Roadtrip – Page 3 – Roaming About

Category: Roadtrip (page 3 of 6)

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – November 2022

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.

Even though the three of us have been “stuck” in Cartagena for over a month, November went by fast. For once, we didn’t care, because the sooner we would be reunited with our camper, Thirsty Bella, the better. Guess what? We are still waiting. But the end of that is coming near.

This is where the RORO car carriers dock in Cartagena Harbor

Mark, Maya, and I flew from Houston, Texas, to Miami, Florida, on November 7th. From there, we continued on to Cartagena, Colombia, the following day. Since the 8th, we have been apartment hopping in this hectic, dusty, hot, and humid city, not spending a lot of time in tourist areas but immersing ourselves in the noisy and affordable Colombian way of (city) life.

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

Landing in Cartagena, Colombia

Rush hour traffic near Airbnb #3

Buying our breakfast bananas at a fruit stand

Visit to the panaderia

Pastries from the panaderia (bakery)

We booked our plane tickets in early October, using credit card points (valued at US$590) and we managed to do the same for our airport hotel in Miami (US$112) and five Airbnb rentals (the equivalent of US$945 in total, so far). The estimate was to be here for three weeks (an important factor for packing our belongings, toiletries, and food for Maya, all in carry-on luggage), but we will have been here over five weeks by the time we pick up our vehicle at the port. I will elaborate on the why another time.

Airbnb #1 – outside

Airbnb #1 – inside

Airbnb #2 – outside

Airbnb #2 – inside

Airbnb #3 – outside

Airbnb #3 – inside

On our last week in the US, we bounced between uncomfortable overnight parking lots and parks, meeting up with friends and preparing our vehicle for leaving the country.

Spending the night on a Home Depot parking lot in Houston

Spending the night on the parking lot of Cracker Barrel in Houston

Figuring out where everything can be stored and hidden

Lifting the camper a bit to wedge items underneath once it’s lowered again

Parked in the driveway of our Houston friends for the last three nights

The last weekend saw us finalize everything at and in the convenient house and driveway of friends.

Drilling holes in the plywood to attach the tension bars inside the rig

Sorting through our stuff: what comes for the flight, what doesn’t?

Packing dog food for Maya

Lots of paperwork and photo copies to figure out

Tension bars and wood installed on the cabover part

Every cabinet was rearranged and stuffed.

The food cabinet holds items usually stored elsewhere.

Empty fridge for the ship journey

Dinette area boarded up

Bella boarded up

Totally empty truck cab – nothing stayed behind

What’s going on?

Then, camper drop-off and moving day happened, followed with the rest of the month living in Cartagena. We had a lot of extra expenses in November, yet we managed to not go too far over our average budget.

I am now reporting on camper costs as well, because the basics of our conversions, improvements, and upgrades were finished in October. I will post a separate report about buying and equipping Bella in the near future. This camper category was the highest by surprise, because, you know, nothing goes as planned…

A lot went wrong when Mark finally dropped our camper off at the port of Galveston, which caused added stress on an already logistically stressful day, but I will just elaborate on one episode for now.

There are quite a few rules if you want to ship a vehicle abroad. One of those, regarding campers, is that the propane tank has to be empty and a certificate to prove this is required. We called the issuing company in League City to inquire about the certificate and were told those are only provided for fixed tanks. We had a portable 20-pound tank, so should be fine. Our tank was empty. Our tank was newish. We taped the purchase receipt to the tank, just to not get into trouble.

Nope. Not enough. We needed the certificate. It was 2pm in the afternoon. The port closed at 4pm. Our plane left that evening. We didn’t see an option for Mark to leave Galveston port, drive to League City 40 minutes away, get our tank certified – or buy a new one with a certified receipt – and get the vehicle cleared for shipment, plus visit Customs, before four. Oh, and the escort to guide you through the port costs $50 per hour and once you’re ten minutes over that, a second hour is charged…

Phone numbers of port escorts on the day of our drop-off

Mark called me (I was waiting in a public park with Maya and all our luggage) and we concluded we only had one choice if we wanted to catch our plane: remove the tank from our camper and leave it at the port. This was a huge problem and complication: our tank had US fittings, fit snugly in its compartment, and all our cooking and heating facilities (including hot water and grill) depended on this particular set-up, which we would not be able to find and reproduce in Colombia (different fittings and tank sizes).

Waiting for Mark in a Galveston park

We were screwed and almost gave up on this whole journey (for the first time). Employees, including Mark’s escort Kaylyn, understood, but there was nothing they could do. Mark continued the drop-off and clearing out procedures and joined me in the park. We felt defeated – and homeless – without even having left the US.

Thirsty Bella in Galveston port

Thirsty Bella in line to be loaded on a cargo vessel… three weeks later!

On that picnic bench in Galveston, we brainstormed. We had another hour to kill before airport focus was upon us. A crazy idea emerged, one that would be hard to pull off…

Mark called his escort Kaylyn, asked her if she would be able to deposit a new propane tank inside our camper if we had someone deliver it. The answer was surprising, but music to our ears: “Yes.” Question #2: “Would you be willing to pick one up if we order it? We will pay you for your help, of course.” Another “yes” followed and life looked up again.

