Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Month: January 2021

Spotlight on New Book Debut Author Liesbet Collaert – Guest Interview on Operation Awesome

January 31, 2021 / / 2 Comments

This past week, my interview with J. Lenni went live on the blog Operation Awesome. Why should you read yet another feature about/with me? Because you can win a free eBook copy of Plunge when you answer the question I pose to readers in one of my answers. Check it out here.

Operation Awesome Spotlight #20Questions in #2021 of #NewBook Debut Author posted by @JLenniDorner of @OpAwesome6

Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary by Liesbet Collaert

1- How has the global pandemic impacted your travels and nomadic lifestyle?

By April 2020, campgrounds (even the free ones without amenities, which is where we always stay) and facilities started closing. My husband, dog, and I were in Florida at the time. The logistics became tricky, so we decided to abandon our lifestyle for the time being, drove to Massachusetts, and stayed at my in-laws over the spring and summer. They could use our help because of the pandemic. We ended up spending six months there, staying six feet apart and avoiding the main part of the house. Mid-October, the three of us hit the road again, heading west.

2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Hire a professional (copy) editor before publishing your book!

3- What most motivates you to read a new book?

Recommendations from others – fellow authors, bloggers, friends, family.

4- What was the most surprisingly delicious food that you ate while on the road?

Continue reading here.

Author Interview: Liesbet Collaert – Guest Appearance on Dr. Sock Writes Here

January 29, 2021 / / 1 Comment

This week, fellow author, blogger, and educator Jude has me over on her blog Dr. Sock Writes Here, for an interesting Q&A. She is another virtual friend that I had the pleasure meeting (on Vancouver Island) in 2018. I enjoyed answering Jude’s thoughtful, organized, intelligent, and inspiring questions and I think you will enjoy our interaction!

Liesbet, Kali, and Darwin in the Bahamas

Today I am happy to bring you an interview with the writer, Liesbet Collaert. Liesbet has recently published her travel memoir, Plunge. It is a fascinating account of ten years that she spent living on a sailboat and exploring parts of the world that most of us only dream of. 

Jude: 

You have spent most of your adult life travelling throughout the world, and you describe yourself as a nomad. In what ways is your nomadic life different from a typical western lifestyle?

Liesbet: 

The beauty of a typical western lifestyle, in my opinion, is the stability, comfort, and familiarity it offers. You know what to expect, you have neighbors/friends/family/ colleagues around, you easily find products in your grocery store, you have favorite restaurants, trails, outings, hobbies, and your planned activities usually work out.

Life on the road, or the water, as a nomad is insecure, unfamiliar, and rather challenging because of these reasons and others. Yet, the adventure and freedom make it worthwhile. My husband and I love that novel feeling of each new place, have learned to be flexible, and keep our expectations low or non-existent. We are self-contained, fix issues ourselves as much as possible, and don’t rely on people. We figure things out as they come and enjoy discovering unique locations, cultures, foods, …

Another big difference are the amenities everyone takes for granted: running water, unlimited electricity, reliable internet, a washer and a dryer. Each time I stay in a house of relatives, I embrace my hot, pressurized shower, the space in my room (I can walk more than one step before I bump into something), the fact that my computer can stay plugged in, and the real bed. If there’s a comfortable couch, I might never leave! 😊

 Jude: 

Your memoir, Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary, spans about a decade. Why did you focus your memoir on those ten years in particular?

Liesbet: 

That’s a great question, Jude! I knew so little about writing books that the first time I ever considered this project, I didn’t even know that my kind of story was called a memoir.

Continue reading here.

Annual Expense Report 2020

January 27, 2021 / / 34 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. “The less money you spend, the less you need to make” is my motto. 🙂

Our first yearly expense report (2016) can be found here, the report of 2017 is here, the one for 2018 here, and our 2019 expenses are located here.

These reports include ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and a 60-pound dog. We adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019. Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast. The utility cost refers to phone data plans with AT&T.

In 2020, Mark, Maya, and I lived in our campervan Zesty for six months and in the “room above the garage” the other six months.  We spent about $1,000 less than the previous year. The fact that we sat still for so long during “the summer of Covid” certainly has something to do with this.

Free camping in New Hampshire
Hiking in the White Mountains, NH
Waterfall in the White Mountains, NH

We went on a couple of multiple-week trips in our van during that period, but used less diesel and replaced less parts than in 2019. On the other hand, we needed to buy a few household items to survive – read: cook – in our guest room in Newburyport, MA.

