical but they don’t get to work in the Grand Canyon today and Sedona tomorrow. They simply don’t know what they're missing. They don’t have the freedoms we have. There’s this misconception about life that we’ve been taught and it’s that you must stay rooted to be stable and successful and that’s just not true. Working from the road in your own tiny home on wheels is probably one of the most exciting and amazing home offices that exists and I’m a firm believer that our productivity excels compared to what it previously had in a traditional office place. So you're sold... what next?

Well besides the obvious (finding the tiny home) the second most important aspect of full-time work on the road is WiFi. Internet and cell reception (for most jobs) is crucial. There are many fantastic providers out there.

We lucked out with Mobile Satellite Technologies which is a company that provides you with a router. It’s been fantastic and we’ve only had a few dead areas (in the middle of nowhere). WiFi options only continue to become more readily available and continue to get faster.

Okay! Perfect... but what kind of jobs even allow you to work from the road?

There are SO many businesses that allowyoutoworkremotely.I’vecompiled a list below of the ones I’ve heard most commonly (even pre-covid.) The saying “if there’s a will, there’s a way” is your most common motivator here.

Here are some remote jobs to consider if you want to live on the road full-time:

• Social Media Marketing

• Photographer

• Blogger

• Coding

• Graphic Designer

• Sales

• Travel Nurse

• Accountant

• Call Center Representative

• Virtual Assistant

• Work for National Parks

• Videographer

• Affiliate Marketer

• Data Entry

• Copywriting

• Editing and Proofreading

• Online Teacher

• Programmer

• Travel Agent

• Recruiter

• Web Developer

Okay wise owl, so what do you both do?

I'm a marketing coordinator for a real estate company. You would be SO surprised how many realtors are in desperate need of freelance marketing and transaction coordination. Again, remote work. I also own a photography business that is nationwide. My husband Cody works in the field of biology. He is an account manager for a sterilization company. Bus life for us was a way to minimize our need for “stuff” and maximize our ability to see this beautiful earth God has provided. Something

really cool about our work is we both are scheduled on EST so while it’s not always fun waking up at 5:30 every day we are off by 11:00 and 2:00 when we are our west. Then it’s adventure time!

It's a big adjustment at first. No big change comes without its challenges. Will you make as much money? Maybe more, maybe less. But there’s this sense of freedom when you live and work this way and it’s a feeling impossible to put a price on. It’s time for people to realize that we work so we can live and not the other way around and living rootless is only the beginning of the journey.

About the Author

Hannah & Cody Lane are traveling and working in their self-renovated 1987 Tour Bus. You can follow their adventures on Instagram and Tiktok at @roamsweetroamers and Hannah’s photography can be found at @ southernnativephotography. Aside from her photography business, Hannah also works as a marketing coordinator for The Lane Team at Bluegrass Sotheby’s International Realty.

UNIQUE JOBS ROAD ON THE

By Drew Glickman and Brittany Henning

The only way for anyone to sustain this lifestyle is by finding jobs that allow for a little flexibility. Everyone has to make money somehow, and our jobs and how we make money on the road is a bit more unique than others.

For the past 10 years I have worked in the Experiential Marketing field as a Brand Ambassador, Product Specialist, and/or Marketing Manager for different projects. What is experiential marketing? Well, you know those people you see at concerts or festivals that are handing out free samples or trying to get you to come into their booth and inform you about the brand they’re representing? That’s me! I have worked/managed for hundreds of different

brands at hundreds of different events around the USA and the Caribbean. I LOVE IT!

You’re probably wondering how this type of work is found?

Most Brand Ambassadors work as independent contractors. I have built up a good reputation with many different marketing companies over the past 10 years, which has led to them reaching out to me whenever there are jobs available. There are also various apps and Facebook pages to find marketing companies who are hiring. It is a wonderful job field to be a part of and I hope I can do this forever.

The best part of living in a van and doing this type of work is that I am available ANYWHERE. I have a mobile house so if a company needs me in Colorado, I can be there. If a company needs me in South Carolina I can also be there. It is very convenient and easier than when I lived in only one location. I used to live in Charleston, South Carolina, paying for a house that I was NEVER in. This is what I thought I was supposed to be doing. The world tells you that you must have a permanent address. I believed the world and up until last January, I had always had a permanent address even though I was never there. VanLife has helped me tremendously in availability and access to way more work than I originally was able to find.

Unfortunately, the past year has been a struggle for the event industry worldwide. I have only been able to work a few events while living in the van, with Covid it has been a challenge to find work. This is what led to us finding alternative income. Drew and I have been building our Instagram and working for brands that are related to VanLife. I find the companies, Drew creates content for them, and I model for most of the pictures. It’s fun AND pays well. For content creation, VanLife has really given us a huge advantage. Brands want quality content with diversity. Since we are constantly on the move our scenery is constantly changing. With this, we have been able to pitch to multiple companies to provide different content in all kinds of different environments.

As for Drew, throughout his life he has really had two major passions, wake boarding and film making. He has been lucky enough to travel the world doing both. For the last five years, he had the opportunity to live at a wake board park in Charleston, South Carolina. While living at the park he was also working his way up the ladder in the film industry. As Drew rose higher in the film industry, he had to start traveling more for work. The last year that we were living in South Carolina most of his jobs were spread between five different states: South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Virgina.

Drew wanted to be a traveling filmmaker pretty much his whole life and as he was making it to that point it did not make much sense to be traveling so much while still having an apartment in a single place. So, when the idea came up to move into a van it made so much sense. To be able to have our house, get a travel stipend to go places, and be able to actually enjoy the places that he was going to film, instead of just quick flights in and out, made it even more intriguing.

Asweallknowthepandemichasmadealot of things more difficult in many industries. However, being in the van gave Drew a large advantage and a little extra incentive for companies to hire him. Most companies werenotableorwillingtoflycrewmembers around the country for shorter gigs so they have resorted to hiring more local talent. Well, the advantage of living in the van is that we can be a local anywhere and stay socially distanced once we get there. In the last year Drew has been able to get great work as a local everywhere from South Carolina, California, Arizona, Wyoming, to everywhere in between.

The other nice thing about being a filmmaker is that there are many different types of directions that you can go in the industry. Drew’s passion has always been documentary films, but the opportunities to make money come in many different ways. He has done a majority of his work in reality TV, commercials, and product content creation. The options are ENDLESS and we feel that van life really gives us, not only the opportunity for more work, but gives Drew the chance to explore different types of film making. It also gives him the ability to pick and choose what he want to shoot without the stress of having large bills and financial strain.

Drew and I both have benefited from living and traveling in our van. Our jobs thrive in this environment we live in. We don’t plan to stop our road trip anytime soon. We are beyond grateful to have the ability to work and live in such an adventurous way.

About the Authors

Drew and Brittany have lived full-time in their self-converted 2004 T1N Dodge Sprinter Van for almost 2 years. You can follow more of their adventures on Instagram at @Liveforadvanture

CREATING DISTINCT WORKSPACES WHILE LIVING TINY

By Melanie Snavely

Working from the road looks different for everyone. Some people work outside of the RV. For those who work from it, establishing a defined workspace requires a bit of additional thought. When we hit the road for the second go-around, this time with two fully remote jobs, we knew we would need to get creative. I am not the type of person who can work in the same place that I enjoy my downtime. I tried that and was just never productive. If I am in my comfy chair, I want a book or a drink, or both, with my brain in off-mode. Andrew has an entire office setup, with multiple monitors that require a good bit of space.