Dealing with the propane tank disaster

Over the next half an hour, we called the propane place in League City and paid for a new tank and its certification, emailed them Kaylyn’s information, and copied her on any correspondence with Baygas Propane. Our angel called us three days after we arrived in Cartagena. She had picked up the tank and needed instructions about where to put it – and how to get there. We walked her through storing the new tank safely and securely inside Bella, made sure she locked our home properly again, and sent her $100 as a thank you. Hence our high propane cost last month…

This is where Kaylyn wrapped and stored our new propane tank (we think)

The other amount paid for the camper went to protection (wood to board up the windows and tension rods to keep them in place) and gear to potentially fix our fridge issue. It was our goal to have a fully-working (brand new) fridge before shipment, but that failed.

Buying cut plywood at Home Depot and storing it for a few days – back and forth from the bed of the camper to the back seat of the truck

To bring Maya into Colombia, we needed an international health certificate and a couple of extra shots. That required a vet visit of multiple hours and approval by the USDA; an expensive ordeal. The temporary import permit for Colombia was only $11 and took an hour of red tape.

Vet visit in Texas City

Temporarily importing Maya into Colombia

Back in Houston, we treated our generous and hospitable friends John and Harriet to a Thai take-out dinner. The rest of the eating out category was spent in Cartagena – one “expensive” meal and drinks for my birthday ($60 for two people) in a nice restaurant and the rest on local food.

Birthday dinner out in Getsemani with new friends Sheri and Jeff

Hearty dinner at a local restaurant

The grocery category was low – we needed to eat everything up before leaving the US and Colombia is cheap. We still cooked most of our meals to save money and eat relatively healthy. After we recovered from being sick the first ten days, our Venezuelan friend Nathalie, who lives in Manga, Cartagena, invited us over for a yummy salmon-pasta lunch.

Preparing sandwich lunches for two days of plane travel

Dinner rich in vegetables (at home)

Making French toast with crappy Colombian (sweet) bread

Another dinner at home, with take-out chicken

Lunch at Nathalie and Danny’s place

We didn’t spend a lot on fuel last month, only enough for dock workers to move our truck on and off the boat(s). Your gas tank can only be 1/4 full. We had a last-minute tire alignment and rotation done two days before we left.

Fueling Thirsty for the last time in Texas

This amount differs from the one in the report, because we received credit back from our fuel app Upside.

The front tires were wearing down in an uneven way

Taking the camper off yet again; this time to deal with the truck tires

Transportation was another extra category. The Uber from Galveston Island to Hobby Airport in Houston cost a whopping $50 and we have been getting around Cartagena in local taxis. The price for the port escort was also $50.

Cab in Manga’s flooded streets

Our monthly amount for internet went up. We finally retired our amazing unlimited AT&T data plan that was $35/month for years (we sold it on) and switched to a Google Fi worldwide plan, sharing an account with our friends Duwan and Greg. After the initial set-up fees incorporated in this report, the new monthly amount should be $50 for 50 gig of data.

The only other thing worth mentioning is that I finally spent the second half of Mark’s birthday gift for me from last year (November 2021) on goodies at Trader Joe’s. I totally forgot I had some “credit” left for that! As I write this, I’m eating my final dark-chocolate-covered almonds from the US…

The food bag – just now am I finishing those chocolate-covered almonds!

We are all resting and waiting!

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.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – October 2022

November 13, 2022 / Liesbet / 32 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 and extensive care, we return to the East Coast.

October was a rough month for us, in terms of discomfort, stress, frustration, and bad luck. Nothing, truly nothing, went according to plan. But we persevered and, once again, friends came to the rescue. I’ll explain when going through the numbers.

Mark, Maya, and I arrived in the Houston area of Texas several weeks earlier than planned, because our brand-new, state-of-the-art $1,400 Isotherm fridge had to be replaced under warranty. The most economical way for us to arrange this (from Colorado) was by picking up a replacement 1,100 miles away, in Seabrook, Texas, ideally as soon as possible. This would give us “plenty of time” to make sure fridge #2 worked as advertised and expected. Well, it didn’t, and to this day – now out of the country – we are trying to diagnose the cooling issue. We bought extra tools and gear to keep working on this in Colombia.

Massive container ships in Galveston

One day soon, Thirsty Bella will be outbound on a similar car carrier

Delays of the ship that would bring Thirsty Bella to Cartagena had us pinned in Eastern Texas even longer. And, believe me, there is another story coming about that as well. This post of last month was just the beginning. I think Mark and I could produce our own drama series or soap opera by now!

But, let’s get back to our expenses. The grocery category ($354) was on the high side, because we had emptied our fridge the previous month, since it had to be replaced and we had no cool space in 100-degree Texas to store perishables. So, we started over, with a similar goal: finish eating all/most of the food by the time we’d leave the country.

Almost empty fridge

Taking our fridge back out to reverse the fan

Texas is big, but we figured that once we had reached Houston and Galveston (from where our camper ships), we’d stay put for the month. Fuel is pretty much the cheapest in the country here. Yay. Maybe we could get by on one tank?

