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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Ideas (page 14 of 20)

IWSG Writing Update May 2020 – Approaching Editors

May 6, 2020 / / 71 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 May, the question is: “Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are  Feather Stone, Beverly Stowe McClure, Mary Aalgaard, Kim Lajevardi, and Chemist Ken!

My answer to the question (Do you have any rituals when you need help getting into the ZONE?)

Nope. Being a writer and full-time traveler (aka nomad) can be tricky. I don’t have a writing schedule and I don’t have a writing space. No desk for inspirational quotes, a scented candle, or a favorite pen and notebook. No planned writing, as our days vary from sitting an extra day at a campsite to the urge to fix an issue or run errands to driving hundreds of miles to ultimate chaos (aka everything goes wrong).

Home is where the van’s parked

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Human Encounters in Florida – Meeting Friends before COVID-19

April 16, 2020 / / 70 Comments

Karmen and Tom in Marineland

I’ve mentioned it before, 2020 couldn’t have been off to a better start for us – at which point, it did cross my mind that it could only go downhill from there. But the first week of January comprised good times with our old boating friends Tom and Karmen, who finished renovating a new-to-them catamaran. We met many years ago sailing in the Bahamas and stayed in touch, crossing paths throughout the country. They swung by twice in their converted camper van while we house sat (in Santa Fe, NM and San Diego, CA) and we visited them in Monmouth, Oregon to learn first-hand – and with all our senses – how they created the successful and innovative pizza restaurant, Yeasty Beasty. Don’t you love that name?

Beach walk in the town of Marineland
Mark hauls Tom up the mast of his catamaran – reminiscing old times.
Our friend Karmen is creative, and not only with her camera.
Game night on SV Sauvage
Giving Karmen and Tom a ride into St. Augustine – Maya happily shares her space
Happy hour with the pizza girls!
Sailing friends reunited!

We also met up with communal sailing friends Dan and Jaye.

Going out for drinks and tacos with sailing friends Dan and Jaye

Marian and Cliff in Jacksonville

Also in January, I finally met blogging and memoirist friend Marian Beaman. She and her husband Cliff graciously invited us into their home for a yummy chili lunch and hours of conversation. Marian, a Mennonite until age 24, blogs at Plain and Fancy and recently published her heartfelt, well-written memoir Mennonite Daughter – The Story of a Plain Girl, which offers a glimpse into 20th century Mennonite life and documents her experiences and life-altering decisions as Marian Longenecker.

Cliff and Marian in front of their comfortable home
Marian and I honoring the hibiscus flowers in her yard
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IWSG Writing Update April 2020 – Coronavirus Status

April 1, 2020 / / 62 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 April, the question is: “The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, our question is: how are things in your world?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Diane Burton,JH Moncrieff,Anna @ Emaginette,Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter,Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard.

((After the park ranger told us Wood Lake Campground would close (see last photo of my previous post), she recommended another spot in the forest where we would be able to boondock (primitive camp for free), showing it on her map, from a safe distance. Based on the amount of bugs and the lack of cell service in Apalachicola National Forest, FL we decided to move on.))

My answer to the question (How are things in your COVID-19 world?)

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Welcome Liesbet Collaert #wouldyourather by Jill Weatherholt

March 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

On Friday, the lovely, kind, generous, and supportive blogger and romance author Jill Weatherholt invited me over on her site to participate in her fun and insightful #wouldyourather series. Check out our interview with her five unique yet tough questions and my less than ordinary answers!

Welcome Liesbet Collaert #wouldyourather

Today I’m excited to welcome friend, writer, blogger, photographer and world traveler, Liesbet Collaert. Many of you already enjoy reading about Liesbet’s nomadic lifestyle on her blog. If not, I encourage you to do so. Each visit is like taking a trip to a magical destination. She and her husband Mark are living a lifestyle that most could only dream of experiencing. Thanks so much for playing along, Liesbet!

Thank you, Jill, for featuring me on your lovely blog this week and for letting me play along in your entertaining Would You Rather series. I had a lot of fun participating!

Would you rather be able to freeze time or travel in time?

Travel in time. That way, I can keep going back to the moments I’d like to freeze and experience them over and over again. 😊 The main reason I’d like to travel in time (sometimes in the future to have a quick glance at the outcome of a decision in case it’s disastrous and I’d have to go back and change it, but most often to the past) is to investigate something that has always intrigued me. Choices.

I’m a firm believer that life is about choices and not about luck or following social norms. Yet, I wish I had the ability to experience different paths in this precious lifetime. My future, in general, can be left alone; each new day is exciting and promising. But when it comes to my past, I often wonder what would have happened if I picked the other direction at a split in the road. To be able to experience alternate paths would be most novel and satisfying to the curious mind!

Would you rather be the funniest person in the room or the most intelligent?

