Category: Lifestyle (page 22 of 45)

Views of COVID-19 – Life As A Nomad Guest Contribution on “Travel Tales of Life”

For the last five weeks, Sue and Dave of the popular travel website and blog Travel Tales of Life invited worldwide travelers and citizens to contribute their views and experiences in regards to the Coronavirus. Their fascinating series provides insights into life during this pandemic, all across the globe.

This week, we are featured in their “Life as a Nomad” chapter, together with two other wanderers you might know: my real-life friends and long-term bloggers Lisa from One Ocean At A Time and Ingrid from Live, Laugh, RV. Check out our and other people’s contributions here.

Views of COVID-19 – Life As A Nomad

The COVID-19 Effect on Two Nomads in a Camper Van

Every country, every Canadian province, and every US state had somewhat of a different approach when the Coronavirus spread within its borders. Having friends and family all over the world and reading the latest testaments of global citizens and travelers on Sue and Dave’s blog, we realize how measures and rules vary from social distancing to self-isolation to total lockdown. I feel for my friends in Puerto Rico, Grenada, and South Africa, for example, who can’t even walk outside of their (rented) accommodation. Internationally stranded nomads (people without a home of their own) take the grunt of the current travel restrictions. Not only have their plans and lifestyle changed, but they are digging deep into their pockets to either fly, sail, or drive back to their home country or book a hotel room or Airbnb abroad.

Our own situation is tricky as well, despite our familiarity with uncertainty and challenges. My husband, Mark, our 60-pound rescue dog, Maya, and myself have been living, working, and traveling in our 19ft camper van Zesty for roughly three years.

Continue reading, after scrolling down…

(Comments are closed here.)

Wildlife Encounters in Florida

April 29, 2020 / Liesbet / 42 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some of our human encounters in Florida this past winter. Mark and I (and Maya) enjoy meeting old and new friends, but when it comes to my personal happiness level, animal observations and interactions – especially in the wild – always make me smile! Here are some of the creatures we came across on our walks.

Gopher tortoise

Jellyfish on the beach in Marineland

Pelican at rest

Snowy egret waiting for a fish hand-out

This heron was a fisherman’s best friends

Resting osprey

Osprey in flight

My “lucky” osprey shot

Self-isolation X2

April 22, 2020 / Liesbet / 62 Comments

A lot has been said – and written – about this recent pandemic and its affects. I shared a few posts about it myself, here (how it influenced our lifestyle in mid-March), here (what we still managed to squeeze in, sightseeing-wise), here (in relation to our expenses), and here is where I left off on April 1st.

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

Self-isolation Take One

After a few hits and misses at several parks and boondocking spots and a failed week-long hotel splurge in Hilton Head, we checked out our “last resort” in decent weather: the free campground at Santee Coastal Reserve in South Carolina. The entrance road was serene and welcoming, but we didn’t settle – mentally or physically – until we arrived without any “No camping due to COVID-19” signs blocking our progress.

Entrance road to the nature reserve

Lots of live oaks with Spanish moss

The campground was quiet and peaceful. No amenities, which means no restrooms, water, electricity, sewer, or trash. Pack it in, pack it out. That might have been the reason why this place was still open – the workers weren’t at risk cleaning facilities. We found a roomy, relatively private campsite with sun for the solar panels and shade for the camper, a picnic table, and a fire ring.

Our home for two weeks

View from the hammock

Human Encounters in Florida – Meeting Friends before COVID-19

April 16, 2020 / Liesbet / 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

Monthly Expenses – March 2020

April 8, 2020 / Liesbet / 46 Comments

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.

How did the outbreak of the Coronavirus affect our expenses? Less than you might think. The only category that spiked is groceries. I think that happened because of our “constant” topping up of the fridge and cupboards, each time we anticipated self-isolating in the woods of Florida. But, as I wrote about previously, most of those attempts failed, so we kept buying more provisions and – in the beginning – our only choices were name brands instead of the cheaper generic brands we usually buy.

Boondocking along a river and boat ramp in Western Florida

Sunset at the boat ramp

Vultures along the waterfront

Another campground in Osceola NF, Florida, that didn’t work out because of heat, bugs, and incessantly barking hunting dogs.

It doesn’t look like a bad spot from the observation tower.

Lines (with social distancing) before the store opened, at Sam’s Club in Hilton Head

We drove a lot during our quick circle down and around and back up Florida. If we would have been able to sightsee, we would have driven more, but we would have traveled slower. We boogied north quicker than expected, because of our rising discomfort with heat, humidity, and bugs and not so much COVID-19. Therefore, our monthly fuel expenses are pretty much what they would have been otherwise. The diesel price was as low as we’ve ever seen it!

The fuel prices have dropped a lot.

This is the cheapest diesel we ever bought for Zesty. $1.99 a gallon boils down to 50 cents a liter.