The room above the garage
Our cooking station

The grocery category was relatively high, probably because we pretty much cooked all our meals at home once the pandemic arrived. Our average grocery cost in 2020 was $357 a month.

Falafels in homemade pita bread, served with eggplant, aioli, hummus, tomato, and lettuce
Homemade lobster rolls and French fries
Pad Thai with chicken

Usually, I split the bigger categories up in the table underneath, but WordPress is causing me trouble, so I’ll itemize #2 and #3 here. The camper category is divided among maintenance: $1,511; insurance: $1,118; diesel: $1,110; registration: $136; parking: $14; and tolls: $4.

New tires!
Checking the tire pressure
Mark fixes a few blemishes on Zesty

Writing was a new category last year, and a big one at that. The total sum for publishing my travel memoir Plunge accounts for my editor: $2,024; book cover:$175; ISBN numbers: $295; proof copies: $72; license: $35; software Quicken: $25; font: $15; and postage: $13. I still have a long way recuperating that $2,654 in sales!

Publication of Plunge – One
Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Alcohol and gifts are pretty much in line with last year. The dog category is lower, thanks to Maya needing less drugs for her allergies. The utility category is higher, because AT&T raised their (unavailable now) monthly unlimited data plan from $25 to $35. None of the other categories stand out, except camping. In 2019, we managed to camp for free the entire year. Last January, we paid for a one-week stay at a developed National Forest campground in Florida for me (and Maya), while Mark flew back to Massachusetts.

Developed NF campground in Ocean Pond, Florida
Sunset over Ocean Pond, Florida

Because of Covid, our credit card company, Chase, allowed customers to use their points at 1.5x their value for groceries (usually this rate is only valid when buying plane tickets with points). We greatly took advantage of that, since we couldn’t fly back to Belgium and… 1/3 of our groceries for “free?” We also received some credit ($310) for owning a Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Why do I mention this?  Because all these points (and credits) amounted to $3,084! So, technically, we spent that much less in 2020, which brings our total expenses for last year to $12,052 instead of $15,136.

Our favorite campsite in Arkansas
Sunrise at Big Fir Public Use Area, Arkansas
Free camping near Ajo in the Arizona desert
Sunset in the Arizona desert

2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Camper:

Writing:

Dog (vet/meds: $385; food: $242; supplies: $209):

Gifts:

Alcohol:

Utilities (cell data: $455; propane: $40; dump: $13; Skype: $5):

Household (oven MA, stove MA, speaker):

Health and Fitness (vitamins & haircuts):

Clothing (shoes, shorts, socks):

Drinking out:

Dining Out:

Entertainment (guided tours):

Computer (web hosting):

Camping:

Transportation (shuttle buses BOS):

Medical (drugs):

Laundry:

Postage:

Miscellaneous:

 

TOTAL:

 

$4,278

$3,893

$2,654

$836

$730

$714

$513

$253

$242

$235

$231

$217

$67

$64

$61

$48

$47

$33

$17

$3

———

$ 15,136

(Table might not load correctly on tablets – try turning the screen for better results.)

Maya at Ocean Pond, Florida

Do you keep track of your expenses? How did your budgeting go in 2020? Any categories you’d like to do better with in 2021?

Chatting with Liesbet about Her #1 Debut Novel – Interview on WordDreams with Jacqui Murray

January 24, 2021 / / 1 Comment

Author, blogger, and educator Jacqui Murray was one of the first people to read and review my travel memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary on Amazon and Goodreads. Not only that… She also posted her five-star review on her popular, well-researched, and informative blog WordDreams as a birthday gift to me on November 28th. You can read that in-depth review here. It garnered 115 comments!

In short, Jacqui – versatile, busy, and productive as she is – has been an incredible cheerleader and supporter of me, the aspiring author. After reading Plunge, she had three burning questions. Please, check out what they are and how I answered them on her blog.

***

I have rarely enjoyed a memoir as much as I liked Liesbet Collaert’s, Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary. Maybe because at my core, I’m nomadic. She does what I wish I would (and don’t). Here is my review if you’d like to read more about this wonderful life story.

No surprise, I had a few more questions she didn’t cover in her book so Liesbet agreed to drop by and answer them.

***

Thank you, Jacqui, for inviting me to your informative, entertaining, and diverse blog WordDreams after you already surprised me with your fantastic and detailed five-star review of Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary on my birthday in November.

  • Do you like wandering on water in a boat or land in a van better?

What a great question. And, not an easy one to answer. I tend to think that there is a good time for everything, based on our circumstances, desires, and fate. Hopping on a sailboat seemed like the perfect adventure at the time and I enjoyed (most) of that eight-year experience in the Caribbean and South Pacific, until there came an end to it and we moved into a 19ft campervan to explore North America and, hopefully, beyond.