Nope. The weather chased us around, from county park to the beach, onto the mainland, and back to grassier environs. Incessant heat, 90% humidity, being sandblasted by wind, and a good sprinkle of mosquitoes had us drive the two-hour distance between Galveston and Anahuac multiple times.

Bolivar Peninsula

Beach camping on Bolivar Peninsula

Tea time at the beach

Sunrise on the beach

Sandy nose!

Sweating and cuddling

We also did more preemptive car maintenance ($120) in preparation for the big trip: changing the air filter, transfer case fluid (one extra top-up needed), and coolant (three flushes) in our engine. These were tasks that couldn’t be done in sand, on windy days, in parks, surrounded by mosquitoes, or during the heat of the day. The tolls were paid to cross a $2 bridge between Galveston Island and San Luis Island, where we hoped to spend a week and finally relax a bit, but the wind had something else in mind. More driving.

Great beach spot on San Luis Island – I wished we could have stayed longer

Heavy winds sandblasted our home and car – not good!

Flushing the coolant

Picking up trash – everywhere we parked in Texas, we found lots of litter

Mark and I bought three bags of dogfood ($131) for Maya to give us a head start in South America. Since our girl is allergic to corn and chicken (and a lot of other things), finding suitable food will be a challenge. We also stocked up on another container of her fish oil supplement ($49) to keep her coat shiny and her health optimal.

The alcohol category was surprisingly high ($81). I guess we tried to drink some of our worries away. We also hung out with friends and bought wine and rum to share.

Our new grill in action! (Photo by Duwan Dunn)

For the first time in years, there was an accommodation cost! One we happily obliged to. Our Houston friends, John and Harriet, graciously offered us the use of their condo right on the beach in Galveston, when we met up at their house in the city, the end of September. Our only contribution would be the cleaning fee at the end of our stay. We eventually planned on using this accommodation for our last week in the US, during which time our camper would be shipped. We’d be able to see the car carrier leave from the condo’s balcony!

The Galvestonian is an incredible place to stay

Condo balcony on the 7th floor

But the anticipated schedule was not to be, delays messed everything up, and we felt no need for a condo when we could still live in Bella. So, we cancelled our reservation for the end of October. Our camper was to be dropped off on November 7^th at that point, with our plane to Miami leaving the same day…

As most of you know, Mark and I never stay in and pay for campgrounds. We wouldn’t be able to afford this lifestyle otherwise. We boondock pretty much 100% of the time, which means we camp without facilities and amenities. Not that electricity hookups would matter, since we don’t have an air conditioner on board. And this is an important factor: nobody lives, let alone camps, without AC in Eastern Texas this time of the year. After weeks of suffering from the high humidity, we finally realized why we were always the only RV wherever we parked for the night…

Ferry from Bolivar Peninsula to Galveston Island

Second ferry ride to Galveston

Our go-to beach camping in Galveston, when not too windy

Texas City skyline

Sleeping under a bridge in Texas City after not finding a better option for the night

Watching the full moonrise from this park instead of over the ocean on San Luis Island, as planned

So, when it all became too much – the sweating, the running around, the stressing over issues and logistics, the bugs – we inquired about the availability of John and Harriet’s condo and snatched a glorious week there to cool down, take a deep breath, keep working on the fridge issue and more logistics, go for long beach walks with Maya, and… be sick. Maybe it was the AC? Maybe the culmination of everything going on? Maybe it was finally “letting go” for a bit? It was mostly Mark being under the weather last month, but now, here in our Airbnb in Colombia (with AC), it’s my turn.

Beach and bay walk – the water was much warmer than expected!

Happy hour with a view

Maya gets comfy in the weirdest places

Maya frolicking in the water

Poolside at the condo

Curled up in a ball under my chair

Sunrise seen from the condo

The cost for our utilities ($48) was similar to previous months. It was the last time we paid for our fantastic unlimited AT&T data plan of $35 a month, which doesn’t exist anymore for new subscribers and which we managed to sell on. The rest of the amount was for propane. Frugal as we are, we only bought two gallons, since our tank needed to be empty in order to ship our camper (which is another incredible story for later). Then, Mark discovered a propane leak. It took weeks to diagnose and fix that issue, and more propane.

Checking for a propane leak

Getting free potable water at the sewage plant in Texas City

One for the books: taking a cold shower at the sewage plant of Texas City

The last week of October, our good friends and fellow nomads Duwan and Greg joined us in Texas. We started out at Fort Anahuac Park for three nights (a permit is needed) and – contrary to what we were told previously – discovered we couldn’t stay at other Chambers County Parks for another week. The hunt for free camping in the region then had us stay at a boat ramp, rest area, and Harvest Host brewery location, finishing up at the beach in Galveston again when the wind finally subsided.

Camped at Fort Anahuac Park – we stayed here three times in October, for nine nights in total

Parked for the night at a rest stop – here, we saw an abandoned dog and four cats

Camped among the cargo ships

Maya loves visiting Duwan and Greg’s van, Ballena Blanca – lots of treats to be obtained there!

Last evening together with our friends

When camped at the Equal Parts brewery in Houston, our group went out for drinks and appetizers ($30) on their patio and street tacos at a Mexican food stand ($10). My (bad) Spanish was rewarded with a free Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus juice) and meat taco. ????

