Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Ideas (page 6 of 20)

Introducing our New Home on Wheels – Meet Bella, the Truck Camper

September 15, 2022 / / 63 Comments

Our home on wheels has a name: Bella

This whole cow theme is Mark’s idea. I had nothing to do with it. But I am on board now. Our friend Ellen hit the nail on the head: “Mark is getting whimsical in his old age.” It’s not only Amazon “Delivering Smiles” around the world anymore. Yep, that’s why we Mark opted for a dotted camper, to spread joy along our travels. It worked with me – and we have seen the surprised looks on stranger’s faces turn into broad smiles. It works!

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Picking up our Lance 830 truck camper in Auburn, California, in May 2022
The camper stripped of its original Lance decals – it took Mark two days to remove them all.

I will write a post about how to produce cow spots (or other adhesive vinyl creations) and attach them to a vehicle later, but here is a bit more of the inside scoop. It is meaningful to both of us that this work-in-progress (you can’t call this one an important or urgent camper improvement, of which we had many) came to completion while we were surrounded by friends, three sets of them, in three different locations.

Adding cow spots on all sides was a work in progress!

Continue reading

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – August 2022

September 7, 2022 / / 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 and extensive care, we return to the East Coast.

In August, I finished up my visit to Belgium and stopped over in Newburyport, Massachusetts, for a week of medical check ups and time spent with my in-law family and friends. I returned to St. Helens, Oregon, on August 9th to join Mark and Maya in our Lance 830 truck camper.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Waterfront in Newburyport
Baby sitting Mark’s twin nieces
My friends Denise and Holly came to Newburyport for a visit
Approaching Portland, Oregon from Boston, Massachusetts – a bird’s eye view of Mt. Hood
Reunited with Maya

This past month, things were slowly turning normal regarding our expenses and doing a few fun things. There were still extra costs, we worked hard on our camper, and we hit the road once more. We also shared many meals with friends.

Mark removed all the Lance decals on our camper
Totally white surfaces – a new slate to work on 🙂
Trying to remove the bottom panel, which is glued on in the front. We managed to take measurements underneath to potentially add another fresh water tank
Visiting our South African friend Margie at her house boat on Hayden Island, near Portland
Clam chowder prepared by Katherine
Brandon and Katherine cooking up an amazing breakfast – this is one of the first photos I took with my new phone (which arrived at their address)
Breakfast of crab cakes, eggs, bacon, roasted tomatoes, and bread
Pizza night with Patti

After 11 weeks parked and camped on the driveway of friends (Ellen & Scott), we drove to the Oregon coast on august 18th to spend a long weekend with other friends (Katherine & Brandon, whom we met in Baja, Mexico this past winter), before settling into the house of yet another friend (Patti) for a good week in Bend, Oregon. This comfortable stay concluded a hot month of driving, working on camper projects, socializing, and sightseeing.

Our campsite at our friends’ property in Newport, OR
Mark, Brandon, and Maya – so nice to see our friends again
Lush surroundings in the backyard of our friends in Newport
Moss on the trees in the backyard
Katherine crabbing off the dock of friends
Maya was intrigued by the crabs – and loved to chase them
Berry picking nearby
Helping our friends out trimming a big tree

Grocery expenses were pretty high (blame inflation) and this is probably the first time that Maya hits the #2 position on the list. We are stocking up on medication for her. Her itch relief medicine Apoquel is super expensive at $2.25 a pill and that’s only when you buy 100 tablets at a time. We also bought a couple of Seresto collars (flea & tick medicine), because they were on sale. Each one of these lasts eight months.

Maya’s Seresto collars

We didn’t drive crazy amounts in our pickup truck Thirsty, so the $284 we spent on gasoline can be called “reasonable” in this climate of – still – high fuel prices in the Pacific Northwest. The computer category is high, because, guess what? I bought my very first SmartPhone. Yes, me, the person who didn’t want – and still doesn’t want – a phone. But, don’t get too excited about me joining the ranks of practically every other person in the western world. I don’t have a SIM card, so can only get online via a WiFi signal and I can’t make calls. This phone will replace my camera, which has been falling apart for years. That’s the idea anyway.

My new phone!
Isn’t she a beauty?

