Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Firsts (page 2 of 4)

Another first for me.

How Much Money Do We Make?

August 12, 2020 / / 50 Comments

Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert – Interview on The Professional Hobo

I’m excited to announce something entirely different and unique today…

Many of you know that I post monthly and yearly expense reports on this blog, without any secrecy. Yet, I have never disclosed how much money I/we actually make in a year. I’ve also been pretty vague about how we have been able to afford our nomadic lifestyle over the years and what is required to financially sustain ourselves.

All this and more insights can be found on Nora Dunn’s website The Professional Hobo, where I take part in her Financial Case Study series. Unlike most of her guests, we don’t make six figures a year and stay true to our motto “The less money you need, the less you need to earn.”

Check it out here!

Warning: Her website is advertisement-heavy.

Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert, Roaming About

Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert, Roaming About

Liesbet Collaert was born in Belgium and recently became an American, but calls herself a world citizen. She’s been a digital nomad since 2003 (sailing, house sitting, and RVing), earning money as a freelance writer, photographer, translator, and editor. Her first travel memoir is almost ready for publication. Liesbet connects with her readers on her blog Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary, as well as her Facebook page or Instagram account.

While Liesbet’s income seems small, I think you’ll agree that she and her husband have lived an extraordinary life of travel, and by using creative budget travel tips (like getting accommodation for free) they haven’t been left wanting for much. Check it out! 

Financial Case Studies

How long have you been living/working on the road, and where have you traveled to?

Where do I start? Since I’m pretty impulsive and adventurous, my nomadic existence and means to make money developed organically. I’ve always been a traveler. One of the reasons I became a teacher in Belgium was to have a long summer vacation designed around exploring the world. I took two “leave of absences” during my first four years of teaching, to backpack in Southeast Asia and Down Under. Being frugal and passionate about travel, that’s what I used my income for. I never owned anything, making it easy for me to be flexible. The third time I left Belgium for an extended adventure, I never returned. That was in 2003.

While I didn’t need to make money during these initial escapades, as I had savings from my “real job” and I run a tight budget ship, one – of course – can’t journey forever without earnings. Darn! I think it was in 2008 – after a few years of RV-travel and getting close and personal with sailboats – that I started to create some sort of income. Up until that point, I’d cleaned a few boats for change and kept a free blog about our sailing journey on SV Irie to share our experiences and inspire others.

I traveled throughout Europe while living in Belgium until I was 27, backpacked in Southeast Asia and Oceana for two years, explored the continental US, Canada, and Alaska in a truck camper for a year and a half and Mexico and Central America for another year. In 2007, the sailboat episode followed – a journey that brought us from Maryland (USA) south to Florida, throughout the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, spending hurricane season in the Dominican Republic, and on to the Eastern Caribbean via Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

After three years up and down the Leeward and Windward Islands, we skimmed the out islands of Venezuela, spend time in Colombia, and enjoyed over a year in Panama. The next steps were transiting the Canal, being blown away by wildlife in the Galapagos Islands, and concluding our sailing voyage after cruising in French Polynesia for two years. Eight years after casting off (in 2015), we sold Irie in Tahiti.

Since then, we’ve slowed down a bit, house and pet sitting throughout the United States and exploring North America in our 19ft camper van Zesty. I am more than ready for tropical and exciting destinations again, whenever this pandemic allows it.

Liesbet Collaert of Roaming About sailing SV Irie

Please describe what you do for income. 

First, I’d like to point out that my husband and I are very frugal and we’ve found that being careful with expenditures allows us the life we desire – more freedom and less need to be workaholics. The way we manage our money, our aversion towards collecting material goods, and our love of simplicity are leading factors for how we make this nomadic lifestyle work – financially and otherwise.

Continue reading here…

Coronavirus vs. Camping Nomads

March 19, 2020 / / 76 Comments

As travel plans from friends and family are canceled due to the Coronavirus, international borders are closing, and almost everyone on this planet is affected – logistically, financially, and some medically, I figured it’s time to provide an update about how this situation influences the nomadic lives of Mark, Maya, and me in our camper van Zesty.

The positivist in me likes to declare that it doesn’t affect us at all. As you know, we are frugal travelers and that means we never go on vacations or excursions and rarely stay at pay campgrounds or dine out; all sectors that have recently become obsolete in Florida. We live in a self-contained vehicle and are flexible and resourceful. We’re experts at boondocking (free camping), feel relatively young (despite the decades swooshing by), and love being alone in nature (no social distancing needed). What do we have to worry about?

Nobody on the trail…
Social distancing in nature is easy…
… especially when it comes to alligators!

The negativist in me thinks about our older parents, the disappointed people with canceled vacations, our own bypassing of sights and cities in Florida, and – most importantly – the employees without a job and small business owners suffering. The financial impact (and travel attitude) will take years to recover. I hope people will LEARN through and from this pandemic. Selfishness seems to thrive in situations like these.