Camped on the brewery parking lot (Photo by Duwan Dunn)

Ordering street tacos (Photo by Duwan Dunn)

As always, we cooked and ate most of our meals at home, by ourselves or with friends. Mark spoiled me with his favorite recipe a couple of times: mushroom burgers on a bed of lettuce with aioli and jasmine rice.

My favorite Mark meal: mushroom burgers from scratch

Leftover mushroom burger on a bun with sweet potatoes and spinach

Amazing salad – healthy, diverse, and tasty

Mushroom burgers for everybody in Bella

Greg’s delicious van pizza

Van pizza made by Greg and Duwan and eaten in Bella

Broccoli in the electric oven!

Fried cauliflower and roasted broccoli

I finally met Lexie, a fellow adventurer whose blog I have been following for years. She treated us to lunch and gifted us Texan goodies, which we savored for days.

Meeting blogging friend Lexie in League City

The money spent on household items went to yet another clock and stain and brushes for our new cabinet. I’m still baffled at how we managed to pick the perfect color from memory – no samples and no photos had accompanied us to Home Depot.

New clock – attempt #6 is a winner!

Old clock – it stopped working after a week

Staining the new fridge cabinet

Finishing up the painting project

Can you believe the perfect match with the rest of the cabinetry (to the right and left of the photo)?

During our 24 hours in the big city, Duwan, Greg, Mark, and I also enjoyed free entertainment in the form of historic buildings, street art, a walk in Buffalo Bayou Park, a glimpse of and in Rothko Chapel, and a stroll through the impressive and fascinating Menil collection.

Houston skyline (Photo by Duwan Dunn)

Mural in Houston

A Picasso painting at the Menil Collection

Rothko Chapel and a monument dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr.

To top it off, our total expenses for October were not bad at all – under our monthly average. Maybe this is the start of affordable living again…

(PS: We did have $101 of Lance camper expenses in October as well – diagnostic tools and extra parts – as preparation for our upcoming multiple-year South America trip, but since we budgeted for that, it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs in the future.)

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.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – September 2022

October 11, 2022 / Liesbet / 28 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 and extensive care, we return to the East Coast.

A lot has been going on the last few weeks (again), which means I barely have time to breathe, let alone keep up with my diaries, answer emails, practice Spanish, read a book or blog posts, write, research products and destinations, or work on my own blogs. This one has been ten days in the making, half an hour each time I make an attempt, not my usual approach.

Quick stop to look at the Capitol of Utah in Salt Lake City

Natural arch in Utah

Summer colors in Utah

Chimney Rock in Colorado, near the ranch of our friends

The new fridge we picked up in SLC, Utah, traveled on the back seat, so Maya needed to ride up front…

Drive through Silverton on the way to a weekend of camping with friends in the mountains

It’s been busy on the road – driving huge distances, dealing with logistics to get us all to South America, returning wrong Amazon packages, fixing items that shouldn’t break, maintenance on the car, dealing with failing equipment, disappointments, and limited customer support, and keeping up with our current life – finding free camping spots, locating stores to buy specific items, picking up packages (which require an address), finding the resources we need, and hopping from store to store and campsite to campsite and fuel station to fuel station.

Climbing the dirt roads of San Juan National Forest to camp for a few days

Scenic rock in the national forest

View near our free campsite in San Juan National Forest, Colorado

I’m due for an update here on Roaming About, but first we have to find a decent (and free) location to sit for a while. This proves to be hard in the Houston area. Maybe next week. Back to our expenses of last month…

In September, Mark and I drove a lot – from the middle of Oregon through Idaho, Utah, a tiny piece of Colorado, and New Mexico to the Houston area in Texas. And then a bunch more in this state as well. With our crappy fuel economy (10.5 miles to the gallon), it is no surprise we spent $900 on gasoline to drive 2,000 miles. The idea was to sit still somewhere, once we arrived in our last US state, but the weather has not been cooperative. High heat and humidity, nasty bugs, and heavy wind have kept us moving about.

Unfortunately, we didn’t come to sightsee – it was super hot and we needed to keep moving

We wish we could have stayed longer in Colorado – which was the plan.

Our time in New Mexico was short lived

We did another oil change and bought spare parts for our engine. Our grocery expenditure was relatively low. One of the reasons for that was needing to empty our fridge, because we had to “swap it out” and staying for a few days at a decent beach without shopping for food beforehand. I really enjoy getting rid of things – whether it is by eating food or donating material belongings.

We spent ten days on one of the properties of our friends Danny and Christine in Colorado, where we parked in and used their workshop

Much easier to do camper projects under the cover of a shop and with any tool one could ask for

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we keep on buying and buying for this upcoming South America trip – mostly on Amazon. Mark and I purchased new KEEN hiking shoes (you can find Mark’s here and mine here), ZEEPORTE snorkel gear (Mark picked grey ones here and I chose blue ones here), and a new CUISINART grill (which you find here). We are still considering replacing our 5-year-old COLEMAN camping chairs before leaving.

New snorkel sets – our last pairs were left on our sailboat Irie in Tahiti, seven years ago

New shoes for us as well – Mark swapped his out, I’m keeping these as spares for now.