What I’m trying to say is that there are advantages to both lifestyles. While adventuring on land is less challenging than on the water (less life-threatening conditions, less maintenance, lower costs, more freedom to go wherever, the weather is less important and all-consuming, more outdoor space, and prepping/planning isn’t an ordeal), there are many factors that I miss about the boat life.

Continue reading here.

Taking the Plunge: Liesbet Travels the Sea – Interview with Marian Beaman on Plain & Fancy

January 22, 2021 / / 1 Comment

Marian Beaman is the author of Mennonite Daughter, a fascinating book about her Mennonite upbringing. Find my 5-star review of her book here. Marian also blogs at Plain & Fancy and has been incredibly supportive of my writing journey and my debut memoir, Plunge. This week, she is featuring me on her website with an author interview in which you are bound to learn a little bit more about me.

Almost exactly one year ago this week, Liesbet, Mark, and Maya visited our home, via their RV Zesty. I wrote about our 4-hour visit HERE.

Liesbet and I spent part of the time discussing her work-in-progress memoir, PLUNGE, here just a manuscript on her Tablet

* * *

PLUNGE has made a big splash in the memoir world, and I’m pleased to feature Liesbet’s splendid memoir/travelogue here. Let’s start with a Q & A.

Three fun facts about yourself

  • I don’t have a phone
  • I never took any writing or English literature classes
  • I’ve been writing a diary every day since I was fourteen

You have been a writer for a long time, journaling and writing numerous articles for travel magazines. When did you realize you wanted to write a memoir?

Continue reading here.

A Divided America – Let the Healing Begin!

January 20, 2021 / / 45 Comments

Today, I’m featuring two towns in Arizona, less than 25 miles (37 km) apart. And a monstrosity in the same area. This is my contribution to this week’s #wordlesswednesday and a link-up to #weekendcoffeeshare.

(Hover over or click on photos for captions.)

Bisbee, AZ

Bisbee is an artsy, liberal, historic town in Arizona

Tour operators wear masks

Tombstone, AZ

Tombstone is an Old West, conservative town in Arizona.

Continue reading

If It Feels Right, Can It Be Wrong? – A True Story And Guest Post by Liesbet Collaert on Hugh’s Views & News

January 18, 2021 / / 1 Comment

My long-time blogging friend, the author, WordPress connoisseur, supporter of other bloggers and authors, and all-around nice person Hugh W. Roberts is featuring me today on his hugely popular Hugh’s Views & News website with a true story – an excerpt from my travel memoir, Plunge.

Continuing my series of true stories, I’m delighted to welcome Liesbet Collaert, who shares her story of how life changed the direction she was travelling.

If it feels right, can it be wrong?

Although Liesbet leads a different life to me (read and follow her blog to find out more) her true story is one I gasped at even though I’ve had similar experiences. It makes me believe in fate even more and why we find ourselves in certain situations for a real purpose.

Will her story bring back memories of a familiar position when you read it? Has fate played a part in your life?

***

Liesbet and Caesar arriving in San Francisco

San Francisco. A fascinating city I only know from movies and guidebooks. So close now! I can almost see the Golden Gate Bridge, smell the salty air of the bay, and feel the breeze in my light brown hair. The promise of a new adventure causes my ear-to-ear grin as I hop into our small camper to grab a CD of dEUS, my favorite Belgian band.

After crisscrossing the United States, Western Canada, and Alaska in our truck camper for the last year and a half, my boyfriend Karl, his dog Caesar, and I landed in California. Karl’s friend Nik, a DJ, had invited us to share his studio-apartment in Oakland, as a base to explore SF. Nik also rents out two apartments in his house.

CD in hand, I enter the yard again and stop dead in my tracks. Two gorgeous dogs with fluffy tails had run up to me. I smother them with cuddles and praise.

“Hi, I’m Mark. And these two are Kali, the white one, and Darwin, the grey one.”

Liesbet with Kali and Darwin

I look up from admiring the wagging furballs.

My eyes meet those of a tall, skinny, short-haired, and attractive man in the doorway of apartment #1.

Continue reading here.

Monthly Expenses – December 2020

January 12, 2021 / / 32 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Mark, Maya, and I spent most of December on the road in Arizona and the last few days in California (warmer weather). We changed campsites every few days in our camper van Zesty. Our expenses were above average, because of the holidays. ‘t Was the season to buy gifts – for family members (my coveted annual calendars with a photo of our household in a different location on every page) and a few friends. We also bought special food and extra alcohol (for margaritas) for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, hence the higher numbers in the grocery and alcohol categories.