Why did I cave? My brother gave me an old iPhone8 of his and Mark discovered a deal online; we could swap this phone and receive a brand-new Google Pixel 6a phone by paying an additional $160. These phones usually cost around $450. So, I blame my husband (and my brother) for making me buy – and use – an extra gadget. Let’s hope I don’t lose/forget it or have it slip out of my hands. I’ve come close to all these scenarios already!

Because we have been staying with generous friends most of the month, “thank you” gifts were in order. And, we bought a few improvements for our household: a new set of Corelle plates and bowls ($33), an electric chainsaw to cut those pesky branches that prevent us from reaching cool campsites ($25), sturdy bags for our new Separett “composting” toilet ($27), and a non-ticking clock ($10). This last item took a lot of trial and error – and returns!

Camped for a couple of nights between St. Helens and Newport, Oregon
We left St. Helens, but that didn’t mean we relaxed. Painting separators to put between kitchenware, so it doesn’t bounce around as much.
Cleaning the cabinets and gluing non-stick on, so stuff stays put better when we drive
All that had to go back into the cabinet…
Making templates for the fun project!
I had fun with the scrap pieces of vinyl

The other categories were reasonable. The $34 we spent on propane was a waste, since the valve of our tank broke right after filling it. Therefore, it became useless and we swapped it for another, less fancy, tank, paying for propane again! I had a haircut at SuperCuts in Massachusetts. Gone are the days to get one for $20 including tip. I will stop going to hairdressers, unless it costs me $10 or less, like in Mexico.

Leaving Newport
Approaching Bend
Tumalo Falls near Bend, OR

The $27 transportation amount is also unusual. That’s what I spent for trains and buses to get to my mother-in-law’s place from Boston’s  Logan airport. There used to be a direct bus to Newburyport, but this service was cancelled two years ago. Instead of one hour, it now takes about three – and much more hassle – to get to or from the airport.

A work in progress
Mark built his first wooden cabinet to fill a hole in the camper

Our accommodation – camped on the driveways of friends or moved into their guestrooms – was free and we managed to attend a few events with no cost as well, like the Toledo Wooden Boat Show.

The Wooden Boat Show in Toledo had cardboard boat races.
The little cardboard boat in front was my favorite (and it won its category!)
Beautiful wooden boat on display
Wooden sailboat with a special rig called a cat boat
Isn’t this one cute?
And the race is on!
A very determined participant…

We paid $10 to get my new glasses shipped to Colorado, after they were prescribed to me during my visit back East. And, we reserved a particular hike near Bend, but cancelled. The fee for the permit was non-refundable. Mark, Maya, Patti, her dogs Koozie and Pekoe, and I did manage to go on another stunning and special hike in the mountains, for which Patti snatched the permit. Here is a glimpse of that one…

Hike to No Name Lake and Broken Top
Maya climbing ice bergs on No Name Lake
Flowers in front of the lake
Appreciating the view
Mark, Patti, Maya, Koozie, Pekoe, and I at a spectacular viewpoint

(PS: We did have $617 of Lance camper expenses in August as well, as preparation for our upcoming multiple-year South America trip, but since we budgeted for that (so far), it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs in the future.)

August 2022 Overview:

Groceries:

Dog (food: $42; meds: $295):

Car (fuel: $284; parts: $6):

Computer (new phone: $170; MS Office license: $7):

Gifts:

Household (& tools):

Dining out:

Utilities (internet: $35; propane: $34):

Health & fitness (supplements: $33; haircut: $27):

Alcohol:

Transportation (Liesbet Boston):

Drinking out:

Medical:

Entertainment (hiking permit):

Clothing:

Miscellaneous (copies):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$375

$337

$290

$177

$121

$117

$74

$69

$60

$31

$27

$23

$10

$3

$1

$1

$0

———

$ 1,716

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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Lance 830 Truck Camper Saga – A Look Behind the Scenes of Buying Our Perfect Home on Wheels for South America

August 30, 2022 / / 55 Comments

WARNING: This is an incredibly long post, the size of a book chapter. It’s a slice of our relatively challenging lifestyle; the part where we hunted for a different camper for months and pretty much every lead failed. Only proceed if you are curious about how our current, time-consuming and not-so-straightforward camper purchase occurred.