Finding Our Own Space

With two people trying to find their “spot,” our office space choices took extra consideration. We live in a 34ft fifth-wheel, so we do have some wiggle room, but having options can get tricky when living tiny. While it’s nice having a “work buddy” nearby, we didn’t want to be right on top of each other. We do have a small desk space built into one of the slides. It also occupies our tv, so only half of the slide was really available. We ultimately knew that area would need to be my desk as I mostly use my laptop for work. That meant that we could try to create a different spot for Babe, or our dining table would have to become his office. We decided to forego eating at the table. It gives us enough separation from each other so that we don’t overhear the other while on work calls but keeps our bedroom as a work-free zone.

Keeping Work and Play Separate

Before hitting the road, we were living in a small condo.

When my job became remote, I initially tried to work from the couch. NOT a good plan for me. One, I was unmotivated while working, and it took way too long to get even easy tasks accomplished. Two, once I finally shut the computer for the day and tried to relax, I still felt like I should be working. In the condo, I was able to create a desk for myself, and we knew that would need to carry over into the RV. My office chair in the RV literally sits back-to-back with the recliners we spend our downtime in, but having the distinct roles for each spot makes a huge difference. Once I move the two steps from my office corner to the recliners, my body and brain shut off and go into relaxation mode.

But what about dinner? It was a good thing we were never really dining table people anyways. Even in the RV, we still like to enjoy dinner while we watch a show that wouldn't have worked well from the TV's angle. We got two tv tables that easily slide next to the couch. We eat off of those and tuck them away when done. On weekends or nights where we want to talk over dinner, we prefer to eat outside, enjoying whatever backyard we may happen to have at the moment.

When the Small Space Gets Too Small

There are days where, as with any workspace, one can begin to feel cramped. But that is the beauty of RV living and remote work. Your office view can change if needed. While Babe is pretty stuck with both his monitors, I will take my laptop outside when the weather is nice. My office transforms from a tiny corner to a vast landscape (or the

“neighborhood” rigs). If we are running low on hotspot data for the month, and Babe needs to use mine to hold us over, I will find a local coffee shop to work from for the day so that I can use their wifi. I can still be productive because I am not in my “designated down-time” space. The chatter of nature or the voices in the coffee shop almost feels like having employees, and I find myself with a burst of productivity.

Living tiny does not mean having to sacrifice having an office space. It just means the office space gets reimagined. I love seeing people share their road-life work views and desk setups. Here are a few other nomadic offices to inspire your office space.

Jenn of @redwhiteandbethune

When designing our bus for our family of 5, we knew we would need to have multiple workspaces. We have work, school, and creative time for 5 people; we couldn’t all work in the same space.

We have a dedicated office space, Jenn’s makeup area doubles as an additional desk, and we made a custom cover to go over our steer wheel. With all of these areas, we can work, live, & play comfortably!

Janae of @adventures_with_tucknae

Since my husband and I both work on our phones, we tend to take opposite sides of the RV so that our phone calls aren't interfering with each other’s work. Generally, Tucker works in the dining room at the table, and I work in our bedroom. I like to sit on the bed and spread out my laptop and work materials. If I know I don’t have any work calls or meetings, I sometimes move down to the living room and work there.

Keith and Raini of @KeithandRaini

Working on the road has given us a very unique opportunity to create a productive yet cozy space in our RV. We built a desk for two in the nook of our large slide-out, where we can both sit and enjoy the window view while working; and, bonus, all we have to do is swivel around in our computer chairs and BAM! we are instantly in our kitchen!

Kimberly of @Couchpotatocamping

While we do work on the road, I don’t want to see a lot of work materials all day. When I’m not working, I don’t want to be reminded of my to-do list. So we try to keep clutter minimal. Papers and office supplies are kept in a bag which can be easily tucked away. I have a plastic container with work materials that I can put behind a cabinet. The ability to find things easily, all in one location, is key to working efficiently in a small space.

About the Author

Melanie is the writer and content producer for Life’s Sweet Journey. Babe is along for the ride and makes cameos when things get technical. They love a good mix of winery/ brewery touring with a hike to keep things balanced. This is their second stint on the road; they are crossing their fingers this one lasts longer! They share their adventures on IG, FB, and YouTube @lifessweetjourney.

KEEP YOUR JOB and GO REMOTE

5 TIPS TO CONVINCE YOUR COMPANY YOU’LL BE A GREAT REMOTE WORKER

By Christine Skelton

Many people successfully start their own business or use their skills to work freelance jobs on the road. However, many others have regular full-time corporate jobs on-site in an office that could quite possibly transition well to remote work.

Before you think that could never be possible for your role in order to start your new lifestyle, consider the following tips for positioning yourself to approach your company with the proposition of taking your role remote.

In order to give yourself the best chance at getting your company on board with transitioning your role to remote, make sure you adequately prepare. Think through the steps you should take to maximize your chance of getting the “yes” you’re looking for.

Tip #1: Prove yourself & your work first

Make sure you don’t put the cart before the horse by asking for your company to do something for you if you haven’t yet shown them the benefit in doing so. You want to have shown them your value and the quality of your work so they have a greater incentive in saying yes. Having a proven track record before asking for the transition to remote work will help your employer see it’s a no-brainer to make the change to keep an invaluable team member.

Tip #2: Have Good Timing

Timing is key and will vary, but make sure that you’ve shown your value and that you feel like the timing is appropriate for your situation. If your company is going through a major event, such as an audit, large proposal submission, or endof-year closing, the timing may not be ideal.

An annual review may be a good time to propose working remotely if your performance has been favorable. You’ll have the opportunity to have your supervisor’s undivided attention and are already discussing goals and objectives anyway.

It may be that you want to consider moving to remote work in incremental stages. Then the scope of your request may be broken out over a longer timeframe. Maybe you would feel you’d have more initial success if you asked for a certain number of days working remotely per week and increasing that as time went on, or starting with a trial period and then making it permanent if it went well.

Tip #3: Know Your Boss and Company

Not every boss or company should be approached the same way about working remotely. Take into account the best way for your situation. Ask yourself some questions

first about your boss and company to see what might resonate well with them.

Are they already super supportive in general of their employees, work-life balance, employee growth and so on?

Do they strongly see the value in your work? Or do they need some reminding/ highlighting of these before your pitch?

Does the type of work you are doing lend itself to remote work or could it be modified in some way? If not, are there other opportunities internally that you might move into in order to continue supporting your company remotely in other ways?

Is remote work already well established in your company, or are there any others who have done this before you?

Tip #4: Prepare Your Pitch and Justification

All the other tips have led up to this moment: preparing your pitch to become a remote worker and justifying it to your company. Prepare the points you’d like to make and practice beforehand. Start by stating things about the company or your boss that you appreciate and recognize as a company value that may support your case (you love your job, your boss has always been supportive, the company values its employees, etc.), and lay out what you are asking for.

Follow this up with your justifications, such as the fact that the company will see no change in the quality of the workmanship you provide, you’re fully committed to continuing to fulfill the job requirements, your work ethic, and your commitment to open communication. State any other benefits to the company, including potential cost

savings in office space or equipment. Can you point to other remote workers or an already-geographically-dispersed workforce to justify the same for you?

Be prepared to answer questions that may come up such as your internet connectivity, availability and reliability at expected times, what your workspace will look like, your equipment, and any willingness to travel back to the office.

Be prepared for a potential give and take. If you are willing to make some compromises in areas you are comfortable with, it may support you reaching your end goal. If your company suggested a modification to your role or responsibilities, would you be open to that? What if they said yes but wanted to change the terms of your hours or pay? Consider beforehand what would be a deal-breaker for you or what

might actually be an unexpected positive change.

Tip #5: Have a Backup Plan

It can be daunting to propose this change to your company, but if it’s what you want, be courageous. It can help to have a backup plan so that you don’t feel this is all-or-nothing and has to succeed or else. That’s a lot of pressure. If the answer from your company is no, be prepared to either be ok as-is and continue on as you consider other options, start looking for another job that is already publicized as remote, or leave first to jumpstart your dream and figure it out later. If you decide to look for another position and it is not already listed as remote, consider asking if they would allow the role to be remote for the right candidate (you!). The key for

landingaremotepositionistotailoryourresumeaccordingly and highlight your strengths and skills that lend themselves well to the position itself as well as remote work. Be upfront during the interview about this being your goal.