(Click on photos to enlarge or hover over them to read the captions.)

Homemade vegetarian spring rolls
New Year’s Eve buffet – Asian spring rolls, sushi, and curry
For New Years, we attempted to find warmer weather at a lower elevation, across the border with California. Some of you might remember us camping at this lovely spot in the California desert a couple of years ago…
A campfire is needed to get the chill out of the air at night.
Happy 2021! We started celebrating early and went to bed early…
Apple pie is served with our mimosas!
Homemade van pizza, cooked and provided by Greg and Duwan, as our NYE dinner.
Mark and I make our signature margaritas on NYE. (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)
Backgammon game at Five Palms Oasis. (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)
Having live music in our backyard is always special! (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)

I just realized there is no dog category. We must have bought an extra bag of food for Maya in November. Also, her treats go under our groceries. Hmmm. Maybe that’s why that category was so high…

Maya feels at home in our friends’ campers!

We had help from a mechanic changing Zesty’s transmission fluid in Tucson and had a scare in Bisbee, when there was no way around low-hanging tree branches leaving  the tight town. We hoped they would be “soft” limbs. The screeching sound of wood against metal made our hearts – and later our van – stop. Luckily, Mark managed to buff the new scratches out of the acrylic window and the top side panel.

Buffing out the scratches at a mine viewpoint in Bisbee, with a railing of the perfect height to stand on and work

We splurged on entertainment, a category that’s usually non-existent. Traveling with friends encourages us to have fun once in a while. We visited the Titan Missile Museum in Tucson with Duwan and Greg and the two of us signed up for the Queen Mine Tour in Bisbee. Our bubble of six friends also took a daytrip to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument over the holidays. Giving Duwan and Greg a ride allowed us to enter for free because their National Park pass includes four adults. I’ll report on that excursion – and others – in a future blog post.

Titan Missile Museum, Tucson
Decommissioned Titan missile
Entering the Queen Mine in Bisbee
Greg and Duwan showing Maya their new bird identification book on the way to Organ Pipe Cactus NM

I’m happy to report that my writing expenses are dwindling.  I shipped a few books to sailing magazines in the hopes of seeing their review of Plunge in print one day. The proof copy I ordered from IngramSpark was a disaster and I asked for a refund. Their customer support team should get back to me between three to five weeks! Oh well…

As usual, we boondocked (camping without amenities) on public lands and therefore didn’t spend any money on accommodation. Keep an eye out for our yearly expense report later this month!

We love seeing signs like these at Whitewater Draw, a nature reserve!
Snyder Hill, Tucson
Free camping in Madera Canyon
Free camping in Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
Colossal Mountain Park in Tucson
Our free campsite near Locomotive Rock over Christmas was my favorite in December.

December 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Gifts:

Camper (diesel: $151, maintenance: $152):

Alcohol:

Entertainment (museum and tour):

Utilities (phone: $35):

Drinking out:

Writing (postage; $13; proof copy: $12):

Laundry:

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$447

$441

$303

$149

$58

$35

$28

$25

$8

$0

———

$ 1,494

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Writing Update January 2021 – One Month after Publishing “Plunge”

January 6, 2021 / / 105 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For January, the question is: ““Being a writer, what frustrates you most when reading other people’s books?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Ronel Janse van Vuuren , J Lenni Dorner, Gwen Gardner, Sandra Cox, and Louise – Fundy Blue.

My answer to the question

I have little free time to read books, so I am pretty picky about the ones I start and have every intention to finish them. I am also a tad stubborn and hate giving up. So, I never actually dismiss a book. What bugs me most are typos. I find them in every book, even bestsellers, and for some reason (my A-type personality, my background as a teacher?), they annoy me. My eyes are always drawn to them and I have an inexplicable need to fix them. It’s hard to be a perfectionist! 😊

But here’s the rub… The irony… The contradiction… The frustration… I produce typos and grammatical inaccuracies myself! Yet, I don’t find those, because I’m too familiar with the content. If there’s one thing I learned from publishing my own book, it’s that EVERYONE makes those mistakes. And that they are difficult to find, even by professionals. After many rounds of editing and proofreading, Plunge, as it stands right now, published and all, still has three typos in it! Anyone up for a game? One is in the epilogue… It’s so hard to be a perfectionist!

Familiar winter writing surroundings

My book news

Since my travel memoir, Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary, has been published (see last month’s post), I had to change the heading of this section from “My book progress” to “My book news.”

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