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.
In November, Mark, Maya, and I lived on the road, in our camper van Zesty, and drove from Alabama to Southern Arizona (Tucson), which is reflected in our diesel cost. As usual, we managed to dump and camp for free (boondock). One of our favorite overnight sites of all times was the spot we found in Big Fur Public Use Area in Arkansas, early in the month. We stayed as long as our water and food supply lasted. (Hover over or click on photos to read captions.)
Sunrise!
Sunrise reflected in Zesty’s window
No more food in our fridge by the time we left!
No stipends or use of credit card miles this time, so what you see in the table underneath is what we spent. Mark fixed one of our car heaters, changed the oil, and replaced parts in the engine. To reward himself, he bought a better remote (Bluetooth) speaker. If you’ve read my travel memoir Plunge, you know how important crisp-sounding music is to my husband. 🙂
Spot at a pond in Hazen, Arkansas
Possum Kingdom, Texas
Free dump station and campground all in one in Lamesa, Texas
The desert near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Beautiful surroundings
The writing category is finally going down. I owed my cover artist $50 for the paperback cover (the eBook cover package a month ago was $125), we ordered two proofs of Plunge to check for issues and mistakes, and, to self-publish my book under a different name than my own (we chose Roaming About Press as our publishing company), I needed to purchase a business license in Massachusetts for the price of $35.
Camped with our bubble of friends
Dusk in the desert
We love saguaros
Twice, we built a campfire
Greg playing guitar
You can blame our special celebrations in the desert for the alcohol expense last month. Our bubble of nomadic friends includes two other couples, Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Ape Man and Ellen and Scott, who we hung out with for Thanksgiving, the release of Plunge, and my birthday, all of which took place the end of November. We made our own margaritas; a much better and tastier deal than the ones we bought in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Thanksgiving buffet in the desert
My Thanksgiving plate
Birthday girl in the flames (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)
Duwan made a chocolate-peanut butter cake in a pan – yum! (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)
Friends around the fire (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)
Not a bad expense month. Maybe we are finally back on track?
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.
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 December, the question is: “Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?”
In the beginning of this year, I wondered: “Are there times of the year that writers are more productive than other months? Why would that be?” I emailed Alex, the founder of the IWSG, suggesting he’d pose this question to the group. He replied that it would be the perfect December prompt. So, now I get to – have to, really – answer my own question! 😊
If I’d live in a house or settled environment, I expect winter would be my most productive writing month as it’s colder out and I wouldn’t feel guilty sitting behind the computer all day. But, as you might now, my husband, Mark, our dog, Maya, and I are nomads (and have been for over a decade), so no “settlement” for us. This means I only manage to write whenever it fits the schedule, the situation, the location, and, mostly, the logistics (internet, electricity, no dramas). Which – if you’ve read any of my previous IWSG blogs – is darn sporadic. I write when I can; when I’m not driving, hiking with Maya, sightseeing, working, running errands, fixing the van, catching up on diaries or my inbox, or sleeping…
Our favorite free campsite this year, in Arkansas
Cold and rainy days would be perfect to write, but they cause other issues with all of us cooped up in a 19ft van. By the way, I keep track of our current location in the right column of this blog.
My book progress
After a long road to completion (five years!), my travel memoir Plunge has been published. I announced that feat here, a few days ago.
Today is the day. It’s the moment I have been anticipating for a few years. I decided to pick a special date for this special occasion: my 45th birthday.
Mark and I did it! We finalized the work on my travel memoir, Plunge, and it is now available on Amazon as an eBook and paperback. Wider distribution will follow in December.
Plunge blurb:
Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.
Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.
Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.
Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?
To read early impressions of Plunge, have a look here. These 5-star reviews for my writing and my story delight me!
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Plunge, check out this universal link or go to one of the specific Amazon sites for your country:
To buy Plunge in Australia, click here (I don’t see the paperback yet, but hope that will appear soon).
To buy Plunge in Belgium and the Netherlands, click here (only the eBook is available on this site; for the paperback, please go to the German website).
Thank you for purchasing Plunge and spreading the word.
Happy reading!
My sincere appreciation goes to all of you, my readers and blog followers. You have encouraged me along the way; your enthusiasm and support led to this special day!