The fact that so many companies have had to adjust to allow employees to work from home during Covid could definitely present an opportunity in your favor for transitioning to remote work permanently.

If you worked remotely during the pandemic, your employer may be more familiar and comfortable with remote work than they were before, making this a great time to ask for a permanent change. Use the successes at work that you contributed to or were responsible for to justify how reliable and valuable you will continue to be despitenotbeingintheoffice.Were there any new tools or policies the company adopted over the course of the pandemic that facilitate continued remote work? Consider what else you learned during this time to help you with “the ask” and take advantage of the potential favorable timing.

You Can Do It!

If you’d like to work remotely to obtain more freedom and travel in an RV full- or part-time, or if you’re following another other dream that includes working remotely, then think about whether the work you are currently doing could transition

to a remote role. Consider the above tips to help you prepare for and approach your company about transitioning your role. Good luck!

About The Author:

Christine successfully transitioned her full-time on-site work from Northern VA to a remote job in 2013 after convincing her company to allow her to take a 6 month sabbatical to RV around the country while moving to Denver, CO. After working from home in CO for 5 years, she again approached her boss to take it to the next level and asked to continue her remote work while traveling full-time in an RV with her family.

Christine, Kevin, Klara, and Nathan Skelton have now been traveling in a 5th wheel for over 3 years while working remotely, homeschooling, and exploring the country trying to find the best hidden gems and off the beaten path places. They share the best places and RV tips and tricks on their Never Stop Adventuring YouTube channel, Instagram @_neverstopadventuring, Facebook, and website at neverstopadventuring.com.

OF CONNECTIVITY

KING ExtendGO

Multi-Use Portable Cellular Signal Booster

ï

Our most versatile cell booster yet - includes multiple antennas & mounts, a collapsible tripod, and carry bag.

ï

ï

ï

ï

Use anywhere you go.

Includes 12V and 110V power supply.

Boosts voice & data range for multiple users and all U.S. cellular carriers.

Use while parked or in-motion.

KING ExtendPRO Premium LTE/Cellular Signal Booster

Boosts and extends cell signal providing greater coverage and speeds for all cellular devices.

ï

ï Designed for RVs, trucks, travel trailers and more.

ï

5G Ready and 4G/3G LTE Voice and Data

ï

ï

Use while parked or in-motion.

Roof, pole, and ladder mounting brackets included.

The Road Less Traveled

By Kirk Williams

The question is did you find a mobile living lifestyle or did it find you?

In November of 2009 I crashed on a mountain bike and broke my neck suffering a spinal cord injury. This trip-overyour-shoelace type accident left me paralyzed from the chest down with limited hand function. As an adventure athlete, I figured my days of adventure were over. Turns out, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

With my level of injury (c5/6), there were only a handful of vehicles that could be adapted for me to drive. It’s nearly impossible for me to disassemble my wheelchair independently which leaves me with the options of a minivan, a full-size van, and possibly a couple of highly modified and super expensive specialized vehicles. Because I tow a trailer occasionally, a full sized van became the obvious choice to suit my needs. So that’s what I went with, a 2003 GMC Savanah I picked up on Craigslist.

Within the first couple months back behind the wheel, I realized that having a bench seat in the back of my van served little purpose other than for occasional storage and for the dogs to lounge. What I needed, I thought to myself, was a bed back there so I could go camping with my friends again. Little did I know at the time but that decision would change my life forever.

Fast forward 10 years and I have traveled extensively throughout the USA, Canada, Alaska, and Baja, Mexico

in a van. I even recently went so far as to ship my van all the way to Chile with plans of driving back to Colorado but unfortunately Covid had other plans.

My current van is Van 3pt0 or Spock. Because I traveled for 8 years with previous vans, I knew exactly what layout I wanted when designing this rig to suit my specific needs. Seemingly minute details such as where light switches or USB plugs are located make a huge difference in my daily living. I can’t just hop out of bed in a few seconds and turn off the lights for example, it’s a process. Features like a sink and stove top where I can roll underneath allow me to cook and do the dishes significantly more efficiently. An elevated refrigerator allows me to use both of my hands to grab heavy items before sliding them to my lap vs trying to lift a bottle of juice up, without dexterity. No detail was too small; bed height for transfers, drawer depth for soup cans, and the list goes on.

Fortunately, I qualified and received help with the funding side of things from the Division of Vocational Rehab (DVR) for the state of Colorado. Without their assistance, there’s no way this build would have been possible. The mobility equipment alone is $30k+! But thanks to DVR and a few businesses willing to chip in, I was able build my dream rig and ultimate freedom mobile.

Spock has since become so much more than just a vehicle for me. It’s a tool that makes the world wheelchair accessible that wouldn’t be otherwise. It’s an extension of myself. A

way for me to create, explore, and sustain the lifestyle I love.

There’s no way I could have been the places I have without this setup! I mean, how many quadriplegics do you know that have camped at the base of an active volcano? Heard the sounds of glaciers calving throughout the night? Seen grizzly bears and penguins from their bed? Spent multiple days on a secluded beach in Mexico watching dolphins breach? And the list goes on... I think you get the point!

In November 2019, my brother and I embarked on a road trip of a lifetime. Starting in San Antonio, Chile, we pointed our vehicles south through Patagonia towards Ushuaia to see what we could find.

This trip had been 3 years in the making between building the Spock, finding the sponsors, preparing myself and the equipment, and eventually just pressing GO.

The way I saw it was if I could live out of my van easily within the US and Mexico, how much harder could it be in South America, right? Turns out I was both right and wrong.

Thefactofthematterisit’sfairlyeasyformetodoeverything while I’m inside the van but once I get out, especially in a different country, things can get tricky! I had anticipated needing more help than usual which is why I convinced my brother, Clayton, to join.

Clay’s plan was to ride his BMW 1200GS everywhere we went while Spock would work as a base camp. He wanted to have his own adventure so he pledged to camp as much as possible and have the equipment necessary to venture

off by himself should he want to. We both agreed that this arrangement would work perfectly as we are together to enjoy the experience with one another but still have our own space so we don’t try and kill each other! It actually worked flawlessly, I was his support vehicle and he my support human.

After figuring out shipping (which is no easy feat) and receiving our vehicles at port, we were itching to get on the road. Our very first campspot, thanks to iOverlander, was perched atop a ridge on the coast of Chile. In this moment, as we cracked our first beer and made our first meal in the van, we both realized it was actually happening. We were in Chile with our vehicles and no itinerary other than to have the time of our lives!

Heading south down surprising good condition roads, we approached Púcon, Chile and the official start of Patagonia.

Púcon,assomeofyoumayknow,isaveryhipandoutdoorsy town located at the base of the Villarrica Volcano. We spent a few days exploring around the area and camped at what quite possibly could be the coolest campsite I’ve ever been to. One direction we had an active volcano where you could see the smoke coming out of the top all the other direction looked over a huge lake and endless expanses of mountains. Another pinch me moment!

From Púcon on, most of the roads we traveled became gravel and the towns grew smaller. The locals were always friendlyandIalwaysgotakickoutoftheirfaceswhenIwould get out of Spock in my chair! They would keep looking in the van for someone else to get out. When it finally dawned on them that I was driving and doing everything myself, they would give me the double thumbs up! Haha. I don’t think they saw too many wheelchair travelers down there.

