Mood:
F*ck adulting today. I’m filling my tank and driving wherever the road leads me…
Did that in my van for 8 mos before Covid. The freedom was intoxicating.
@LnzyHou when my son flies the coop, that’s exactly what I want to do! 💕 🚐 ⛺️
Start downsizing, selling stuff. It took me couple years to prepare. Keep your revenue in van account for equipment.
I loved knowing my secret escape plan was underway long before I bought my van.
@LnzyHou that’s such a great idea! Yeah, a dedicated account is a MUST; vans always breakdown 😂 💗
I meant to equip it for the road. Bed, toilet, refrigerator, MaxxFan etc
@LnzyHou I know💗 I was trying to be funny 😆 I’ve had some experiences with motorhomes (mainly them breaking down 😂 ) and vans and still have a ton of equipment 💕
@LnzyHou OMG. That looks amazing!!!!! 🤩
@LnzyHou @Valkyrie_D you must have crazy organizational skills.
Once you’ve reduced your possessions to only critical needs, it gets easier.
Was signed up for 6 week Alaska van trip in May 2020. Had to buy items needed to travel extensively there. Then Covid hit & Canada closed their borders. No more Alaska trip.
My 8 weeks living on the road taught me a lot of lessons.
@LnzyHou wow, you’ve really utilized the space in there, well!!!
Even more important is weight added to van. Every 400 lbs added cuts mileage by 1 mpg. That doesn’t seem like much but I’ve seen folks add so much weight, the average MPG is 10-12. They can’t afford to pull out of the driveway.
@LnzyHou you’re absolutely right! You’ve done an amazing job and you’ve inspired me!!!! 💕💕
If you are still on FB (yuck), there is a great group called Solo Women Van Dwellers. Enormous support for building out vans.
@LnzyHou @Valkyrie_D ditch your partner and up your gas mileage. 🤣
@LnzyHou @Valkyrie_D wonderful dog
@LnzyHou @dauphin87 @Valkyrie_D aw!! 🥲
@dauphin87 well, I'm single…so that’s not a problem for me 🤣
Me too
@LnzyHou I’m starting to think that being single is the best way to live! 💕💜 I can do whatever I want, when I want…. I’m also never going to settle for less than I deserve 🤷♀️
History has proven I am lousy at marriage.
@LnzyHou or maybe that marriage was just lousy for you. 💕
I hear ya, though. I’m divorced. I’m just lousy at picking partners…lol 🤣 💕
Two of mine passed.
@LnzyHou mine passed, too 💜💜💜💜
Black Widow Spiders?
@LnzyHou 😂 🕷️ 💕
@LnzyHou speaking of spiders….
Nothing like feeling something bite you and then have this thing fall from you in the shower! 😩 🕷️ Can’t even kill it with fire!!!!!
Oh hell no
@Valkyrie_D @LnzyHou @dauphin87 I love my husband, but I would never get married again. He’s a wonderful guy and I depend on him for many things, but I watch my widowed women friends and they have managed to carry on with life and do so much on their own without any help.
The one thing I really miss is travel. I am seriously looking at women only travel groups. It’s difficult to get hubby to travel and he won’t go out of the USA.
So, go for it! Life your life the way you want.
@GrandmaJ do it!! At the very least, you’ll meet some women with similar interests!!! 💕
@Valkyrie_D @GrandmaJ @LnzyHou @dauphin87
Still married here but.... hubby spent years traveling for work, sometimes months at a time. Yep, there were aggravations to take care of but sleeping across the bed if I wanted, eating whenever/whatever I wanted.. I could go on but it was nice. 😉
@ellesu @Valkyrie_D @GrandmaJ @LnzyHou @dauphin87
Love this thread. I would do those things if I didn’t have responsibilities. One day.
@GrandmaJ @Valkyrie_D @dauphin87
Begging you to travel with others. Can’t imagine allowing any partner to hold me down.
Don’t lay on your death bed saying coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Life is incredibly short.
@LnzyHou this is exactly where I’m at!!!! 💕 I want to friggin’ LIVE before I die. I want experiences and I don’t want anything holding me back. 💕
@Valkyrie_D @GrandmaJ @dauphin87
Tick tock V
Tick tock
@LnzyHou @GrandmaJ @Valkyrie_D yes it is. Sadly most don't see that until the end.
@LnzyHou @Valkyrie_D @dauphin87 Hubby doesn’t really hold me back. It’s my own reluctance to do something on my own. He would be ok with it. It’s just me. I’ll blame it on the reluctance to get started and being an introvert.
@GrandmaJ @Valkyrie_D @dauphin87
Tick tock G
@GrandmaJ If you don't want to travel with strangers, persuade some friends or family members to travel with you. Or go alone. I have traveled alone internationally and domestically much of my life and always met the most interesting people. And yes, I'm an introvert, which is why I actually like traveling alone.
@Notokay @GrandmaJ @Valkyrie_D @dauphin87
I went to African safari alone at the last minute and met up with three total strangers who were travel agents going on Tanzanian trip to end all trips.
Just go!
@LnzyHou @Notokay @Valkyrie_D @dauphin87 Oh my gosh! Good for you!!!
@Notokay @LnzyHou @Valkyrie_D @dauphin87 Wow! I don’t think I could do it alone. I did go to Iceland with a friend several years ago and had a wonderful time. It was with a group of quilters, so we all had a lot in common from the get go.
@GrandmaJ That sounds fun. But traveling alone is not hard, especially nowadays with so many women traveling alone for work. (We aren't usually relegated to tables by the bathrooms at restaurants any more.) And you alone get to decide what you want to do and when.
@LnzyHou most of my family is on FB and it’s the main mode of contact for my kiddo’s cadets. I’ll definitely check it out!!! Thanks Lindsay 💕💕💕
It only had 7k members when I joined. Think it’s well over 25k now.
@Valkyrie_D
Finished vans are $100K+ (Google Mercedes vans)
If you want the comforts of home, you have to build them yourself.