Continue reading the post here.

Comments are closed on this page, but I’d love to read your thoughts – and your answers if you feel inclined – on Jill’s blog. Happy reading!

IWSG Writing Update March 2020 – Final Edits

March 4, 2020 / / 36 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 March, the question is: “Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions/customs in your stories?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Jacqui Murray, Lisa Buie-Collard, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence.

My answer to the question

In my current memoir, there are a lot of “red herrings”, or minor themes, mixed in with the main themes. One of them is the integration of Belgian expressions and customs. Of course, the differences between my American life (and culture) and my previous life in Belgium (and its traditions) could fill an entire book, so I had to cut back on this. As a result, I have deleted insights into the way I used to celebrate Christmas and New Years when growing up, for example.

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St. Augustine – Almost Home

February 19, 2020 / / 54 Comments

I hinted on it in a recent blog post: in January, Mark, Maya, and I spent about two weeks – spread over multiple visits – in historic St. Augustine, Florida, in regards to a job. Our life would potentially take an entirely different turn here. Promising and exciting. Or, was the anticipation part of a mind trick? Something that sounded too good to be true? A case of me falling for the trap I usually avoid: expectation leads to disappointment?

Nights of Lights – St. Augustine was lit up from November 23rd, 2019 to February 2nd, 2020.
The Lichtner Museum by night
Along the waterfront
The fort at night
Parked on a driveway next to our amenities

While in town, we had access to electricity, bathrooms, showers, and laundry. Luxurious and easy! Our AT&T data plan works splendidly in St. Augustine, so I could continue my own projects. The neighborhood was a bit shady and the traffic and train noise were horrific, but we could walk into the cute downtown.

The Lichtner Museum by day
The Henry Flagler statue stands in front of Flagler College, formerly Ponce de Leon Hotel, built in 1887 by Henry Flagler and now a historic landmark.
Inside Flagler College
Flagler College grounds
Memorial Presbyterian Church, constructed in 1889
Meeting friends – Rob, Amy, and Rik – currently “stationed” in St. Augustine
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Solo Camping – The Joy of Being Me

February 12, 2020 / / 66 Comments

For the last five years, Mark needed to return to Massachusetts in January for doctor visits. Sometimes, I joined him. Not that I wanted to (who prefers to be in the Boston area in the middle of winter?) but because it was my only solution. Other times, I stayed at a house sit. This year, because of our lovely dog, there was no way out. Maya and I would remain in Zesty for those five days.

Mark and I have pretty much been together 24/7 since the day we became a couple in December 2004. Despite our compatibility, I’m quite independent and truly, utterly adore time alone. In the past, I treasured spurts of me-time on visits to Belgium (which didn’t happen in 2019), a few solo days in California, or evenings apart during Mark’s job at Amazon. Still, I’d never been alone in our camper van for more than 11 hours. So how did that work out last January?

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IWSG Writing Update February 2020 – Contacting Publishers

February 5, 2020 / / 48 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 February, the question is: “Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Lee Lowery, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Jennifer Hawes, Cathrina Constantine, and Tyrean Martinson.

My answer to the question

I think this month’s question is more fitting for fiction writers. As a non-fiction writer I have never been inspired to write a story when seeing a photo or art. I’d love to play around with that, one day. I have gone back to my own photo archives (which contain tens of thousands of images – I have been traveling for a while) to bring back a memory of a scene, place, or event I wanted to write about.

Memories of Maupiti, French Polynesia to write an article for Cruising World
Our boat was the one to the right.
Going back to the scene
Remembering friends…
… and snorkel adventures.
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Expense Report 2019

January 15, 2020 / / 46 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and relatively 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 here, and the one for 2018 is here. In 2019, Mark and I house and pet sat for six weeks, visited our family back east for one month, and lived and traveled in our camper van Zesty in the US and Canada the rest of the year. What follows is the break-down of how we spent our money in 2019.

The Wave in Utah

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. New for 2019 is the category “Dog”. We adopted Maya on June 4th. 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.

We drove from San Diego, California …
… to the Sea of Cortez (Puerto Penasco) in Mexico …
… to Utah …
… to Nova Scotia …
… to Florida!

Our expenses in 2019 were about $500 higher than the previous year. Considering that our new companion consumed a $1,200 chunk (mostly meds and vet costs) means that we did better in almost all the other categories. The biggest part of our camper category keeps going to repairs and maintenance. We did cover quite a bit of distance last year as well (14,000 miles), which is represented in our high diesel amount. Our monthly average for groceries remains $300.

Engine work in Utah
Changing the brake pads ourselves
New brakes!
New sliding window from Mercedes
That’s a big hole!