In a previous blog, I mentioned that Mark and I bought a Cirrus 820 truck camper in Vermont last summer (2021) and that this was not our top choice. When in Baja California, Mexico, a month before we sold our Sprinter Westfalia campervan Zesty, we decided to switch gears – from a van to a truck camper – and created a list of our top brands. The number one was a Northstar Arrow U. The Cirrus was our second choice. 

Northstar Arrow U, seen in New Hampshire
Northstar Arrow U for sale

We had seen neither in person. On our long drive to check out the Cirrus 820, we stopped at a dealership in New Hampshire to peek into an Arrow U, which was not for sale. After this quick encounter, we were even more convinced about our preference. We liked the layout, bigger tanks, and affordability of a used one. 

Then, we visited the Cirrus 820 with a private party in Vermont and – for reasons mentioned in my previous post – we decided to go ahead with that purchase. We called the camper Temp, because we would keep looking for a used Northstar Arrow U. After finally finding a heavy-duty pickup truck (in Rhode Island) and retrieving the Cirrus, we equipped both for full-time living and traveling. In mid-September 2021, we – once again – left New England for our migration west, and south, to the Baja peninsula. 

Inflation hit, fuel became much more expensive, our living costs rose, and we found ourselves postponing our winter trip to Mexico with six weeks, to make extra money in Arizona. You can read about that fiasco here. 

Settled at Leaf Verde RV Park, Buckeye (Phoenix area), in December 2021, we were still on the lookout for a Northstar Arrow U, which we felt would be the perfect camper to take to South America. But the prices of that model – and others – had gone up so much that older years were selling for more money than what we paid for our 2017 Cirrus 820 in the summer. This would defeat the purpose of changing over! We realized then and there that going for a much older – and therefore cheaper – camper offered more advantages.

Mark did a random search on Craigslist for truck campers, when he noticed a Lance 830, without a pop-out tent in the back. Its side entry stood out. We researched this model, which was made for five years, from 2008 until 2012. Some models came with a fold-out tent in the rear. Mark contacted the owner, who was asking $18K for this unit. High, because of the inflated “Covid prices.” The camper was sold already, within a week of posting. We had seen it too late and didn’t know enough about this model yet. 

Strangely, another Lance 830 came on the market within days and it was located in Phoenix, 20 minutes down the road. This one had a hole in the side and delamination at the front. Not good. The unit was listed at $7,000. “Who would buy something in this bad of shape?” we wondered. We contacted the owner to have a look at his 830, just to get an idea of its layout and if this model would work for us. He replied the unit was sold; he hadn’t taken the listing down.

We left the US in the middle of January 2022 and spent 3.5 months in Baja, Mexico, keeping a loose eye on ads for certain truck camper models whenever we had reliable internet. 

When camped in Cabo Pulmo, Mark noticed a parked Lance nearby, which had a side entrance. He took the binoculars out and deducted this was a Lance 830. We immediately walked over, but the owner wasn’t home. The next morning, we had an early start lined up to go on a day hike with our friends, Duwan and Greg. I hoped the owner was awake by eight, as he might be gone when we returned from our hike. 

Lance 830 with tent, spotted in Baja.
Monte’s Lance 830 in Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico

I noticed movement inside and knocked on the door. We were greeted by Monte, a friendly, welcoming man from Oregon. He invited us in for a look. We debated as we didn’t want to inconvenience him. He insisted, so we had a quick tour of his Lance 830. From then on, we were convinced this was our future camper. But, where and – more importantly – when would we find one?

Continue reading

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – July 2022

August 19, 2022 / / 30 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 and extensive care, we return to the East Coast.

July was another unusual month. The first part, we both worked fulltime on camper projects in our friends Scott and Ellen’s yard, cooked most of our meals, listened to free live concerts on Thursdays, and “endured” Independence Day.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Scraping stubborn caulk/glue from an old hatch for hours, before installing it elsewhere on the roof
Serious roof projects
New shower curtain. We have decided to go with a cow theme.

On July 4th, weeklong fireworks in the neighborhood reached their peak with the town’s display. Maya was in hell. All the other weeks (ten of them!), she really loved being at our friends’ place.

Maya loved it in St. Helens and was spoiled with walks, treats, and attention
Maya cute and comfy on the porch
Town’s events on July 4th, before the fireworks started
Unhappy Maya – a dog in distress, panting and hiding behind our pillows
I joined Ellen and Scott to watch fireworks, while Mark stayed with our shivering Maya.