Our tank wasn’t totally empty when we found this Sam’s Club/Walmart fuel station.

If it wasn’t for the recent pandemic, our entertainment and camping categories would be higher (I really wanted to visit the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg and spend time with the manatees while camping at Manatee State Park), the health topic would have popped up as I urgently needed a haircut, and doing laundry might have cost twice as much. Instead, Mark cut everyone’s hair and we did a load of laundry by hand.

Dog beach at Fort DeSoto Park, Florida

Short hair again after Mark chopped it off

Maya received a haircut as well, which helps with the heat.

Hanging our clean laundry at the campsite to dry. We found a water spigot at a park an hour away.

The netting offers a reprieve from the bugs at our current campsite

The drinking and eating out expenses can be blamed on hanging out with friends and Mark’s birthday (a self-proclaimed brewery tour) before social distancing took effect. Since then, I have been able to keep in touch with friends and family via email, social media, Skype, and Zoom!

Approach to our current campground

Boardwalk in the nature reserve

We are enjoying our daily hikes in nature, without people around.

Our current campsite

A $3 meal for two – egg noodles, asparagus, and chicken thighs.

A total spoil: cheese platter including two kinds of Brie!

All in all, March was not a bad month under the circumstances, but it is the most expensive one this year so far.

To find out what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blog of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

IWSG Writing Update April 2020 – Coronavirus Status

April 1, 2020 / Liesbet / 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?)

Snowbirds in Florida – Not Your Usual Winter

March 25, 2020 / Liesbet / 53 Comments

After three unusually rainy and/or cold winters out west in our 19ft camper van, Zesty, we had one objective for this last season: be warm. The only place in the lower 48s to assure that: Florida. Southern Florida. Since Mark and I always “bring” weird weather wherever we go, something would be amiss in the Sunshine State this winter as well. Firstly, Sunshine State is a misnomer better suited for California or Arizona, as the skies have been mostly cloudy (except on the days I take photos :-)). Secondly, we regularly had 40-degree weather (5 degrees Celsius) in January and, skipping spring all together, upper eighties from March on. Unseasonably hot.

Here’s what we’ve been up to the last three months…

(Hover over the photos to read the captions or click to enlarge.)

January 2020

The new year and new decade couldn’t have started better. After work and a bit of sightseeing in Kentucky, we drove to Florida to celebrate the arrival of 2020 with good sailing friends in Marineland. Even Maya liked her week-long visit to their refurbished catamaran, Sauvage. We were invited by a business owner in St. Augustine, who welcomed us with open arms and spoiled us with splendid company, food, and promises. Good times!

We parked at the marina and slept on the boat.

Hauling Maya aboard Sauvage

Maya – happy on deck

Maya comfy in the cockpit

Beach walk at sunset

Game night

Coronavirus vs. Camping Nomads

March 19, 2020 / Liesbet / 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.

Monthly Expenses – February 2020

March 11, 2020 / Liesbet / 27 Comments

February was a good month and the cheapest one since April 2019. That makes two months in a row under $1,000. Let’s see how long we can keep this up. 🙂

We did spend a little bit of money on camping – happy to stay somewhere multiple nights in a row WITH smooth, groomed, comfortable grass. You know, the kind on which you walk barefoot and Maya relaxes bug-free, rolling around without picking up leaves, branches, needles, or burrs. The kind that is quite rare, especially boondocking. The surrounding area offered nice hiking trails as well.

Locks WMA near Fort McCoy – not a bad campground for a few dollars a night

Training Maya to run with a bike

(Wide) part of the Florida Trail – even the trails were grassy!

Canal next to the locks – the Florida Trail goes over it

Cute AND comfy!

Extra costs in February went to a new bike cover and the annual Massachusetts tax for our van (both under “camper”) and to internet, propane, and dump stations in the “utilities” category. Our monthly AT& T internet (phone) bill is usually $35. Except, this amount actually gets paid every four weeks. Last month is where this caught up with us and we had to pay twice. Darn leap day!

Our shiny new bike bag – they seem to last about one year in the elements and cost $15 more than last year!

In Florida – as opposed to other states we have visited – it’s difficult to find free dump stations, so we look for the cheapest options. Once, we used a free one and decided to support this RV center’s “generosity” and buy their propane, not even researching the competition. Ha! It was the most expensive propane we ever bought in the US: $4 per gallon. In a way, we paid for this free dump and water fill-up as well.

We went to Lake Griffin State Park and paid the $5 entrance fee to dump. And go for a short walk.

The narrow boardwalk through the swamp was fun, but we could only do it so long with Maya.

Maya is tiny in comparison to this “second largest live oak tree in Florida”!

And, for the loyal expense report follower, who scrutinizes our monthly numbers: guess which category is missing in February? It’s something that was always present, but we really tried hard to keep it at zero this month (I cheated a tad by buying Mark a little bit as part of his birthday gift) …