Once we were on the Carretera Austral, the number of bike tourists and backpackers grew significantly. I picked up a few backpackers looking for a lift but was always nervous because I don’t speak much Spanish! I figured that could make for a very awkward ride if we can’t communicate. Fortunately, nearly everyone I picked up spoke some English and a few of them spent days with us and are lifelong friends now.

We continued down towards the iconic mountain ranges like El Chaltén and Torres del Paine. I’ll never forget one of our camp spots outside of Torres del Paine where we were the only ones out there for five days and literally drank unfiltered water from the river below. That’s some high quality H20!

Reaching the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, where many Pan-American travelers either

start or finish their trip, we felt like our adventure was just beginning. We were getting in our groove and ready to head back north through Argentina and see what else the continent had to offer.

It was an obvious shift in geography driving the Argentinian coast as the temperatures began to rise and lush vegetation dissipated. Unlike in Chile where it felt like water was abundant, in Argentina’s desert we made sure to fill up when we had good opportunities!

We made multiple stops on our way north including beach camping and then wine tours in Mendoza. Eventually, we wound up in our first big city of our trip, Buenos Aires. We rented an Airbnb for a week but little did we know we’d be there much longer.

The world effectively shut down one week after arriving in Buenos Aires due to Covid. What was supposed to be

a one-week stay turned into 4 1/2 months locked in a one bedroom apartment. Miraculously, my brother and I hardly ever fought and made the best of the situation. Eventually, and reluctantly, we decided to pull the plug and send everything back to the US.

Though that particular trip didn’t have the ending I had anticipated, my travels in my van are far from over. This mobile lifestyle has changed my life and it’s exciting to see that others realize it’s potential to. The Adaptive Vanlife movement is starting to blossom and I’m thrilled to see where it goes from here!

About the Author

Kirk has been traveling in some form or fashion for most of his life. He has been an inspiration to many others seeking ways to live an adventurous adaptive lifestyle. For more adventures or questions, feel free to reach out to Kirk directly on Instagram @impact.overland

MAINLAND MEXICO

RV TRIP BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS

By Liz & Dennis Smith

Most full time RVers don’t start their RV journey with the intentions of going beyond our nation’s borders. After all, the USA offers a variety of landscapes, epic vistas, and natural wonders to enjoy right in our own backyard. But that also means many RVers are missing out on amazing experiences and warmer winters that can be found south of our border in Mexico.

Over the past year and a half, my husband Dennis and I have spent 11 months exploring Mexico in our class C RV with our two cats, Pilar and Oliver. We drove over 8,000 miles across mainland Mexico, visiting 21 of Mexico’s 32 states having some of the best experiences of our life. We witnessed the monarch butterfly migration, paraglided over a valley, released sea turtles into the ocean, swam in epic waterfalls, visited ancient Mayan and Aztec ruins, ate the best Mexican food, camped on gorgeous beaches, swam in cenotes, snorkeled some of the world’s best reefs, explored dozens of magical pueblos, immersed ourselves in a new culture, and met the kindest people from all walks of life.

RVing Mexico isn’t a new concept. Hundreds, if not thousands, of RVers explore this country in the comfort of their RV each year and have been doing so for decades. Yet the idea of RVing Mexico still intimidates a lot of part time and full time RVers. Mainstream media has widely advertised the dangers of traveling to Mexico. And those who travel here are faced with a number of challenges that go along with navigating RV life in a foreign country, a different culture, currency, cuisine, customs, and political system.

We had never been to Mexico before, especially not in a 25 ft long, 11 ½ ft tall Mercedes Sprinter with all of our worldly possession inside. We shared many of the same concerns other new travelers to this country may feel. But after discovering how welcoming, diverse, and amazing Mexico is, we want to help others overcome their fears and do the same.

I won’t lie to you by saying RVing Mexico is easy. It takes a lot of work, flexibility, patience, and planning. But the effort is worth the reward. If you’ve ever considered RVing Mexico, here are a few of our favorite destinations and tips to help give you the confidence and inspiration to RV Mexico on your own.

Monarch Butterfly Migration

Mexico is filled with bucket list adventures like seeing Flamingos in Rio Lagartos or Celestun, walking in ancient footsteps at some of Mexico’s incredible archeological sites, or relaxing in natural geothermal pools. But I think one of the top bucket list activities you can do is witness the monarch butterfly migration. Each winter, millions of monarch butterflies travel to the forests in Michoacan, a state in Mexico. Best seen between December and early March, visitors can go to any of the four sanctuaries to see the monarchs in all their splendor. It was an absolutely incredible experience.

Secret Beaches

Mexico is famous for its beaches, and for good reason. With over 5,700 miles of coastline, there are endless beaches to relax and enjoy. One of our favorite beach towns was Mahahual, Quintana Roo. This famous cruise port offers crystal clear water, beautiful beaches, amazing snorkeling and diving, and great free camping. Visiting by RV allows you to experience the beauty without the crowds! We spent just over a week there drinking coconuts, taking a swim after a long work day, and snorkeling for sea turtles.

Mahahual

Valladolid

It was true bliss. We also loved the beachside towns of Isla Aguada, Campeche and Hualtulco, Oaxaca where we saw humpback whales!

Regional Food

Just like each state in the United States has their own regional specialities, each Mexican state has its own special dishes. In the Yucatan they make Cochinita Pibil. A traditional Mayan dish that uses sour oranges, achiote, and other spices to cook pig in an underground oven. But because of how time and labor intensive the traditional method is, it’s rare to find Cochinita cooked in this manner -- that is, unless you search for it.

During our stay in Valladolid, we ventured an hour outside of town into a tiny Mayan village to dine with Chef Rosalia Chay, made famous from her appearance on Chef’s Table BBQ. Chef Rosalia cooks Cochinita in the most traditional way possible, serving her guests in a palapa (palm leaf hut) in her backyard. It was hands down one of the best meals we’ve had in our lives and one of the best highlights from our trip.

These are only a few of the amazing memories we made during our travels. There are hundreds of stories we could share about tasty food, cultural exchanges, and wild adventures, with so much left still to discover.

Tips for RVing Mexico

Safety is by far the #1 concern most people have regarding RVing Mexico. Unfortunately, Mexico has gotten a bad reputation over the past few decades due to increased cartel related crimes. While crime certainly exists, the entire country is not dangerous. Just like in the United States, there are some areas that have higher crime incidents than others, it doesn’t mean all of the USA is unsafe. Educating

yourself on where to go and what to avoid, as well as listening to your intuition as you travel is a huge way to avoid petty or serious crime. During our 11 months traveling Mexico, we personally never had any issues other than a single incident of petty theft at a cenote.

Mexico’s water quality is notoriously bad. So bad, even Mexican’s don’t drink the water. Instead, people use refillable water jugs called garafones. These can be purchased, traded out, or refilled at a number of locations including Oxxo stores (like a 7-11), water purification plants, or grocery stores. We filled our tanks with non-potable water at an RV park or gas station which we used for washing dishes, showering, and brushing our teeth. Our garrafone was exclusively for drinking and cooking.

Driving in Mexico can be challenging at times. Unorganized roadways (onramps and offramps), tiny and narrow historic centros, and poor road quality can lead to tiring and stressful drive days. Drivers must keep a constant eye out for topes, Mexican speed bumps, which randomly show up as a marked or unmarked speed reducer. Topes, among other road factors, mean it’s best to avoid driving long distances on the highway at night.

Camping in Mexico is definitely different than in the USA or Canada. There are established RV Parks, but with lower quality of services. The electricity in Mexico is rarely grounded and finding a 50 amp plug is pretty much impossible. Most outlets are 15 amp service and the wiring job is questionable at best. Sewers are very hard to come by, making dumping your black tank especially difficult. We had a composting toilet with us to reduce the burden of having to dump as often and it gave us the ability to camp comfortably off grid thanks to our solar setup.