The second half of July, Mark and I lived apart in a reversed way than in June (he and Maya stayed in Oregon this time and I visited Belgium) and there were two super high expenses. I have to give up on my desire to stick to our $1,300 monthly average of previous years, what with living costs and fuel having risen hugely and preparations – for this camper and ourselves – regarding our upcoming multiple-year adventure in South America. And, we haven’t even gotten into the logistics of getting there yet! Luckily, our accommodation the last months has been free.

Our truck in front of Washington’s state capitol

The annual car insurance for our 2016 Ford F-350 pick-up truck was due and this took a fat chunk out of our bank account at almost $1,000. Once we leave the country towards the end of the year, we will get some of this reimbursed, just like when we drove to the Baja peninsula (Mexico) for a few months in January. In the state of Massachusetts, there are minimum insurance levels you need to have, even when not in the US, which basically comes down to liability insurance. We are researching ways to get around this useless fee.

Salad with avocado and shrimp as a quick dinner
Vegetable stir fry dinner
Free campsite in the national monument

Mark had to escape a terrible weeklong heatwave in the Portland area, since our camper does not have AC and our parking spot there was in the blazing sun. So, he drove to the property of other friends who are renovating a house along the coast of Oregon. The difference in temperature? Thirty degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius)! While it was in the upper nineties in St. Helens, on the coast, a 2.5-hour drive west, the high was upper sixties.

Checking out this (much more expensive) Lance 830 in Tacoma, WA, hoping it would be in better shape than ours.
This Lance 830 truck camper we checked out had the fold-down tent/bed
Capitol of Washington state in Olympia
Tumwater Falls in Washington
Maya cools off by one of the smaller falls.

That trip, going to look at another Lance 830 camper in Tacoma, Washington (which we passed on), our five-day “test drive” in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, and a couple of rides to PDX (Portland airport) back and forth is where the high fuel cost comes from. Mark also bought an OBD reader for the truck to diagnose faults and car issues. We had this for Zesty as well, which came in handy.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington
Snowy hike with the Mount St. Helens volcano in the background
Hiking near Ape Cave in the national monument
Maya on the June Lake hike

The other high expense was for Mark’s new computer/tablet hybrid, a Surface Pro 7+. He had been on the lookout for this particular device (and returned a similar one already) for many months, patiently waiting for a deal. The $480 price includes a keyboard. A card with extra memory to improve the tablet’s performance was purchased the previous month.

Mark’s new device in tablet mode
Mark’s new device in computer mode

I renewed my Belgian passport in my parents’ town – a story in itself – which, luckily, arrived before I left again, despite our national holiday (July 21st) being smack in the middle of my two-week stay. We bought another bag of dogfood for Maya and heartworm medicine for a year. Stocking up on drugs and essentials for her will add hundreds of dollars to our expenses the coming months.

Extensive multiple-hour lunch out with my mom (front right) and her two sisters
Sandwich in Belgium – Brie cheese, smoked salmon, and lettuce

The other categories for July were quite normal. Groceries were relatively low (because my parents took good care of me in Belgium), as well as alcohol (we barely drank booze). The $7 entertainment amount went to our cave visit in the National Monument. Mark bought a $2 lottery ticket since he coincidentally found himself at a local bar with our coastal friends the day the Mega Millions pot was at an all-time high. Not that it mattered. He mistakenly bought a ticket for a different lottery. His numbers wouldn’t have made a difference either way…

Mount St. Helens before the heatwaves hit…

(PS: We did have $1,040 of Lance camper expenses in July as well, but since we budgeted for that (so far), it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs in the future.)

July 2022 Overview:

Car (ins.: $952; fuel: $295; parts: $28):

Computer (new Surface Pro 7+ Mark):

Groceries:

Customs & Immigration (new Belgian passport Liesbet):

Dog (food: $32; meds: $36):

Dining out:

Utilities (internet: $35; Skype: $5):

Drinking out:

Household:

Clothing:

Alcohol:

Entertainment (NM):

Postage:

Miscellaneous (lottery):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$1,275

$480

$232

$72

$68

$41

$40

$16

$13

$11

$9

$7

$5

$2

$0

———

$ 2,271

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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Three-week Stint Away from My Camper and Lifestyle – Where is Home?