The advantage of this particular CUISINART grill is that the regulator is easily removed and it allows you to use the low-pressure propane from your RV tank. As always, we researched these products, checked their reviews, and bought them at a great price (at half their original price or heavily discounted), because they are Amazon warehouse deals – the perfect way to save lots of money. To see if there is a warehouse deal on the product you are interested in, click on the “New & Used” box at the right side of the purchase page. The same Amazon rules and conditions apply.

Finally we own a grill again – this has been since 2015 on Irie as well

Side note: My parents usually give us Amazon gift cards as New Year and birthday presents and I asked these in advance this year, because we won’t be able to order stuff down south. The money is to be used for “fun stuff”, not camper parts or necessary items to sustain ourselves. Yet, based on the timeline and returns and refunds for wrong parts, the categories of these might change over time. Our end-of-the-year expense report is therefore more accurate in terms of categories and amounts. The personal goods in this report are supposed to come off the gift cards, which are currently used for spare parts, car maintenance items, and household necessities as well.

Visit to Mark’s nephew Randall and his wife, Rebeccah, plus dog Duke in SLC

Adoring four little kittens at the ranch

A pack of dogs kept us company at the ranch

The alcohol and gifts (dessert goodies) last month came with us when visiting friends and family, and we paid the annual fees for one of four website domains. The total for our hosting fees is around $200 a year. I hereby want to thank everyone who has donated to this cause, so far.

This truck passed us at a 75mph and – no doubt – scratched the driver side of our camper. It was hard to catch up with him to take this photo. Luckily, the damage was negligible but we did chew through extra gas as it took twenty minutes, before we caught up!

Accommodation last month was free again, thanks to friends inviting us to camp on their property or offering a guest room and us boondocking everywhere else.

We had to climb into the mountains to camp from Utah on, as the daytime temperatures were around 100 degrees Fahrenheit

Sometimes, the dirt roads were pretty bouncy…

View through our window in the mountains of Central Utah

Bella camped with like-minded souls

One of the residents during our walk with Maya

Attractive campsite in a park when passing through New Mexico. We needed shade on our drive south, which was hard to find.

We also never paid for sightseeing – once because our friend Christine has a National Park pass; other times because the destinations and activities didn’t cost anything.

Visiting Chimney Rock with Christine and her daughter Sophie

Reading up about this kiva and other ruins at Chimney Rock National Monument in Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Quick stop in Pagosa Springs on the way south

September wasn’t a cheap month, but it brought us to Texas (prematurely, but more about that another time) and we are now biding time in the Galveston area, which is where we will ship Thirsty Bella from. Plus, we stayed under $2,000. Maybe that should become our goal, instead of the usual average of $1,300. It is certainly more realistic. For now.

My first ATV ride ever!

Louie and Maya ride in the back of a golf cart

Weekend in the Colorado mountains, near Silverton

Horse riding on the ranch of our friends, Danny and Christine

(PS: We did have $1,711 of Lance camper expenses in September as well – mostly to buy a new fridge – as preparation for our upcoming multiple-year South America trip, but since we budgeted for that, it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs in the future.)

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases without extra cost to you.

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.

Five Days in the Badlands of South Dakota – A Photo Story of Spectacular Scenery & Wandering Wildlife (& a Daring Dog)

October 27, 2021 / Liesbet / 59 Comments

Day One

We approach Badlands National Park mid-afternoon, after crossing the width of South Dakota. The burning question: do we buy the $80 annual National Park pass (what we usually have) or a 7-day ticket for $30? We’ve been doing without a pass for over a year. We are leaving the country soon. It’s nice to be covered “everywhere” and sometimes get discounts on camping, though. But, we usually camp for free anyway. If we have to spend another summer in the US (instead of heading to South America in 2022), we will need and use the pass… “We either lose $50 or we lose $30,” Mark says, “Your choice.” Life has become very expensive on the road. Eighty dollars is a lot of money. We buy the week-long entrance ticket.

That’s when we realize we didn’t even check the pet rules… A quick search online reveals that dogs are not allowed on ANY trails. As a matter of fact, they aren’t even allowed at the look-outs. Pets are only welcome to walk around in campgrounds and parking lots. Great! Did we just waste $30?

I go for a short walk. Mark is annoyed and takes Maya around the parking lot. We drive through a small part of the park to our first free campsite for the night, in Buffalo Gaps National Grassland. Much more dog-friendly!

We crest a little hill and pick a flat spot among smaller badland humps. Because of the underground (sticky clay and sand), you don’t want to park here during rain. Many cars and campers have gotten stuck here, doing just that. But, there is no rain in the forecast, so we should be fine!

We take Maya for a walk and then this happens…

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – September 2021

October 13, 2021 / Liesbet / 24 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.

Mark, Maya, and I lived in a guest room in Massachusetts for the first half of September and returned to the road, in a new-to-us camper after that. The second part of the month was spent driving through and/or visiting the states of New York, Ohio, and Illinois, arriving in Chicago by the end of the month.

Free overnight parking in Chicago, at Lincoln Park

Those first two weeks of September were quite hectic, as we prepared for our trip, installed more parts to make our mobile lives easier or more comfortable, and I aimed to get to a stopping point with my book promo. Mark added an inverter and charger to our home on wheels and rewired parts of it to suit our homebuilt Lithium battery.