Continue reading

Monthly Expenses – November 2019

December 8, 2019 / / 41 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 the two of us. 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. Since June 2019 – we adopted Maya on June 4th – we have a dog section as well. 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.

All-you-can-eat Chinese buffet in Lexington, KY – I had to try all the desserts; Mark had to take this photo.
Maya’s bone is about ready for a replacement
Who can resist this face?

For the month of November, Mark, Maya, and I lived and traveled in our camper van, Zesty. The first week, we drove and explored from Connecticut to Kentucky and since then, we have been stationed at a campground in Campbellsville, KY. Mark’s current employer, Amazon, pays for our site and we are here until Christmas, to work. More about that later. By the way, this is the first time EVER that we are parked in an RV park with full-hookups and a building with hot showers and laundry!

Zesty is one of the smallest campers around and the only van with more than one occupant (and a dog)
The Club House in the campground: laundry, shower facilities, and common area

Last month was different from other months in many ways, since we never camp in the same spot longer than a few days. This means less money spent on fuel (although we did have to get here) and more money spent on laundry as we can’t rely on the generosity of friends and family anymore to use their machines. We use the van once a week to grocery shop and take Maya on a hike. No more camper projects are lined up. Yay!

We had hoped to stay under $1,000 for November (and December), to stick to the same “budget” as last year. We failed. We had additional expenses in the form of my pricey passport application, the need for more prescription drugs for Maya (plus we bought extra dog food at a 60% discount on Black Friday), and a higher than normal grocery bill. We stocked up before arriving in Campbellsville and we splurged on a few favorite Trader Joe items. After extensive comparison of two GPS tracking systems for Maya, we decided to ship one of them back.

The Whistle GPS system is the one we kept
The fi GPS collar, we shipped back to the manufacturer within the two-week try-out period

On top of all this, it was my birthday. On Thanksgiving. Mark and I never get each other gifts or celebrate anything, except for our birthdays. My three-year old laptop was falling apart “right in time” – I had been able to deal with a non-working mouse pad, its slowness, and a few other inconveniences for over a year, but when the battery didn’t work anymore (which meant I could only use my computer when plugged in – not ideal in a van), I was starting to despair. You see, not only is buying a new computer expensive, but it would also require me getting used to a new machine and a lot of work for Mark, who would need two days to delete everything useless and annoying and install what I needed, plus get it ready for my use. He didn’t have those extra days…

Once again, I was reminded of what an incredible, smart, resourceful, and anticipating husband I have. The day after my issues, an early birthday present showed up: a brand-new laptop! Mark knew what would make me happy before I knew! He managed to “snatch” a $500 computer for $250, and spent his only two evenings off to get the machine ready by my birthday. I love it (them)!

Guess what’s in the box? It was a fantastic surprise for me!
My new, fast, and trusty work friend – an ASUS VivoBook

Oh, about that extremely high alcohol number… don’t despair. We have not become alcoholics. We stocked up on beer and wine before arriving  at the campground and Mark threw an impromptu birthday party, inviting the friends we made here to enjoy new cases of beer and a decent box of wine. We have enough left for many weeks! The good thing about the last two months of 2019: we finally made/make more money than we spent/d.  🙂

Fun birthday party with newly made friends – Tam, Dave, Karen, Janet, Don, and Tom
Cheers!

November 2019 Overview:

Groceries:

Gifts:

Customs & Immigration:

Dog (food: $35; meds: $63; supplies:$51):

Alcohol:

Camper (fuel: $123; repairs: $9):

Dining out:

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $10):

Entertainment (Lunatic Asylum tour):

Postage:

Household:

Laundry:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$367

$279

$161

$149

$145

$132

$67

$45

$21

$12

$12

$10

$0

———

$ 1400

How to (Not) Become an American

November 28, 2019 / / 64 Comments

This is the title of a short non-fiction book – half memoir, half sarcastic essay collection – I have been writing in my head for years. I have played with the idea to materialize those words, as the actual story unfolded with ups and hiccups and downs and betters, not quite knowing whether the “Not” would become most prominent in the title, or not. You see, this entire “becoming an American” process is not as easy as three words. At least for me. More about that later.

The Capitol in Washington DC

Most of you might know by now that I was born and raised and “supposed to be based” in Belgium. Something happened. Obviously. Yet, nothing drastic or planned or expected. I’ve traveled my entire life – solo or not – so being adventurous, curious, and a tad rebellious is part of my genes. I was a school teacher, meaning vacations abound (especially in the summer) to explore and travel. No issue there; definitely the right job choice for my passion. Yet, my inquisitive mind and restless soul wanted more.