Chiapas Waterfalls

Certain areas of the country have more campgrounds than others. The Yucatan for example, has very little RV camping and the few campgrounds that do exist charge really high rates by Mexican standards (around $50 USD per night). We stayed in several different camping facilities

during our travels including formal campgrounds, in front of restaurants, behind hotels, on the beach, and even in gas station parking lots. While there is some free camping, especially if you’re in a van, expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $25 USD on average for camping, even if there are no services.

Big rigs can go to Mexico. We personally know people who travel with fifth wheels, trailers, and Class A’s in Mexico. Unfortunately, big rigs are not made to travel Mexico. If you have a larger vehicle it’s best to drive to one destination and park there for an extended period, making satellite trips when possible. A vehicle 30 feet or less is ideal for Mexico travel, but a van will ultimately offer you the most freedom and comfort as you travel.

Caravans are always an option for those who may want companionship while traveling to Mexico by RV, but caravans can be costly and I personally feel they take away from the cultural immersion. We have experienced Mexico on our own and with others, and truly believe our experience was enhanced through our solo travels. No matter how you choose to go -- the point is to go.

Mexico is open and waiting for you to explore. Chances are, it will be the trip of a lifetime.

About the Authors

Liz and Dennis are full time RVers, real estate investors, and Youtube vloggers who have been on the road full time since 2017. They share their experiences as full-time RVers on their website EatSeeRV.com and YouTube channel (Eat See RV) including a series with over 50 videos about RV travel in Mexico. You can also follow along with Eat See RV on Instagram and Facebook with the handle @eatseerv

Guanajuato

Chichen Itza

ADVENTURE DRIVEN TRAVEL

By Robyn Robledo

Selling off your furniture, donating half your closet to Goodwill, and escaping the corporate ladder in order to enjoy life and be time-rich is practically the norm today, that is, if you're 30-something without kids. But choosing to chase waves, summit peaks, and send rock walls with 5 kids in tow, you might say that’s a bit "outside the box".

January 2015. It’s a pretty typical day. My husband heads out the door early for work. I jump on my skateboard and ride ten minutes to watch the sunrise over the bay, then skate a few minutes west and check out the surf. It’s clean and rideable so I skate back home, enjoying the few moments of stillness in my life before waking my 13 year old daughter with her favorite words, “Let’s paddle out!”

After a two hour surf session with dolphins swimming under our boards, I sit down at my dining room table with my 5 kids to squeeze in a few hours of formal education. Then, we eat lunch and drive 5 miles to our gym. I teach a few gymnastics classes with my husband while some of my kids participate and others train in the weight room or hang out with their friends. In a blink of an eye, I'm back home making dinner before my husband staggers in, exhausted from a long day of work.

It’s not a hard life.

We work hard, but we have so much to feel grateful for that we’d never complain. Except, there’s this nagging feeling deep down saying, “Is this it? Will this be my truth forever?” I

know this routine. I’ve mastered this routine! I can’t shake the feeling that I was meant to do more. Be more. Explore.

The universe does what it does best and presents an opportunity whenever I begin to question my path.

The house we were renting was being sold, so we had a decision to make. Five months. I asked my husband if we can just live in an RV for 5 months. I play on his desire for logic and efficiency by saying “We’ll save so much money.”

Forus,beingselfemployed,meanthelivedatthebusiness, but somehow, I managed to get him to agree to go for it. We would live in an RV in San Diego and take a 3 week and a 6 week road trip during the following 5 months. It was a fair compromise and it’s the secret to not only a successful marriage of 27 years, but also the dominant theme in our adventures.

Six years later and the itch has been scratched, the dream fulfilled, and the damage done.

There’s no going back. In fact, we’ve tried twice now to return to a house and it just doesn’t last. The nomadic life awoke a part of me that will never be able to go back to sleep.

The ever changing front yard, the campground communities, the flexibility of being able to come and go, it’s perfect. And the best part is that it’s provided an opportunity to raise my kids with the values I dreamed of giving them- work ethic, kindness, persistence, and passion.

But I’m pretty sure our nomadic journey with kids has been a little different than most.

That’s because... We chase.

Some people choose the nomadic life for the ease, less stress, to be able to chill. Not us.

“Chill harder” is something we’re still trying to master. In the past 6 years we’ve surfed Norway, Ireland, France, Spain, Hawaii, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Bali.

Traveling abroad on a shoestring budget with 5 kids in tow has been anything but easy. Long flights, long drives, setting up tents in the rain, our RV breaking down in the Dolomites, my husband almost losing an eye surfing in France, it’s all been horribly “perfect” for the one truth that makes me love it all so much... it’s purpose driven.

There’s a goal, a dream, an epic hike, a new break, another send waiting. No two days look the same.

You endure hardships to be in Pavones when the waves are firing, Frankenjura when the rock is dry, Chamonix when the snow is melted.

For six years we’ve chased stoke. And we are a team. Just because adrenaline filled sports doesn’t drive each of my kids to get up before the sun and go explore doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy the journey any less.

All for one and one for all.

I feel really proud to see how much each of my kids genuinely like each other. The entire experiment could’ve easily backfired on me. My oldest son could’ve turned 18

and said “I’m outta here.” Victor could’ve said “No more. I want my routine back.” But they didn’t.

Ouradventuredrivenlifestyleworks because we’ve used it as a canvas for empowerment. It’s provided an opportunity to act brave, bold, and courageously. We’ve managed to understand each person's sense of individuality within the framework of the bigger picture we call family.

For instance, my oldest son, Daniel, who is now 21, loves to read, write, and run. As long as he has time in his day for that, he’s always been happy to spend time each day reading to and playing with his younger brother, Jiraiya (12). It’s this constant give and take that has allowed us the ability to roam, and roaming is what we do best.

In 2016, we flew to Europe and covered over 10,000 miles in 6 months. In 2017, we spent a month in New Zealand and drove the North Island, the South Island, and then back through the North Island because we just loved Raglan so much.

In 2019, we drove from San Diego to Denali National Park and back. Seeing 17 bears along the highway in Canada on May 17 is one of those things we will never forget.

Last summer we circled Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota 4 times because, why not?!

This year, in 2021, we finally experimented with “slow travel”. It was a huge deal that we spent over a month in St George, Utah.

“You mean we are staying here, in this campground, for more than 4 days?” Daniel asks with a look of shock.

Yes, I’m learning to embrace comfort and ease (as long as it doesn’t make me too soft). When we downsized to an RV in 2015, it was a 30’ class C motorhome. It

was great when the kids were younger but as they grew, the space became way too tight. Two years ago we upgraded to a 42’ fifth wheel and to me it feels like a condo on wheels.

I love the space, the huge kitchen with an island, and that it has a separate room for the kids in the back, but it does take some of the fun out of roaming.

It’s big and cumbersome. I can’t just turn down whatever road I want to. It takes time to hitch up, make sure things aren’t going to fall or break when we drive, put all 5 slides in, and so, it has changed the game a little.

But, I’m finding so many ways that it’s changing it for the better. Slower travel has been really enjoyable, especially when it’s in adventure hubs where there’s access to many trails and rock walls.

It’s nice to drop the trailer in a campsite and have a truck that can get to all the best climbing spots.

Rootless travel has paved the way for a level of self growth that makes my soul happy. I haven’t figured out the best organization for my RV, how (or why) to create the perfect outdoor space, what the perfect RV gadget is to buy, or even managed to stick to any sort of budget or plan. But rootless

travel has taught me how to master adaptability, confidence, and happiness.

As a mom, it’s easy to fall into the guilt trap, to feel like you’ll never be enough, to worry that you’ll permanently damage your kids.

If I ever waited until all my ducks were in a row, I would’ve missed out on so many memories. There’s a weirdness to our family that makes me proud because when you learn to embrace your own uniqueness, you’re able to offer so much more to the world.