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

Rewiring the camper for the new battery and adding a charger and inverter

Tweaking the Lithium battery Mark built

Maya resting in the garage, as close to us as possible!

The most tricky – and annoying – task was figuring out a way to bring our e-bikes with us, now that an extension swing-out hitch and our original bike rack were not an option anymore. We ordered durable hooks, a backing plate, hardware, and straps to come up with a decent solution. This configuration on our ladder had to be changed – in Massachusetts and on the road – multiple times to avoid chafing and reduce damage on our bikes. It’s been an ordeal!

Installing straps and hooks on the ladder to carry our bikes

Protecting the carrier rack and adding a layer to our bikes in order to barely rest them on the back bumper.

Figuring out a new way to transport our e-bikes – not so easy without our swing-out hitch and rack from Zesty.

We covered about 1,000 miles last month, which is reflected in the high fuel cost, but is nothing compared to this month. Our fuel economy is terrible! Even worse than we expected. This is hard to swallow for us “thrifty travelers” as we are still getting used to our new camper set-up and weigh the pros and cons compared to a campervan. That topic will be for a future post!

Driving through the countryside in New York

Passing by Cleveland, without stopping

Driving through the countryside of Ohio

Figuring out how accurate the fuel gauges are… And, yes, our fuel economy is HORRIBLE. More about that later.

Approaching Chicago the end of September

Now that we live in our truck camper, we needed to change its insurance policy to reflect its higher value. We also bought more household items, like an outdoor mat, shower curtain, towel bars… Our first propane refill was expensive. Hopefully this is related to us messing about with the refrigerator setting. This fridge, unfortunately, runs on propane.

Remember that pricey Mexican lunch last month? The friends we treated back then, covered our part of a take-out dinner before we left on our trip. Hence, no dining out category for September. Since we mainly drink in company these days, the alcohol cost is for beer, wine, and sangria that we brought to “parties.”

Saying goodbye to good friends before we take off indefinitely

A spread of fabulous food and drinks over Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day Weekend get together with friends

Fabulous pasta dinner at our friend Sean’s place in Schenectady, New York

We pretty much cooked all our dinners in September

Our favorite, affordable wine – a red blend from California, available at Trader Joe’s (depending on the state)

We decided to spend money on entertainment this time around, by visiting two of New York’s most iconic state parks, sporting loads of waterfalls and hiking trails: Watkins Glen SP and Letchworth SP. You can read more about those sites here.

Watkins Glen State Park, New York

Letchworth State Park, New York

And, some attractions are free, like Indiana Dunes National Park, where we hiked, biked, and even spent the night! 🙂

We passed this attraction on a previous cross country road trip

Small snake on the path

Happy Maya on the beach

The biggest dune in the park

Deer along our bike ride

A twenty-mile e-bike ride to stretch the legs – after a five-mile hike…

Scaling a dune

Sandals do collect… sand!

Finding a massive body of (fresh) water and white, sandy beaches that resemble the seaside is strange.

In true Liesbet and Mark fashion, we once again boondock every night. This means camping without hook-ups or – usually – facilities. It’s also called “dry camping” or “wild camping” and is often (in our case, always) free. We use the no-cost app iOverlander (for campers by campers) to find suitable locations to spend the night. We also contribute to this service by adding new places, reviews, photos, experiences, and updates.

Our first night boondocking (in nature, not in driveways) in the truck camper

Free camping in Watkins Glen, NY

Parked overnight at a rest area – not sleeping well those days

Camped at the MH/RV Hall of Fame in Indiana

Free overnight parking at the visitor center of Indiana Dunes National Park

This expense report was a tricky one to create, because my accounting is different than Mark’s, who actually keeps track of everything in Quicken. His total expense for September 2021 resulted in a negative number, because we – finally – sold many valuable items that came with the truck and camper that we didn’t want. The idea being that this amount went towards our expenses for the truck and camper. Based on that math, the first category in my list underneath boiled down to only $20. Yes, we sold $990 worth of stuff. Most of it last minute!

The truck came with a sparkling, fancy Tonneau cover, which we tried to sell for months

The swing-out rack and massive storage box that came with our camper sold within a day of posting the ad!

The second “discrepancy” (a credit of $857) came from our Chase credit card points that had a value of 1.5x the amount if we used them before September ended. We still have another $300 (at 1x the amount) left for this month. If anybody is interested in checking out an incredible credit card offer – 100,000 free points (a value of $1,000 at 1x the points) – this is my Chase referral code: https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6c/PR3FJUQ8CP.

Maya loves her new home and can’t wait to start another adventure

Completely ready to leave Newburyport, Massachusetts!

Telling the readers of this blog that we spent -200 dollars wouldn’t make any sense, so I decided to itemize our expenses like I usually do and the credits and returns on our money will be incorporated in our yearly report. Now, let’s hope that we can finally bring our costs down to the $1,300 monthly average soon!

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.

Monthly Expenses – April 2021 (& Another Cross-Country Road Trip)

May 19, 2021 / Liesbet / 64 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.

Mark and I sold Zesty last month! If you missed that post, read it here.