Continue reading

Volunteering at the Biggest No-kill Animal Sanctuary in the US – Guest Post on “Do More Be More”

November 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I am honored to have been invited by Gabby from the travel blog Do More Be More to contribute a guest post about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. As a fellow traveler, photographer, and dog lover, she was curious about our lifestyle and interested in our volunteering experiences. 

Gabby lives in beautiful and diverse Australia and has an adorable bulldog. In 2010, she hooked up with the Bali Animal Welfare Association to photograph and fund raise for the street dogs of Bali, Indonesia. She believes that many small acts by conscientious travelers can change the landscape of tourism for the future – and for the better – and is always on the lookout for ways we travelers can give back to the world we enjoy so much.

Comments are closed here, but feel free to share your thoughts on Gabby’s blog.

Volunteering at the Biggest No-kill Animal Sanctuary in the US: Best Friends in Utah

As the fur-less mum of an old lady bulldog and a supporter of street dog welfare in Bali, I was excited to talk to Liesbet Collaert, a fellow animal lover, about her experience volunteering at Best Friends in Utah.

I know from first hand experience that volunteers at any animal welfare organisation is hugely appreciated. There is never enough funding and there is always too much to do. Every spare hand is another step closer to better health or permanent homes for the dogs, cats and everything in between.

The best thing about volunteering, is that anyone can do it! You don’t need a qualification in most cases, just a big heart.

This was Liesbet’s first volunteering opportunity, one very close to her own heart.

Liesbet tell us a little about yourself and your travels.

I was born in Belgium with an oversized portion of wanderlust. Yearly family vacations to the Med didn’t satisfy my sense for adventure, so, at 16, I hitchhiked to Italy with a boyfriend.

In college, I traveled across Europe during holidays and avoided culture shock on a five-week trip to India. After graduation, I grabbed my backpack and explored Southeast Asia with friends for about a year. Two years later I headed back to SE Asia with a hop-over to New Zealand and Australia.

Then, I taught at the same school in Belgium once more, for two years, before I flew across the Atlantic Ocean for an open-ended journey in an RV with my then American boyfriend. I’d met him Down Under. Fate has a funny way, as I never moved back to Belgium after our 18-month-long travels throughout the lower 48, Canada, and Alaska.

Instead, I met another guy, obtained another truck camper, and adventured throughout Mexico and Central America with him and his two rescue dogs. This was preceded by a failed sailing attempt of ten months and followed by a two-month stint in a tent and a Toyota Tacoma. In 2007, we bought a 35ft sailing catamaran in Maryland and cruised down to Florida, before crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. The idea was to return in a year, but, eight years later, we found ourselves in Tahiti, in the Pacific Ocean.

Continue reading…

Does the Rock Church Rock?

March 14, 2018 / / 46 Comments

Almost every day, Mark and I walked Elvis and Frida to and around Liberty Station for an hour-long outing. When we returned via Trader Joe’s to pick up a few groceries, we passed signs for “Rock Church”, and observed a building named “The School of Rock”. Once, our little getaway took place on a Sunday morning. Crowds of people – rows and rows of them on the sidewalks – made their way to the church. Traffic control was in place and notices in the supermarkets’ parking lots warned against stationing your car there to attend Sunday service. Our curiosity was peaked! Especially when someone mentioned that the “rock” had nothing to do with the building material, but with a rock concert.

Full parking lots and driveways near the stores
Traffic control
Front of the Rock Church at Liberty Station on Point Loma, San Diego
Church hall

Continue reading

Wordless Wednesday – Mystery of the Flip Flops

February 14, 2018 / / 62 Comments

The last time I published a Wordless Wednesday post, two weeks ago, Suzanne from Global HousesitterX2 suggested in the comment section to call this feature “Worth a Word Wednesday”. I’m all for that, since I have a hard time keeping things wordless (and sticking to rules). Thanks, Suz! The theme of this week’s Daily Post photo challenge, which I like to integrate in my WW posts if possible, is “sweet”.

A devastating discovery!

My flip flops pictured above, were sweet to me. They were comfortable, robust, and my go-to footwear wherever and whenever possible.  They have been my reliable friends for over two years and had a lot of life left. Then, “this” happened…

Mark and I went to bed in Zesty, being boondocked in the Arizona desert, and left our “shoes” outside as usual. When waking up in the morning, yesterday, three of the four flip flops were gone! A quick search in the area revealed these sad-looking flip flops. We never located Mark’s second shoe.

This is where it happened…

Can you solve this mystery?

(Next week, I’ll share our theory of what we think might have happened.)