Another biggie last year was the price of my citizenship. With all that behind us – my US passport is waiting in Massachusetts – this year can only get cheaper, right? My main shock happened when noting our alcohol dollars. That is a lot, especially since we didn’t throw or attended many parties… If there’s one amount I want to lower in 2020 it’s this one.

US Citizenship!

We can’t get out of the gift category. We love our spouse, family and friends too much and treating them for birthdays and other occasions – with a restaurant meal or a personalized gift – is just plain fun. Our utilities went up, because we basically live in our camper van full-time – more propane and laundromats needed and when we can’t find free dump stations, we have to pay. We are currently testing Visible as our internet and cell provider, but the results are bleak compared to our monthly, quite reliable AT&T plan.

Celebrating our wedding anniversary with friends Zach and Heather in Vermont
Taking Mark’s nephew, Randall, and his wife, Rebeccah, out to drinks and dinner as a wedding gift
Meeting up with our van-friends Greg and Duwan for the third time in 2019
Birthday celebrations with new friends
Ending the year with good (boating) friends Karmen and Tom in Florida

As a citizen, I hope to obtain a new healthcare plan that includes basic dental work. Therefore, the medical category should theoretically go down this year as well. I mentioned Mark’s new SmartPhone in last month’s report and all the other amounts seem straightforward. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.

The team responsible for Maya’s adoption: Amy, Jessica, and Jeff

The charity category is lower than last year and will not be present for 2020. I figured that the money we used to donate to animal rescue organizations should go towards Maya (and then some). If our financial situation improves, it will appear again! 🙂

Isn’t she the cutest?
Our photogenic girl
Maya has discovered toys since we adopted her
Maya LOVES running in the woods
Running on a beach is fun as well

Last but not least, I’m surprised that we didn’t spend a dime on campgrounds in 2019. Having camped  for nine months out of the year, this is good and bad. Perfect for the pocket and often for the surroundings, peace, and privacy, but not so great when it comes to comfort, convenience, and spoiling ourselves. We did get a campground break in Kentucky, as employer Amazon paid for that one.

Boondocking on BLM land in Utah …
… surrounded by red cliffs in Arizona …
… in Walmart parking lots…
… and in front of the Nashville skyline.

2019 Overview:

Camper (repairs: $2967; diesel: $1828; insurance: $1078,

registration: $86; tolls: $81; parking: $63):

Groceries:

Dog (supplies: $524; vet: $403; food: $188; adoption: $100):

Customs & Immigration (citizenship: $725; passport: $161):

Dining Out:

Alcohol:

Gifts (B-days, NY gifts, treating family):

Utilities (cell data: $351; propane: $53; dump: $10)

Health and Fitness (vitamins & haircuts):

Medical (dentist: $170; meds: $40; scan: $30):

Clothing (shoes, jeans, t-shirts):

Computer (new phone, router, hosting, Turbo Tax):

Drinking out:

Bank charges (annual credit card fee):

Travel (National Park pass, park fees Canada):

Entertainment (guided tours):

Transportation (shuttle buses, metro, ferry):

Charity (Best Friends):

Household (camper items):

Laundry:

Postage:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

 

$6103

$3563

$1215

$886

$758

$708

$675

$413

$368

$240

$214

$211

$159

$150

$110

$106

$87

$70

$66

$61

$63

$0

———

$ 16,119

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

Surfing into 2020

For another (more detailed and colorful) annual expense report of full-time van-dwellers, check out the 2019 “Cost of Being a Nomad” post of our friends Duwan and Greg here.

Do you keep track of your expenses? How did your budgeting go in 2019? Any categories you’d like to do better with in 2020?

IWSG Writing Update January 2020 – Ready to Dive in Again

January 8, 2020 / / 62 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: “What started you on your writing journey ?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, and J.H. Moncrieff.

My answer to the question

My writing journey unassumingly started in fourth grade, when my classmates and I were tasked with writing a daily diary of about five lines (and drawing a picture underneath) throughout the school year. I picked up that habit again (minus the drawing) when I was fourteen and have been journaling every day since, for the last thirty years. The entries are super long when I travel and explore. Knowing that I’ve been a digital nomad since 2003, one can only imagine how much time I spent writing down my experiences. Hurray for digital diaries, as that meant the end of adding notebooks to the two full tubs stored at my cousin’s house in Belgium.

I’ve always enjoyed putting my thoughts on paper, so essay assignments at school were my favorite. All in Dutch. When Mark and I were on our second sailing journey, in the Eastern Caribbean, I started writing and selling articles in English, on top of blogs, personal notes, and a column. Eventually, I focused on writing a memoir about my thirties on the water. A previous attempt to write a book about our overland explorations in Central America failed, because we were already on to the next adventure. Writing successes and a nomadic lifestyle are tough to combine.

Ocean Pond in Osceola National Forest, Florida
Boondocking in the National Forest
Pine trees under the blue Floridian sky
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