Apologies for the late expense report, but I wanted to update everyone about the sale of our camper van first, as it impacts everything we do. We are homeless and carless since April 3rd and rented a vehicle to drive back to Massachusetts, a trip that cost us about $1,000.

Once we removed the bike bag, our ride was smoother.

On hindsight, we should have driven Zesty. It would have saved us a bunch of money and interest was strong enough for a potential buyer to pick the van up on the opposite coast. Also, knowing what we know now – that finding a suitable truck is close to impossible unless we are okay spending $10K more than pre-inflation rates two months ago – we might have held on to our home on wheels a bit longer. Oh well.

April was a decent month, taking the pricey road trip – car rental, four dog-friendly Motel 6 nights, and gasoline to drive over 3,000 miles – into account. We mostly prepared our own meals, even though this was tricky with the early starts, windy conditions, and not having our own kitchen anymore. It made our days on the road even longer.

Early starts

The grocery category is quite high, because we pretty much ate everything in the camper before we sold it and had to re-provision from scratch once we arrived in Newburyport, MA. We contributed some money to the water fund of our friends in Arizona and ordered dog food and vitamins ahead of our arrival.

The food prep and storage zone in our current room

The car expense was off-set because we received a refund for part of our cancelled camper insurance. Also, $288 for a one-way, one-week rental with unlimited miles is cheap. I commend Mark once more for his research abilities and always finding the best prices for anything we need. We purposefully left gear in Zesty for the new owners, so the camper was turnkey. This means we have to buy those items again, now (like a new router) and later (solar panels, outdoor mat, leveling blocks, …).

Driving by Oklahoma City – I do wish to visit, one day, when we have time.

Scene in the Midwest

I mentioned last week that I would touch on our five-day cross-country drive in this expense report. There really is not much to share: it was a hellish 3,200-mile ride of 10-12 hours in the car, each day. Stops were made to let Maya pee, eat lunch, get fuel, adjust the flimsy bike rack, shop for food, fetch or prepare dinner, work, and sleep.

Me, catching up on work at night

Plus, we made a detour to Arkansas to check out two truck campers. I didn’t have enough space in the passenger seat to work on my computer, so I mostly vegged, listened to music, and consulted my iPad.

Northstar Liberty truck camper

Northstar Liberty SS truck camper

Here are a few notes I took:

We should have stuck with the full-size car. What were we thinking to downgrade and pay extra when booking our transport method for the week?
All our belongings fit! Barely… But, we didn’t have to leave anything behind, except four rolls of toilet paper. Did you know small, 4-packs are not readily available anymore after the Covid outbreak? We had to buy a 12-pack in Zesty. Where to store all that?
Our sturdy swing-out bike rack had to be disassembled. It didn’t fit in the trunk, but we managed to lay it behind the seats on the ground. Not much else fit in those foot wells.
Maya needed half of the back seat. All okay. We made it comfy with blankets, pillows, and her dog bed.

Maya in her little nest

Maya was awesome on this long ride!

The new bike rack attached to the trunk is crappy — we bought one for three bikes and luckily our electric bikes fit after lots of trial and error. Alas, it needs to be adjusted every time we stop as the straps keep loosening up.
This Nissan has no power. (Another reason why a full-size car would have been a better option – a stronger engine.)
First day: over 3,000rpm constantly. Struggled to keep up the maximum highway speed. After removing the bike bag, things settled down and the ride was smoother. Then, we had to also store the big bag.
The fuel tank only holds 10 gallons, so we have to stop at a gas station two or three times a day! (Another reason why a full-size car would have been a better option – a bigger gas tank.)
We are so low by the ground. Every car that passes us is higher!

Most people need a U-Haul truck to transport their belongings!

Uncomfortable seats.
Where is the car parked on the lot of the supermarket? Hard to find! It’s a non-distinct white rental car…
We put the bike bag back at night, so nobody could see the bikes. Luckily, we managed to park in front of our motel doors.
We stay at Motel 6. Nothing fancy and often run down, but the cheapest place to stay with pets (no extra fee). Prices per night ranged from $45 (Tucumcari, NM) to $65 (Calvert City, KY).

Mark searching for pick-up trucks at night

One motel had hiking trails nearby – score!

Another night, another motel, more research.

No shampoo provided in motels? Ours is packed in the trunk, underneath the rack and bikes. No way of getting in there. We make due, washing our hair with soap (Mark) or dish soap (me). If you read Plunge, you know I have practice with that. 🙂 Just like we made due when needing our sheets hidden in there, staying at a friend’s casita for the night.
Windy in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma. Hard to make breakfast and lunch! We miss Zesty for that. And for human potty breaks.

A nice picnic area to eat lunch

The picnic areas in Oklahoma were filthy! No trash cans, so garbage everywhere. No toilets either. Broken glass. No spot for Maya to rest without getting hurt. We couldn’t stay for lunch.
The radio has issues.
The glove compartment door is open on the sides so things get pinched (like my sunglasses) or plainly fall out, each time I open the little door.
The fuel gauge didn’t work at the end, so we filled the tank instead of aiming for the amount we received the car with.
Because I couldn’t be added to our car rental agreement without paying a steep fee, Mark drove the entire 3,200 miles!