August 11, 2022 / / 61 Comments

“Where do you live?” someone would ask.

“In this camper,” I would say, pointing at our most recent house on wheels.

“Where’s home?” someone else would ask.

“Wherever our camper is parked,” I would say. (Or “Wherever our boat is anchored,” in the previous decade.)

“Where are you from?” yet another would ask, undoubtedly noticing an accent.

“From here, at the moment,” I would answer. Easy does it and simple is what I like.

Our current truck camper and home

Of course, the reality is a bit more complicated. I was born and raised and worked and lived in Belgium until the summer of 2003 arrived and a plane to the US was boarded and I “never looked back.” The harsh truth of this decision on a social, emotional, relational, and roots level only dawns on others when I mention that all my longtime friends and all my family members still live in Belgium. This nomadic lifestyle is not for anyone with homesickness or tight-knit family needs.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to see their captions.)

Having lunch with my parents – the dish is a favorite of children here: mashed potatoes with meat balls and hot cherries
Sharing a drink and lots of stories with my cousin Griet
Belgian girlfriends
Lenn and Lena pose in front of the butterfly garden.

Ever since I met Mark, the end of 2004, my (second) residency address is in Newburyport, Massachusetts. While we never actually lived there other than short visits back from further afield and those two Covid springs and summers, I am extremely familiar with this town, our room above the garage, friends, acquaintances, and Mark’s family.

The waterfront in Newburyport

And then there’s our actual home. No matter in what form it comes, floating, driving, or being carried by a truck, it’s where I live fulltime and where my companions wait for me – whether this is in the United States or another country. It’s where my heart sings, what my soul craves, where my body relaxes, and where life makes sense. It’s my chosen lifestyle; it’s where I belong.

Continue reading

Escape into Nature – Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Washington State

July 28, 2022 / / 64 Comments

I hinted at it before: Mark and I have had some challenges the last few months, in general, and a few difficulties and issues regarding our current Lance 830 truck camper. Without going into detail just yet, we decided that our best plan of action in early July (a week before my departure to Belgium) was to head into the woods. We could use a change of scenery, needed to escape the 90+ temperatures of Portland, Oregon, wanted to test our camper on rough roads and terrain, and looked forward to camping in nature again.

(As always, click on or hover over the photos in galleries to read their captions.)

The National Monument sports tons of hikes for every level.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Mount St. Helens viewpoint
The area has a wealth of attractions and hikes – we only scratched the surface.
Close to our first campsite, we found a trail heading into the woods.

The three of us had a fantastic time hiking in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, sleeping in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, exploring trails and backroads, and bouncing around on the roughest roads we ever encountered (since that was the goal).

Our current truck camper and home
Potholed forest roads
Big open spot where we camped the second night.
Glimpses of Mount St. Helens
A good place to test the durability of our rig.
Our current home in front of Mount St. Helens
Driving towards the volcano
Maya is intrigued and enlightened by the snow.
On our fourth and last night, we camped close to a stream.
Continue reading

Join Us at the Virtual Vanlife Summit – An Entertaining, Inspiring & Free Event

July 20, 2022 / / 24 Comments

A free three-day event packed with information, talks, and interactions

Tomorrow, the three-day Virtual Vanlife Summit begins and I am one of the speakers and live panelists. My talk takes place on Thursday, July 21st at 12pm PDT (US West Coast time), which is 9pm in Belgium (where I currently am) and focuses on living on a budget while on the road. I will happily answer any questions you have in the chat box.

Talk about living as a nomad on a budget

The next day, on Friday, July 22nd at 11am PDT, I join a live panel in which we will discuss relationships on the road. How do we survive living together 24/7 with our partner in a tiny space without killing each other? Again, ask us any question during the broadcast.

Live panel about relationships in a small camper

This entire event is free, but you have to register to attend. Check it out and sign up here. I hope to “see” you there!

Mark, Liesbet, and Maya pose in front of Thirsty, the truck, and our soon-to-be-named camper

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

Available on Amazon and elsewhere

eBook: US$ 5.99

Paperback: US$ 13.99

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – June 2022

July 8, 2022 / / 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.