My goal for the next decade is to help others embrace their own version of awesomeness, build confidence in who they truly are, and empower them to take an active role behind the wheel of their own life regardless of if it has roots or not.

About the Author

Robyn and Victor travel the world with their 5 kids, enjoying whatever outdoor adventures they can find along the way. They are passionate about inspiring others to chase stoke. You can follow their adventures on Instagram and YouTube at @nomadswithapurpose or on their website nomadswithapurpose.com.

Road Trip Planning Tools

By Shannon Anne

When we began full-time RV life, we had no clue what we were doing. Still, we jumped into it - eager and ready to learn. In 2020, our family embarked on a journey that would take our family from coast-to-coast (three times!). We visited over 21 states and had the time of our life. If you are a free spirit like me, planning a trip down to the details can be tedious and frustrating. As a parent and naturalborn worrier, my worst traveling fear was rolling down a freeway and watching our 14-foot fifth wheel smash into a low-hanging bridge. I began the research process by calling every state to obtain a list of every low bridge along the freeways we would be traveling on. However, by state 3, there was no way I was going to continue that for our entire cross-country trip.

And these were just the start of my concerns. I also wanted to have fun! After finding a solution to our bridge problems, I was stuck pondering: Where would we park for the night? Where would we go for fun? What would it cost? What would we do? I had to figure it all out. In short, I learned a lot about planning a cross-country trip, and today I want to lend my knowledge to you. This is how our family plans our travels, free-of-charge!

STEP 1 : Road Solving

As my mom always said, safety never takes a vacation. As a kid this was an obnoxious epiphany. However, life has a way of teaching you things your mom tried to. Which is why my first step is to find our route and make sure it is suitable for our RV. There are many ways to do this- like purchasing

an expensive GPS- but we found the best and most costeffective way is this:

Use your google maps to find the typical route you would drive and cross-check your route with a Rand-Mcnally Truckers Road Atlas. These are the maps that semi-truck drivers use to travel the country, which make them perfect for RV’s, as well. From a trucker himself, you can purchase a map that is a year or two old to save money because the roads do not change a lot every year; we have the 2019. These maps are perfect because they come laminated so you can highlight your route and then wipe it off.

STEP 2: Planning Stops

Areyouafree-spiriteddriveroraplan-aheadkindofperson? With kids, I wanted to know where we were stopping each night and how far we would be driving each day. Please trust me when I say this: if your trip is longer and your time is allowing, stop for more than a day somewhere. Don’t just drive and sleep, and drive again. The drive will become both tedious and maddening.

When it comes to planning stops, there are two kinds of people. The first person will find a location to stop, and then plan the fun around that location. The other will find something they want to see along the way, and then find somewhere to stop near it. You will have to figure out which person you are. I am an adventure seeker, and plan my stops around the adventure I wanted to experience.

To plan your adventures, there are a few apps you can use. I recommend using a road-planning app simultaneously so that you do not stray too far from your path.

RV Parky, RV Trip Wizard, and RoadTrippers are among the more popular apps used for this.

We use both RV Parky and RV Trip Wizard. We love RV Parky because it allows you to visualize how many hours it would take to get to each stop, to add in how many nights you plan to stay there, and to give you an accurate driving time based on your planned stops. It also calculates a rough estimate of gas costs.

We simultaneously use RoadTrippers to plan where we want to stop and the fun things that we want to do along the way. This app will never leave my phone, even when we are not road tripping. It has so many amazing, unique ideas for things to do - wherever you are.

I also love to use Instagram for trip inspiration. If I know that I want to stop in Sedona, Arizona, I will use #sedona to search for pictures that might inspire me; Instagram is a muse (as is Pinterest). As a friendly note: A lot of beautiful scenery and high-tourist spots around the country require permits - so make sure you take that into consideration, as well. You will want to plan well in advance so that you do not miss out on an experience.

When finding somewhere to park your RV for the night (or longer), We recommend looking into RV memberships to lessen the cost. We use both Harvest Hosts and Tents for Troops. However, there are so many amazing options like Good Sam, Escapees RV Club, Thousand Trails, Passport America, and Boondockers Welcome.

If you are feeling wild, you can also boondock on BLM land for free. The Campendium app is perfect for helping you find boondocking locations, as well as parking lots that allow a quick sleep.

Step 3: Put it all together

Once your stops and adventures are planned, go back through your route while using the trucker map to ensure that your travels do not take you on a road that might be dangerous. Once that is verified, you are ready to head out (so long as you have done proper maintenance on your rig and ride)!

We hope that this guide makes planning your next great adventure a breeze!

Follow Shannon and her family’s adventure on Instagram at @fulltimingfamily

TO AUSTIN TEXAS

THE BEST PLACES TO EAT, DRINK, AND ENJOY TEXAS’ CAPITAL CITY

By Adam & Kathryn Frazer

With an incredible food scene, live music, outdoor activities, Hill Country views, quirky shops, and so much more, Austin offers a little something for everyone and makes for a fun getaway for digital nomads.

Austin has been our hometown for the majority of our lives, and while we are now fully nomadic, our official home base is still in Austin.

We always look forward to our visits back “home” for copious amounts of tacos, queso, and BBQ. And we’re excited to share some of our favorite spots in the city!

Whether it’s your first time to Austin or you’re a returning visitor, we hope this guide gives you helpful tips for your visit, as well as some ideas of things to do and places to eat both in and around Austin. Make sure to eat an extra taco or two for us!

WHEN TO VISIT

Austin is a great destination year round, with mostly mild weather in the spring, fall, and winter months, but the summers can get very hot! While there are quite a few swimming holes to cool down in, be prepared to handle the heat if you choose to visit in the summer.

Austin is also known for having unpredictable weather at times. It can be 80 degrees one day and then snowing the next. So we recommend checking the weather before you visit!

Besides weather, one big factor when deciding when to visit Austin are events happening in the city.

Austin hosts two huge festivals every year: Austin City Limits (ACL) in October and SXSW in March. Unless you want to attend either of those, we’d suggest avoiding the city those weeks, as it’s extremely busy and prices are a lot higher.

GETTING AROUND

If you plan to stick to the downtown area, it’s easy to get around via Uber, Lyft, bikes, or public transportation. If you’d like to explore more of the Hill Country, we recommend renting a car.

WHERE TO STAY

There are many neighborhoods around downtown that are close to all of the major attractions. We personally love the areas around South Congress, South Lamar, Zilker Park,

2nd Street District, Seaholm District, and East Austin. These areas have a variety of Airbnbs, which will give you a local feel, as well boutique hotels that have an Austin vibe.

There are so many fun things to do in and around Austin, but if it’s your first time visiting and you want an iconic Austin experience, here are our top suggestions of places to visit, restaurants to try, and experiences to have!

Eat lots of tacos

Tacos are a staple in Austin cuisine, and there are no shortage of taco shops to visit while in town. These range from authentic Mexican street tacos to breakfast tacos to unique combinations.

Some of our favorites are La Tunita 512 for birria tacos, Vaquero Taquero for al pastor tacos, Veracruz for migas breakfast tacos, Las Trancas for classic street tacos, and Granny’s Tacos or Taco Joint for a variety of options.

Looking for some queso to go with your tacos? We recommend Torchy’s Tacos green chile queso. It is hands down the best queso we have ever had!

’sTex Mex BBQ

don’t have to go very far to find a solid joint cooking up some delicious smoked meat. In Austin, barbecue centers mostly around brisket, which is cooked low and slow over indirect heat. We recommend ordering your brisket “moist” (the fattier cut), for the ultimate barbecue experience.

Our absolute favorite barbecue spot in town is Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, which perfectly marries barbecue and Tex Mex into one delicious meal. While it’s located a bit out of the downtown area, their brisket taco and Real Deal Holyfield breakfast taco are worth the drive.

