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Living Aboard An RV Are You Ready For It
ne of life's many riding a bike.
paradoxes is our constant
desire to gain maximum Accordingly, while there is a
control over our 'operating raft of personal preparations to
environment', despite the get squared away, there is much
knowledge that so many aspects of about serious 'bumming around'
daily life remain beyond our that simply evolves as each day
influence. Result being, we spend rolls by. By way of illustration,
considerable time, money and out there on the road you'll find
effort attempting to get that few if any long-term,
everything just right before committed nomads have identical
taking 'the plunge'. travelling outfits, nor do each
follow precisely the same
In the military, as I recall, routines as when they first set
this was referred to as the out on the road. (One question I
'Ready - Aim - Fire' principle, love to ask the old hands is: 'If
whereas many human endeavors are, you were starting out again, is
in fact, better suited to the there anything you’d do
more appropriate method of 'Ready differently?')
- Fire - Aim'! And it seems to me
that preparing for a fulltime So, if you dream of taking up the
life on the road is a fine wandering life, though you may be
example of this latter approach. unsure as to what you need or how
After all, there are so many you might travel, I suspect the
unique skills and practical Buddha would simply say:
techniques involved, it's 'Follow your heart. Our time
reasonable to expect that much of in this life is limited.'
what we need to know cannot be
learned sitting at home. As they Nevertheless, it still behoves
say, one learns to ride a bike by all good RV nomads – and
intending nomads – to place heading toward a substantial
considerable emphasis on getting culture shock!
their outfit right, and then
equipping themselves for a long That's right: shock. After
and trouble-free life on wheels. all, if you've spent the past
(Nothing much wrong with hedging thirty or fifty years wallowing
your bets by building up an in the comforts and relative
abundance of good karma!) boredom of modern western
society, taking a giant step
Of greater importance than travel 'backward' into a lifestyle
hardware, though, is your nomadic positioned somewhere between
'software': YOU, ie, your 'upper third world' and 'new-age
personal mix of attitude, fringe-dweller', you have a mixed
personal preparations, and bag of challenges ahead. Heading
strategies for living on onto the road fulltime, with some
the road rather than simply dewy-eyed notion that you're
travelling on the road. embarking on a romantic
Because most often, it's the adventure, is asking for trouble.
mental / psychological pressures Not necessarily trouble of the
rather than equipment failures 'money can fix it' variety
that result in wannabe nomads (though there are sure to be a
scurrying back to suburbia. few of those), more of a 'what
the hell are we doing here'
In short, although you do need to personal confrontation.
look carefully at equipment and
hardware, right up front during The first attribute, then, which
your preparation and planning serious nomads should add to
phase you and your team must get their psychological toolbox is
absolutely clear on what lies mental tenacity, sufficient to
ahead. To put it bluntly, you are accept, meet and live with all
the interpersonal / societal Examples might include
negatives that we drifters bump fossicking, fruit picking,
up against along the way. Get writing, wineries, historic
ready, for example, to have sites, bird watching, visiting
humanity's contempt directed bush pubs, searching for inner
toward you. Not every day, truth, or here in Oz, that good
perhaps, but from time to time old standby, 'seeing Australia'.
you will sense it, subtle though
it may be. If not fully committed Having said that, however, there
to the lifestyle, if you don't are countless fellow nomads out
feel the Zen – some 'higher there who are happy – even proud
purpose' in the whole thing – – to thumb their noses at
those jibes may slowly erode and designer bias and opinion, and
ultimately destroy your just 'do it'. You have to decide
self-esteem. Next stop: Suburbia. for yourself which approach fits
best, so that any necessary
The best defence against lifestyle preparations, by way of
pressures of this sort is to find training and equipment, are
some deeper reason for becoming a included as you ramp up to
fulltime RV traveller. Perhaps a 'Departure Day'.
hobby, a 'calling', some sort of
mobile money-earner, or even a Of course, identifying and
personal Holy Grail – anything building a 'purpose' is only one
that provides you with the small part of your learning
'justification' for such a curve. To move from a fully
'bohemian lifestyle', while at supported, fixed, urban
the same time adding purpose and existence, to a high level of
depth to your days and your mobile independence, requires a
travels. certain amount of training,
learning and research.
Fortunately, independence is a be setting out on the road for
skill and as such it can be increasing periods of time to
learned. Moreover, this wandering field test a few ideas for
nomad thing has been going on yourself. Certainly, short
since mankind first walked holidays will seem nothing more
upright, so you'll find an than 'junk food' to the true
endless variety of sources from nomad, but to become independent
which to learn. and resourceful to any useful
degree you do need to get out and
You could, for instance, study practice the skills and
pioneering lifestyles and how the techniques involved. It's an
early settlers tackled their endless process of reading,
daily challenges; or perhaps thinking, trial and error, and
delve into the nitty-gritty of practice – all of which develop
the 'survivalist' and both experience and confidence.
'homesteading' movements. Other
fertile fields of gypsy During this process you will also
techniques can be found amongst be 'easing' yourself into the
the lives of explorers, and life of a nomad. You might start
Earth's 'real' nomads, such as by hiring a caravan or motorhome
the Australian Aborigines, to 'try it on for size'.