Last month was unusual to say the least; our expense categories, our location (mostly apart from each other), and our focus. Plus, the weather was extreme: rain almost every day Mark was gone and upper nineties Fahrenheit (mid-thirties Celsius) for three days shortly after his return…

(Click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

My home while Mark was away
My living quarters
Roomy kitchen
Protection against all the Oregon rain
Extremely hot weather, the end of June – it was more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit in our camper, but the thermometer doesn’t go any higher than 99!

Mark flew to Newburyport, Massachusetts, for three weeks to help out his mom who injured herself, arrange the funeral service for his dad, Stanley, who passed away in February, and receive health check-ups, which caused extra stress and grief. He was super overwhelmed and busy those weeks.

Maya on her dinette bed
Maya on her dog bed
“Can I come up, mommy?”

Maya and I stayed in our recently-purchased Lance 830 truck camper on the property of friends in the Portland area of Oregon. Yes, the opposite end of the country. I organized our life inside (as we had quickly “moved in” two days before Mark’s departure), caught up with a bunch of internet tasks and work, did an interview as a presenter for my first Van Life Summit, and completed small projects.

Van Life Virtual Summit 2022
My presentation takes place at noon PST on July 21st (on Belgium’s National Day, while I am there)

Taking care of Maya and providing her with enough exercise also took a chunk of time and was much more fun when the sun peeked out.

Spring by the Columbia River
Sign in downtown
Main street in St. Helens
On the rare clear days, one can see Mount Hood from town
St. Helens is nestled along the Columbia River in Oregon

No crazy high categories in June. Our grocery costs were reasonable and we paid for fuel once in MA for Mark using the car of his mom and once for the truck here in order to drive it back and forth to PDX, Portland’s airport. Parking fees are steep in Boston, where some of Mark’s health check-ups take place.

Extra categories involved paying for one third of Stan’s funeral service, providing drinks for the gathering afterwards (recorded as a gift; on hindsight, it should probably have gone in miscellaneous as well), and spending too much money on annual credit card fees, because we forgot to cancel one of our cards in time. As I mentioned, too much else going on. While $95 might not seem like a lot to some people, it does make a difference for us.*

Mark reading my text for Stan at his dad’s memorial service on June 11th.
The Reverend presents the funeral service in the Unitarian Church of Newburyport.
I managed to follow the service virtually via Zoom.

Mark bought accessories for a new computer, but ended up returning the device. He will be able to use the parts whenever he decides to finally purchase a replacement laptop. I bought a few more items to organize the interior of our camper.

Filling a gap behind the mattress to be able to lean against the wall and sit upright in bed
Now we can sit upright in bed
Contents of one of the many packages we are ordering in St. Helens. It’s nice to have an address when doing heaps of projects!
Extra memory for Mark’s next device
We bought a custom-made blind for the back window

And, I finally gave in and purchased a raincoat, a garment I haven’t owned in years. There are three reasons for this decision: Oregon has been wet, I’m sure I need one in South America, and I want something with pockets to stuff them with goodies on the plane ride back from Belgium as I’m only allowed to take one personal item for a three-week trip! (Two weeks in my home country and one week in Massachusetts before flying back to Oregon.)

Our living quarters seen from the bed.
Maya stressed out (but still cute) and hiding behind our pillows during the fireworks that started well before July 4th.

We ordered an expensive pizza for take-out one evening, have been enjoying free music in town on Thursday nights with our friends (hence the drinking out), Maya needed a few items, and – for some reason – one now has to pay out of pocket to prep for a colonoscopy. Sorry if this is too much information. No taboos on this site.

Egg noodles with a mushroom – parsley cream sauce
Cauliflower soup – my first attempt in cooking soup.
Scott presented delicious homemade gnocchi for dinner one night.
The end result: homemade gnocchi with clam sauce (clams he harvested)
Maya cute and comfy on the porch

On a positive note, we didn’t spend a dime on accommodation, courtesy (again and still) of our friends here in St. Helens. And we have primarily been cooking our own meals and sharing some of them with our hosts.  Once Mark was back, we dove into projects again. Stay tuned while we try and figure out our next move, which remains incredibly tricky and stressful…

From the moment Mark returned, he dove into more projects.
For some of the projects, our camper needs to be on the truck
Swapping the space-consuming plastic bathroom door out with a whimsical shower curtain
Installing a new track for a shower curtain in the bathroom
Trying to diagnose and fix a big issue underneath the camper
New exhaust vent cover and LED lights outside

(PS: We did have about $500 of Lance camper expenses in June as well, but since we budgeted for that (so far), it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs.)