Some other popular and high-quality restaurants closer to town to check out are Micklethwait Craft Meats, la Barbecue, Terry Black’s Barbecue, and the iconic Franklin Barbecue.

Another solid option is Snow’s Barbecue, which is located in Lexington, about one hour outside of Austin. This famous spot, whose pitmaster is an 86-year-old woman named Tootsie, is only open on Saturdays.

For both Franklin Barbecue and Snow’s Barbecue, you’ll need to arrive hours before opening and wait in line. We suggest bringing some games or friends along with you to make the experience extra fun!

Get out on the water

With many lakes, rivers, springs, and creeks, Austin offers tons of water activities to enjoy! To enjoy the water with a skyline view, we suggest kayaking or stand up paddle boarding on Lady Bird Lake, which runs right in front of

Torchy’s Tacos

downtown. You can also rent a boat and cruise around Lake Travis or Lake Austin.

On a hot summer day, cooling off in Barton Springs Pool, which is a constant 68-70 degrees, is a must! Sculpture Falls, which is located along Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail, is also a local favorite.

Forsomeoptionsoutsideoftown,Jacob’sWellandHamilton Pool are fun and unique swimming hole experiences. Both require reservations in advance.

Go shopping on South Congress

South Congress, nicknamed SoCo, is located just across Lady Bird Lake from downtown Austin. This area is home to restaurants, coffee shops, live music, and tons of shopping! Spending part of a day wandering around SoCo is a great way to experience Austin’s vibe. A few of our favorite shops to check out are Uncommon Objects, South Congress Books, Parts & Labour, which is great for souvenirs, and Big Top, an old school candy shop.

Watch the sunset from Mount Bonnell

Located northwest of downtown Austin lies Mount Bonnell, the highest point in the city at 775 feet!

This free and popular spot requires a 102-stair climb to get to the top, but once you make it up the steps, you’ll be treated to amazing views of Lake Austin, downtown, the 360 Bridge from afar, and the surrounding hills. There are a handful of areas to enjoy the view, and this makes for a great picnic and photo spot while in Austin, especially at sunset. It can get busy, so arrive early!

See millions of bats fly out from

the Congress Avenue Bridge

Austin is home to the largest urban bat population with 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Every night between late March and the early fall, locals and visitors gather to see these bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge as they go on their nightly hunt for food (they eat 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects each night!). It’s a remarkable sight to see them all fly out at once.

The best places to watch the bats are from the top of the Congress Avenue Bridge or the Statesman Bat Observation Center, right next to the bridge. You can also go on a cruise with Lone Star Riverboat or Capital Cruises to see the bats from the water.

Listen to live music

Austin is not only the capital of Texas, but it’s also nicknamed the “Live Music Capital of the World” for its large concentration of live music venues. On any given night, you can find live music around the city, ranging from large venues like ACL Live at the Moody Theater, outdoor venues like Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater, to some of the more intimate spots, like Antone’s Nightclub, The Continental Club, and the Elephant Room.

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ

Snap photos of the murals

Beyond music, Austin has an abundance of another art form: murals! You can find tons of unique, photo-worthy murals all around the downtown Austin area. Some of our favorite ones to snap a photo in front of are:

I Love You So Much (1300 S Congress Ave)

Love from Austin (1912 S Congress Ave)

Greetings from Austin (1720 S 1st St)

You’re My Butter Half (2000 E MLK Jr Blvd)

Tau Ceti (E 2nd St & Brazos St)

Check out one of many food trucks

Austin is more than just tacos and BBQ — it also has an incredible food truck scene with a variety of cuisines to choose from. And while Austin does have lots of trendy, sit-down restaurants, the food trucks fit the laid-back vibe of the city while still offering up the high-quality food that Austin is known for. It’s a must-have experience when visiting the city!

While it’s impossible to list all of the amazing food trucks in Austin, we especially love Boteco for Brazilian food, Talad for Thai and Lao food, PAPERBOY for breakfast and brunch items, Via 313 for Detroit-style pizza (they have two food trucks), Churro Co. for amazing churros and ice cream, and Gourdough’s Big. Fat. Donuts. for exactly what the name implies.

Learn Texas history

Being the capital city of Texas, Austin is home to a handful of places to learn the state’s history. The Texas State Capitol is located in the heart of downtown Austin, is free to visit, and has different exhibits and the chance to see Texas

government rooms.

AnotherplacetolearnTexashistory is the Bullock Texas State History Museum. It is located a couple blocks from the Capitol building and has a variety of exhibits about the state of Texas.

Visit local breweries

Love beer? Austin is home to over 58 craft breweries! Each brewery has a different vibe; some offer food, some have cool outdoor spaces, and some provide free tours.

Itcanbetrickytonarrowdownallof the options, but you can’t go wrong with these spots: Zilker Brewing Company, Lazarus Brewing Co., Live Oak Brewing Company, Meanwhile Brewing, Austin Beerworks, and Jester King, which is a little bit out of town but has a gorgeous property!

Take a trip to the Texas Hill Country

Last, but definitely not least, one of the best things to do in Austin is to leave the city and explore the surrounding Hill Country! The Hill Country is filled with many charming and historic small towns, state parks, and fun things to do.

For options within 2 hours from Austin, we recommend seeing the falls at Pedernales Falls State Park, visiting the wineries in Fredericksburg, floating the river in New Braunfels, dancing at the oldest Texan dance hall in Gruene, and hiking up a granite mountain at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.

About Adventures of A+K

We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the U.S. and Canada scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.

To see more of our travels and our detailed travel guides, check out our website adventuresofaplusk.com or follow us on Instagram and YouTube

@AdventuresofAplusK

SEDONA A Community for Nomads

By Chris & Taylor Allen

We got into tiny living when we were living on our boat full time that we had in San Diego, CA. We originally had no idea about Vanlife. We just wanted somewhere to lay our heads down for 2-3 days and that’s when we got the van. One of our favorite places to travel to is Sedona Arizona.

We really enjoyed our stay in Sedona Arizona just 50 mins South of Flagstaff and about 2 hours north of Phoenix. This city sits at 4,350 ft. This place is surrounded by breathtaking red rock along with scenic views coming off the faces of hilltops and mountains. We really enjoyed our time in this charming, outdoor, and friendly atmosphere.

We consider ourselves health conscious. We found it relatively easy to go into the city of Sedona to find grocery stores and restaurants that respected our dietary needs. There were even water fill stations for portable water jugs located outside of the grocery stores.

Being around such beautiful scenery made it a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. If you are looking for a ton of good trails to hike, Sedona is a must. We had the pleasure of hiking Devil's Bridge Hiking Trail in Sedona back in late winter early spring of 2019. It was amazing watching all of the snow and ice along with the combination of the red rock. However, because of the ice, we weren’t able to go all the way to the end. It was still a wonderful experience. You can do some research on Bradshaw Ranch.

When we visited in 2019, we were only there for 1 day. We decided to go back in late fall of 2020 on our travel quest called “The Quest to the Southwest”. Sedona was our 1st destination. We discovered a beautiful dog park, in the midst of the pandemic there weren't many people but the dogs had a blast running around. There was a hiking trail nearby but we didn’t go because we wanted to get to our campsite before dark.

We camped on the iconic National Forest Road 525C in Sedona. This is a big-rig-accessible road. This road is so beautiful that it is a part of the Jeep Tours. We drove a few miles down the dirt road all the way to this beautiful overlook. Upon our arrival, we were the only ones there but by the time we left, we were waving goodbye to a small

community that had gathered.

We ended up camping with wonderful souls from all walks of life and all different kinds of rigs. From Sprinter vans, to teardrop trailers, fifth wheels, truck campers, Class A Rvs, even a couple of converted ambulances. Everyone either owned a pet whether it was a cat or a dog and was dog friendly if they didn’t own one. The campsite was like a miniature dog park with all the dogs getting along.