Southern Utah’s National Parks – 12-Day Adventure between House Sits

November 11, 2017 / / 71 Comments

Between our month-long house sit in Rollinsville, Colorado and the next, three-month one in San Diego, California, Mark and I faced a gap of two weeks. Initially, we were on the look-out for a short pet sit, but pretty soon, we realized this would be the perfect opportunity to really test the van life. Longer than one weekend, and for fun, instead of as a means of transportation to get from point A to B. It was an attractive plan for many reasons, including these four: we have always wanted to visit some of Utah’s incredible National Parks, they happened to be en route, we could use a break from our computers (when not?), and, coincidentally, our business partner appeared to have a scheduled vacation within the exact dates we’d be on the road. Now, if that wasn’t the ideal time to relax The Wirie work a bit ourselves!

A window to Delicate Arch

Arches National Park

Not much planning and anticipation went into this camping trip. I checked the map, saw Canyonlands, thought “I guess we stop there,” then noticed a green spot called “Arches” along the way and yelled: “Oh yeah, that’s the famous one in Utah, not Canyonlands. We have to go there!” Now, I don’t know whether you have ever looked at Southern Utah on a map… it is one national park after the next! How exciting! All we had to do was pick and choose, be happy about not doing it all, and not feel rushed! Oh, did I mention that the two biggies, Bryce Canyon and Zion are here as well?

Our selection of Utah National Parks

Continue reading

Completed House Sits: Santa Fe, New Mexico – August 18th to September 16th, 2017

October 2, 2017 / / 42 Comments

As of this month, Mark and I have been house sitting full-time for two years. It all started with a wonderful dog named Zyla in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the positive experiences of this new lifestyle continued ever-after, bringing us to our current sit in the mountains of Colorado. More about that later, as I have been trying to catch up on all the adventures we had in Santa Fe, New Mexico, finishing that period with a summary of our one-month house sit there.

Our adobe-style home for one month

A few weeks ago, I mentioned briefly how stressful our life as house and pet sitters can be. Besides not knowing where we will lay our heads to rest in the future, keeping a constant eye on new listings, communicating with home owners, arranging Skype interviews, and patiently waiting for the verdict, sometimes unexpected developments occur. Like when we left Northern California mid-August to undertake yet another long road trip of 1200 miles from Sebastopol, CA to Santa Fe, New Mexico for our next house sit. We had planned three days for this, to avoid repeating the craziness of driving Zesty back from Arkansas in July, having a restricted amount of time while needing to work along the way. Three days should do it, we figured: two long ones and then, on Friday, a shorter trip and catching up on work stuff before departure.

Our new neighborhood

On the morning of day two, however, the result of prior miscommunications had us awake with a start: the home owners expected us to arrive in Santa Fe that very day, at 5pm, instead of the following one. Continue reading

Creating a Lifestyle Catered to You – Guest Post on Retirement Reflections

September 12, 2017 / / 6 Comments
It was an honor to be featured on my blogging friend Donna’s website “Retirement Reflections” this weekend, as a guest in her Sunday Guest Post Series. She is an amazing woman, who just walked a big chunk of the Camino Trail in Spain with her husband and has many interesting, insightful and inspirational ideas incorporated in her blog posts. I love her adventurous, positive and caring personality and I encourage you to browse her website, if you haven’t already. Here is the beginning of the post about Mark and my past and present – how we got to our current lifestyle of house and pet sitting…

Thank you, Donna, for inviting me over to participate in your Sunday Series. It is a pleasure, and an honor, to be called one of your favorites. My ego is bursting!

A retirement lifestyle?

Lifestyle
At 42-years-old, I am not retired, although many people might think differently based on the lifestyle I have been living since 2003. It’s either that, or they think I am on a perpetual vacation, or that I am rich, or all of the above! Living an alternative lifestyle throughout adulthood causes these assumptions. Unfortunately, the reality is “none of the above.” Although I have the flexibility to sleep in and form my own schedule, that’s where the comparisons stop. I still need to make money and sacrifices to survive, and I own nothing, not even a retirement account. My husband, Mark, and I like the minimalistic approach and don’t require much to be happy and free. All our belongings fit in our red Toyota Prius and, other than our business, The Wirie, we have no burdens or responsibilities. We don’t have a home, children or pets (yet) and go wherever we find an attractive long-term house and pet sit. To us, creating memories and going on adventures is more important than collecting material goods or financial wealth.

Blogs to inspire and share?

In 2007, Mark and I embarked on an impromptu cruising adventure with our two big rescue dogs, Kali and Darwin. After a failed attempt two years prior in Northern California, because the dogs hated sailing on a monohull (which lays on its side when moving in certain directions), we searched and found a 35-foot catamaran (more stability and less seasickness for me) in Annapolis, Maryland, and named her Irie, which is a reggae term meaning “It’s all good!” I started my first blog, It’s Irie, to document all our adventures and share tips while cruising the Caribbean and the South Pacific. We ran a business from the middle of nowhere (tricky!)…  Continue reading here.

(If you’d like to leave a reaction, please do so on Donna’s site.)

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