*UPDATE: We called our Chase bank to cancel that credit card and they will refund the $95 annual fee (so our total expenses for June 2022 are closer to $1,230).  Apparently, this is their policy and courtesy when you cancel within 41 days of paying the fee.

June 2022 Overview:

Groceries:

Miscellaneous (memorial service):

Bank fees (CC annual fees):

Car (fuel: $117; parking: $14):

Gifts (drinks for memorial event):

Computer hardware (parts):

Alcohol:

Utilities (internet: $35; propane: $19):

Household:

Clothing (rain jacket Liesbet):

Health & fitness (vitamins Mark):

Dining out:

Medical (colonoscopy prep M):

Drinking out:

Dog (fish oil, shampoo, treats):

Transportation (train from airport):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$267

$225

$190

$131

$86

$77

$74

$54

$44

$39

$35

$28

$26

$26

$23

$7

$0

———

$ 1,332

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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Book & Promo Update June 2022 – Reaching another Milestone

June 24, 2022 / / 34 Comments

Now that my travel/sailing/adventure memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary has been launched more than 1.5 years ago, these book updates, or better, promo updates, will become less frequent. I’m thinking of sharing book news here a few times a year for the following reasons: to update people interested in the journey of an indie author, to inspire/inform fellow authors about my process, successes, and failures, and to – hopefully – entice new blog readers to check out Plunge. This page here provides the blurb, reviews, free chapters, and more. You can find my previous update here.

My book news

Let’s start with the biggest accomplishment… After I published Plunge in November 2020 (on my 45th birthday), I had three quantifiable goals for the first year after publication: 

  1. Make back my investment in the book, which was $2,700. This chunk of money was spent on an editor (two rounds), cover artist, a packet of ten ISBN numbers, and miscellaneous costs related to the publication process.
  2. Gather 100 ratings/reviews for my book on Amazon.
  3. Sell 1,000 copies of Plunge.

I only managed to reach the first two goals by November 2021, one year in.

Eighteen months after publication, I’m happy to report that I achieved my third goal (in May 2022): 1,000 copies sold on Amazon; this is a combination of eBooks and paperbacks. If you add other markets and personal sales to this, the number is slightly higher. While this might not seem like much (it isn’t), all these books have been sold via word of mouth, personal efforts, and free “promo posts” on Facebook. I have yet to pay money for advertising, which I probably have to do soon if I want to keep selling books.

Crossing the 1,000 mark

If you are curious about my actual earnings for these sales (and who isn’t?), here is my royalty statement for those 1,020 books sold above. Don’t forget that $2,700 of this number went to creating Plunge. So far, I’ve made about $1,400 on a book that took five years to write. 🙂

Continue reading

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – May 2022

June 10, 2022 / / 27 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.

Last month was quite crazy for us; on many fronts. Our circumstances – hunting for a different camper, picking it up, moving locations, preparing and delivering our original camper that was for sale, fixing imminent issues and systems in our “new” home on wheels, a terrible accident in the family, my mother-in-law breaking her shoulder, Mark having to fly back east, me booking a plane ticket, … (read about it all here) – hugely affected our expenditures in May.

(Click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

These fuel prices greeted us when we crossed back into the US after four months on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico.
Crossing state borders again
Scenery along the way – gone are the blue skies!
Finally, Idaho – Mark and I never explored this state; and it wouldn’t happen again, this time around
Driving through part of Oregon again, on our return trip to Boise, ID
Wintry California landscape in mid-May!

The largest cost by far was gasoline for our truck, as we drove north in California, crisscrossed this state a few times between Auburn, CA, and Boise, Idaho, made a “detour” to Twin Falls, ID, to drop off our Cirrus camper, and headed west to St. Helens, Oregon. We knew we were spending hundreds of dollars over those weeks, but were still flabbergasted at the total sum of over $1,000!!! There is only one solution for our frugal budgets: sit still for a long while. Because of all our upcoming camper projects and issues, we kind of have to anyway.