One benefit of the Jeep tours coming by was getting free informationaboutSedonawhenitcametothevortexenergy and where exactly you could feel it as well. Apparently the campsite we were at on the overlook was parallel to a hillside that emitted vortex energy to the side directly towards us.

We really enjoyed ourselves for the 12 days that we stayed there. I would highly recommend you all check this place out. People often ask how we find community. If you simply just go outside and introduce yourself to the next camper you’ll find yourself in your own community.

So whether you go in a van, a pick up truck, a bus RV or an ambulance, you will have a good time in Sedona Arizona. Safe Travels to you and try to keep at least three wheels on the ground at all times. Peace.

About the Authors

Chris and Taylor Allen are The Adventure Allens INC. They are a non profit organization that travels full time in their Sprinter Van with our 2 dogs Chief and Storm. They educate through social media platforms at @AdventureAllens @MusclesOnTheMove @BigTayLifestyle.

Anza

Borrego

One of our favorite spots to boondock in Anza Borrego State Park is Blair Valley.

It’s a great road that seems a little rugged at first, but if taken slow, will lead to wonderful views. We had no problem pulling our 27 foot Airstream trailer to a spot about half a mile in that gave us space to breathe and a gorgeous star speckled sky that night!

Lauren, Sam, and Fenton the Pup @airstream_unhitched

Tom's Best Spring Road • Bryce Canyon

y far, one of my favorite campsites is in the Dixie National Forest in Utah. I was camping with a group of friends at the time and we found an incredible location which branched off the main road. There is a turn around at the end, which made a perfect culdesac for our group.

What helped to make this an exceptional choice was the proximity to so many wonderful destinations. We visited Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon, Grand Staircase Escalante, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park and Kodachrome State Park. Also in the area is Panguitch Lake and the small town of Panguitch. In this small town is a wonderful little grocery store, post office (with general delivery) and gas stations. There is a Sinclair station right outside of Bryce Canyon NP that offers a dump station and fresh water.

There is so much to see and do close by; hiking, biking, kayaking, horseback riding and OHV trails. ATV and kayak rentals are available. You can even do helicopter rides over the canyon. There are also several slot canyons in the area. Services were very limited during our stay due to the pandemic but hopefully most are back open now. There are many other forest roads and forest campgrounds available in this area.

About the Author

Shirley is a single female traveling full time with her 2 Yorkies, Dee Dee and Ziggy in her 2012 Airstream Flying Cloud 20c. Since there is no place like home, her name is Dorothy. Come along with us on our travels on YouTube at Yellow Brick Road.

Shirley Hatton

GEAR GUIDE

Shop All Of Our Rootless Living Gear Guides at Amazon.com/Shop/RootlessLiving

SEATTLE SPORTS OUTFITTER CLASS CAMP BUCKET

Use around camp for washing dishes, hauling water, or washing clothes. Collapsible and packable design allows you to easily take it along for any outdoor adventure.

"We use our collapsible bucket for everything from quick showers to cleaning our solar panels. It's super functional and takes up hardly any space at all." - @drifter.journey

KAMMOK ROO SINGLE HAMMOCK

Our Roo Single hammock is designed for maximum comfort. The Gravitas diamond ripstop, UV and water-resistant fabric is tough enough for any camping trip while still maintaining light weight and breathability.

HELINOX SUNSET CHAIR

The Sunset is built with a high back for increased support and longer legs so you sit higher off the ground.

"Comfy and inviting outdoor chairs. Makes it so much easier to expand your small space."

- @seeingtheseitz

LYNX LEVELERS 10 PACK

Modular designed levelers not only configure to fit any leveling function, but theyalsowithstandtremendousweight.To use, simply set them into a pyramid shape to the desired height that the RV needs to be raised and drive onto the stack

What products are you using and why? Send us a link of the item you love having as a digital nomad and you might see your favorite product in the next gear guide!

Easy-fill slide-bar doubles as port closure and toting handle. Reflective printing allows you to find your shower easily at night. Super tough urethanetubeamdPVCfreematerial.

BLUETTI AC200P PORTABLE POWER STATION

Keep your equipment running indoors and outdoors. 2000Wh/2000W Higher Output/ Larger Capacity. 17 Output Ports Meet Multiple Devices.

"The AC200 is a good source of power without the hassle of having to go fire up the generator. Easy to charge with 3 solar panels." -

@grumpypantz13

NALGENE 20oz MULTIDRINK

This Nalgene water bottle is completely leak proof, made of virtually indestructible BPAfree Tritan, easy to clean and dishwasher safe on the top rack (remember dishwashers?)

"When we're boondocking it's not always easy to fill our freshwater tank, so our 20 Nalgene water bottles are our lifeline since we can fill them up almost anywhere...and they're a great place for travel stickers."

An ultra-light packing solution weighing in at less than one ounce, designed to help keep you organized while traveling. PACK-IT TIPSWe recommend rolling your items to maximize storage and to minimize wrinkles; Short or long, roll them up and stash them in these cubes

- @chasingharley

ALPS MOUNTAINEERING CAMP TABLE

This table is perfect for setting your foodonafteralonghikeorthroughout the day while you're cheering on your team. It is made of aluminum so it's lightweight, yet sturdy. When it's time to go home, the Camp Table legs and table top fold into a convenient carry bag, which is ideal for transporting and storage.

SEATTLE SPORTS 5 GALLON PVC-FREE SOLAR SHOWER

EAGLE CREEK PACK-IT ISOLATE CUBE

David Garcia

Anette Padilla

McKenzie Dorn

Lori Spallone

Jessica Baker

Casie Tomaz

Nathan Stanton

Josh Fuss

Ally Wilinski

Rosanna Stevens

Michelle Morgan

Hannah & Cody Lane

Brittany Henning

Drew Glickman

Melanie Snavely

Christine Skelton

Kirk WIlliams

Liz & Dennis Smith

Robyn Robledo

Shannon Anne

Adam & Kathryn Frazer

Chris & Taylor Allen

Shirley Hatton

Lauren Lynass

Rootless Living Magazine

Volume 2 | Issue 10 | July/Aug 2021

Publisher Demian Ross

Editor-in-Chief Nikki Kirk

Managing Editor Jessica Stiles

Copy Editor Isak Kvam

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

PODCASTS FOR THE DRIVE

Murder in Oregon

Two men on a decades-long journey, bordering on obsession, into Oregon’s drug and crime-infested underworld to answer one question: Who really killed Michael Francke?

Crime Junkie

If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.

Dear Chelsea...

On this weekly advice show, host Chelsea Handler answers listener questions with the hilarious edge you know her for.

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Join clinical psychologist and mom of three Dr. Becky Kennedy, as she takes on tough parenting questions and delivers actionable guidance.

Your Own Backyard

A documentary podcast series investigating the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly student, Kristin Smart.

By The Book

Half reality show, half self-help podcast, and one wild social experiment. Join Jolenta and Kristen as they live by the rules of a different self-help book to figure out which ones might actually be life changing.

Crushed

A S T S FOR THE DRIVE

What happens when your love of a sport is built on a major-league lie?

Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

A show where LinkedIn’s Jessi Hempel explores the changing nature of work, and how that work is changing us.

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

WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK.

Raising the Bar in Customer Service and Warranty Since Day One!

Our Service Response Team consists of eight expert techs with trucks and trailers spread out across the US. They are committed to training dealer technicians to aid in getting you in and out of appointments. The team is trained to assist anyone stuck on the side of the road in need. You don't have to be a part of the Grand Design Family to receive our helping hand. In times like these, we need to show all RV'ers that Grand Design cares about them even if they didn't choose our products as their home away from home.