Arizona license plate in Massachusetts – not a common sight. Where is the desert?

But, we made it to Newburyport, Massachusetts, in one piece. The bikes did get scuffed up, however.

Most of our belongings, back in the room above the garage

First evening with Mark’s parents – they are happy we have returned.

The “office” and lounge area in our current digs

The “bedroom” and dining area” in our room – one person sits on the bed, the other on a foldable chair

I’m sure Maya misses sleeping with us on big hotel beds!

Stay tuned for the continuation of our truck search saga!

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.

I submitted this post to Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share #20 link-up.

Welcome to Bisbee, Arizona!

December 16, 2020 / Liesbet / 79 Comments

Bisbee, AZ, has been on our radar for a while. A few years ago, when discovering the desert southwest in our camper van Zesty, we met fellow travelers in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona and the Vermilion Cliffs in Utah who told us Bisbee was the perfect place to settle. Apparently, property still appeared affordable, creative people abound, the atmosphere oozed friendliness, a liberal and diverse population inhabited the scene, and the weather was perfect. Right.

Next time we’d return to Southern Arizona, we would check out Bisbee. In the meantime, Mark kept an eye on its house listings on Zillow. Surprisingly, everything that went up for sale, especially the cute, renovated miners’ cottages, disappeared within weeks if not days. Bisbee had been discovered! Not that we are thinking of putting down roots anywhere…

Approaching Bisbee for the first time

This week, our trio finally parked Zesty in Old Bisbee, friends Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Ape Man in tow. We would explore the town inside and out to get a feel for the different areas, the layout, the atmosphere, the pros, and the cons. Being able to park overnight for free in the middle of this hillside enclave was a good start!

Located 90 miles southeast of Tucson and nestled in the Mule Mountains, Bisbee was founded in 1880. It quickly became a booming (copper) mining town that still sports a well-preserved historic downtown with steep roads and many – seemingly infinite – staircases acting as entryways and shortcuts.

Tidbits from the Road – Heading West across the USA

November 21, 2020 / Liesbet / 54 Comments

The last time Mark and I crossed the United States from East to West was in October 2016. We attended the sailboat show in Annapolis as vendors with our marine WiFi and cell data product and invention, The Wirie, before driving to Northern California in our Prius. We had five days to cross this massive country in order to start our first housesit on the West Coast. We lasted a few years “out west,” house and pet sitting and exploring in our camper van Zesty, before making our way back east in the summer of 2019.

The Southwest is where our hearts lie. The vast, open spaces, low population, incredible natural sites, and sense of freedom trump the mountains and greenery of the East Coast. We think…

Our Route

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you are familiar with our lack of planning. We pretty much take life as it comes, one step at a time; something that is evident in the title of my forthcoming travel memoir: Plunge. Anything can influence our route, our destination, our timing, our moods.

Here’s how we ended up in Arizona, this time around…

Back on the Road – Our Nomadic Lifestyle Resumes

October 29, 2020 / Liesbet / 68 Comments

Six months. That’s how long Mark, Maya, and I lived in “our room above the garage” at my in-laws’ condo in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Apart from a one-month stint further up New England in June, when we helped family with home renovations and visited a couple of friends. Six months! It’s the longest Mark and I have ever remained in one place, since becoming a couple in 2004. Impressive… Or not?

The Pros of Room Life

I am the first to admit that I actually enjoyed being in a “stable environment” for a little while. Life on the road is challenging and exhausting. This break was timely and welcome. I savored every shower and good night’s sleep; the unlimited electricity and comfortable desk. Even our noisy, inefficient “easy-bake oven” and unreliable college fridge (that barely held produce without some falling out each time we opened the door) had their charms. The sofa bed displayed two big indents from our bodies and pained my back, but we could sit up in it! Our dishwashing routine in the bathroom became familiar. We just had to remember it or teeth brushing was in jeopardy.

We helped Mark’s parents wherever we could. People, in general, wore masks when out and about. I was productive with my book. Mark had a decent job with the US Census. Maya was comfortable. Our six months here weren’t too bad at all; a nice change from what we are used to. And, we managed to hang out with good friends one more time, before leaving.

(As always, hover over the photos to read captions or click to enlarge.)

Sangria on an Indian Summer day

Kevin, Holly, and cute Ginger

BBQ at our friends’ house

Good friends Ryan and Denise out on a rainy fall hike with us

Maya sniffing something on a fall hike in Massachusetts

The Pros of Vanlife

But travel is in our blood. We are nomads after all! So, albeit with mixed feelings and not much of a plan, the three of us hit the road again in our 19ft camper van the day before my father-in-law turned ninety, on Saturday, October 17^th. We’d head south first. Then, turn west.

Back on the road

Our 2019 in Review & Happy Holidays!

December 29, 2019 / Liesbet / 45 Comments

If you are a regular reader, you will probably remember most of our journey through 2019. If you are new to our site, I invite you to browse and click around a bit for stories and photos about our past adventures. The links in this post give you a glimpse into some of those experiences.

Driving part of historic route 66, AZ

January

Mark and I explored the Borrego Springs area in the California desert, flew to Newburyport, Massachusetts to see doctors, friends, and family, and did a short repeat house sit in San Diego.