Cheapest price for gasoline on the 520-mile drive. before arriving back in Boise
We often spent between $130 and $150 a tank of gas in May – and the prices are still rising!
Back in the days, when the fuel price per gallon was still under $5. Not so much in St. Helens, OR.
Biking to (hardware) stores to save fuel

Speaking of which, our Lance camper expenses are actually much higher than any other category, but since we budgeted for that (so far), it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to dedicate a separate post for those projects and costs.

First stop in Auburn, CA, to check out this well-used Lance 830 truck camper for sale (by owner); we spent six hours scrutinizing it and had a chat with the friendly dealer
Ready to purchase the Lance 830
Too cold to eat outside – Mark and I save money by making and bringing our own meals everywhere
RV dealership where the camper was sold on consignment
Posing with RV dealer Glen, who was incredibly helpful with the transaction and communications
Collecting campers in the driveway of our friends
Ordering lots of parts for our “new” camper
Fixing lots of issues with our “new” camper
Lots of money exchanged hands in May

Some of our US car insurance money was still due, as we had paused this policy when traveling throughout Baja, Mexico, for four months. And, after all the driving, Thirsty was due for an oil change, which Mark performed a few hundred miles ago back in Boise. Being able to do most tasks and projects ourselves – now, in the past (also when sailing), and in the future – saves us a lot of money, stress, inconvenience, distrust, and disappointment.

Camped on the property of a friend in Julian, California
Deer in the yard
Front-row seats to watch wildlife

The cost of plane tickets – nationally and internationally – has doubled compared to last year as well. It was another shock to us when we browsed tickets for Mark (and me later this summer) to fly back to Massachusetts and for me to visit my family in Belgium. We used multiple one-way tickets through inconvenient airports, with funky layovers, and without carry-on luggage (yes, that’s a thing now – “only one personal item allowed”) to make these jaunts as affordable as possible. My dear parents covered my legs to Belgium. Thank you!

Home for a couple of weeks
We had an oven – nacho time!
Ready to move locations with our (partly) new set-up

Our other expenses were normal. Before we sold it, we had to repair a couple of things on the Cirrus camper after our extensive travels on the Baja peninsula this past winter. We also thanked our hosts for their hospitality with a few items we knew they enjoyed, and shared some rum and wine with friends to ease our worries a bit.

One hour of fun: visiting Shoshone Falls in the town of Twin Falls, Idaho, before dropping our Cirrus camper off
It was a beautiful day

Our entertainment in May was free and comprised a one-hour stop at the magnificent Shoshone Falls in the town of Twin Falls, Idaho (usually $5 parking fee per car, but the kiosk was closed during our morning, weekday stop), before dropping the Cirrus camper off with its new owners and a quick visit of Idaho’s capitol in Boise, the day we left the area.

On the day we left Boise, we hopped over to the capitol
I am fascinated by capitol buildings in this country and want to see – and photograph – them all!

Getting a cashier’s check to pay for a big-ticket item, like a used truck camper, costs $15 with Bank of America. While it’s not that much, costs like these annoy us. The same with fees for administrative dealings, although the time, energy, and hassle involved are obviously more intrusive.

One-night stop along a street in Lodi, CA, on our drive north – not the quietest place….
Boondocked in Tahoe National Forest, CA on the way to Boise, ID.
Our first encounter with snow in a looong time (it wouldn’t be our last)
We managed to go for a nice, yet short, walk from our “campsite”
Second stop between Auburn, CA, and Boise, ID, at Antelope Reservoir (OR) – it was a long drive
Another cold and rainy night at Antelope Reservoir – familiar terrain now
Boondocked in a national forest in eastern Oregon on the long drive from Boise, ID, to the Portland area.

We didn’t spend anything on accommodation or camping, laundry, water, or electricity in May; something we are very thankful for. Hurray for friends – and family – in troubled times!

Home for the time being
Maya loved it in St. Helens and was spoiled with walks, treats, and attention

May 2022 Overview:

Car (fuel: $1,206; ins.: $154; maint.: $30):

Travel (flights):

Groceries:

Cirrus camper (ins.: $23; repairs: $110):

Gifts:

Utilities (internet):

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Banking (cashier’s check):

Household:

Clothing (flip flops Mark):

Customs & Immigration:

Drinking out:

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$1,390

$1,013

$355

$133

$58

$35

$27

$17

$15

$11

$10

$8

$3

$0

———

$ 3,075

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.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Older posts Newer posts

© 2024 Roaming About

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