American Indians, hoboes and Meanwhile, your first taste of
swaggies. Within their lives and overnight independence might be
their stories you'll find many in a national park or state
similarities – and many of the forest. And essential skills like
answers to the day-to-day trials camping, bush cooking, first aid,
of self-reliance. map reading, vehicle maintenance,
and 12-volt power should start to
Another early stage of your play an ever-expanding role.
nomadic apprenticeship ought to Because the truth is, no matter
which way you dress it up, moving become adept at, say, mechanical
from a house to a 'box on wheels' repairs, baking bread, article
is likely to involve a writing, cutting hair, sewing, or
significant step down from your basic carpentry, you can,
current living standards so it's potentially, use these skills to
sure to be stressful. Baby steps top-up finances along the way. In
are the best way to go. other words, concentrate your
time and effort on skills that
Mind you, any knowledge, skill or either make or save money.
piece of kit that eventually
enables you to replace or At this point, you may be forming
supplement all those amenities the impression that being a nomad
and utilities enjoyed at home (or requires a certain level of
those of a tourist park) serve to mental toughness. Well, you're
increase independence. It pays, darned right it does! But it's
therefore, to start by asking more an attitudinal toughness
yourself how you might satisfy – than physical. And it will come
or better, reduce – your over you quietly, as a by-product
lifelong reliance on daily of all this learning.
necessities such as power,
lighting, water, refrigeration, Another example of attitudinal
toilet, shower, etc. toughness lies in the comparative
level of 'roughing it' that each
By the way, at the risk of of us is prepared to accept. If
jumping about here I should point decisions regarding comfort and
out that, among all the skills convenience aren't discussed and
that should or could be learned, mutually agreed with partner or
those that offer potential to group, troubled waters lie ahead!
become sources of income on the Get together with your team
road are doubly valuable. If you members and talk about the
standard of lifestyle that suits about minor annoyances such as
your goals, your commitment, and dust, heat, flies, remote and
your budget. Once settled, lonely campsites,
subsequent preparations – in creepy-crawlies, and bush
terms of skills development and toilets, each also has his or her
finances – can be directed along own 'dependencies' and comfort
this chosen path. Keep in mind, zones to dismantle, such as
however, we all tend to choose friends, relatives, television,
our own personal (and slightly social activities, family
different) path, so remain true memorabilia, and an array of home
to your own aspirations, luxuries. All the cards must be
values and needs (not to mention turned face-up on the table
your limitations!), rather than before detailed preparations and
being swayed by friends or financial commitment get too far
experienced nomads. advanced.
On that point regarding other Besides, no matter what the
team members: Sure, there may be quality or degree of your
only one other, but preparation and planning,
whatever the number, they each difficulties WILL occur; problems
have a different view of what come along regardless of where we
'nomadism' entails, secretly are or how we live. Even so,
influenced by their own levels of chances are better than good that
'mental toughness'. Ignore them – accidents aside – most 'road'
at your peril! There is always problems are easier to fix than
room for compromise. those of suburbia – depending, of
course, on all of the above.
Not only do travel companions
harbour various (possibly Yes, the Zen here is mental
unspoken) fears and uncertainty toughness: Being prepared to
take measured risk, then being etc. – now's the time to start
ready to cope with and rectify the 'weaning off' process.
problems as they arise. Trust Otherwise your nomadic life may
your judgment and abilities, be voluntarily but prematurely
particularly your natural ability cut short. Here again, gradual
to learn, to gain experience and change is best, so allow plenty
to get better, day-by-day, in all of time.
that you do.
There is no doubt, a change as
Interestingly enough, none of significant as fulltime bumming
this stuff is age-dependant. Nor around requires loads of focused
is it dollar-dependent. Provided preparation. Indeed, across a
we stick to reality and planning horizon of less than two
practicality, while steering years I would think it unlikely
clear of fantasy and dreaming, that you could resolve, or even
any of us can learn to become a consider, all that you should. On
'smart' nomad within the the other hand, this long period
parameters of our limitations, of preparation and planning is
plans and goals. part of the fun: the anticipation
leading to excitement, the trips
On the other hand, there are a that lead to skill and
number of hidden traps that you confidence, and the experience
won't find mentioned in the levels that lead to safety. Allow
'positive' press about RV sufficient quality time to enjoy
lifestyles. For example, if you and absorb this evolutionary
(or any member of your party) has process.
a strong craving for any of our
modern-day ills – like alcohol, Remember: over-planning is far
drugs, sex, television soapies, better than no planning, but be
Internet, telephones, gambling, sure to incorporate sufficient
flexibility to accommodate the border-color: #FFFFFF;
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About the Author:
Bill Revill is an Australian freelance writer, fulltime RV traveller, and remote lifestyle expert. This article is an excerpt from his e-book ‘Zen and the Art of Bumming Around’. For details of this and other titles visit: http://www.livingontheroad.com http://www.authorsden.com/billrevill Copyright 2007 by W.V. Revill Published At: www.Isnare.com |
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