Here is where I am celebrating my birthday and the launch of my debut travel memoir in the company of a small bubble of friends…
Socially distanced campers in the desert
Ironwood National Monument in Arizona
Zesty – and all of us – at peace and ready to celebrate
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…
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.
In October, Mark, Maya, and I lived in our room above the garage for the first two weeks and back on the road, in our camper van Zesty, the rest of the month. The expense report is a tad messy, because of stipends and reimbursements of Mark’s employer, the US Census. These are incorporated in our expenses (*), which is the reason why the dining out category shows $0 (Mark received a stipend of $70 a day while “on location” for ten days in September; he didn’t need it all, so we’re still using some of that money now) and why the camper category is lower than it should be (Mark received a per mile reimbursement that was more generous than what his fuel cost during his two-month Census job). I did not attribute the $60 we used in credit card points (instead of cash). Confused yet?
Walmart parking lot in Maryland
Marina parking lot in Virginia
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Picnic area in North Carolina, near Smokey Mountain National Park
Lovely spot in Alabama, along the Nachez Trace Parkway
As you can see, I’m still spending a lot of money on my writing career. I owed my copy-editor another $528, we bought a pack of ISBN-numbers (these are exorbitantly-priced identification numbers) for current and future books (I needed three for Plunge– paperback, Kindle, ePub), I paid my cover artist for the eBook cover, and we needed to buy the title font of my memoir, so we could utilize it inside the book. One day, I should calculate how many books I actually have to sell to get all these investments back! 🙂 Camping still remained free.
Liesbet and Denise – photo courtesy of Holly Horgan
Holly, Kevin, and Ginger – almost as cute as Maya!
Grilling plant-based burgers – photo courtesy of Holly Horgan
Visit to our friends Karmen and Tom on SV Sauvage – photo courtesy of Karmen Chow
Groceries and alcohol are a bit high, which has to do with us visiting a few sets of friends in October. Same reason for the gift items. And then there is the clothes category. Here’s that story…
The three of us had just left in our camper, destination Annapolis, Maryland. A couple of hours north of town, we stopped to eat lunch in Zesty. We don’t usually wear our shoes inside, so Mark had left his outside. After our meal, he needed to call a friend. There was a lot of noise, because someone decided to drag race his dilapidated car in front of the gas station we were parked at. I shut the door to keep the ruckus out as Mark talked. Two hours later, we arrived at the home of our Annapolis friend. Before Mark got out of the car, he asked: “Where are my shoes?”
Mark’s new shoes
Filling a gap in our small closet with this new shelf system
His go-to brand has been discontinued, so for the next ten days he researched and eventually bought another pair of shoes, slightly used. We had them shipped to the post office in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and, since they were not brand new, he obtained them for half price. After two weeks of only wearing flip flops in fall, he was delighted to own a pair of hiking shoes again!
October 2020 Overview:
Writing (editor, cover artist, and publication prep):
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 November, the question is: “Why do you write what you write?”
Why do I write what I write? The easiest and “best” answer is: because I enjoy it. But there are nuances to this answer, as I constantly write. Pretty much as long as I’m not exploring or sleeping, I write – diaries for myself to look back at in the future and to potentially refer to; my blog to keep family and friends abreast of our adventures; articles to share fascinating destinations and experiences with readers and to make money; emails to stay in touch with loved ones; blog comments to show support and interest in the lifestyle and work of others; comment replies because I appreciate conversations with readers and learning more about them; and my book to follow a passion, inspire, encourage people to think outside the box, and feel a sense of accomplishment.
My book progress
In case you don’t know yet, my husband, dog, and I are back on the road indefinitely. We left our “home base” in Massachusetts about three weeks ago and took our camper van south through a few states and then west through some more. We are currently in Arkansas. I always keep track of our current location in the right column of this blog, if you’re curious about our whereabouts.
As expected, it has been incredibly difficult – insane, really – to keep up progress towards the forthcoming publication of my travel memoir, Plunge. Besides the driving (often on windy, secondary roads), research for fuel and free camping, exercising the dog, running our usual errands (dump station, gas station, laundromat, grocery stores, fixing stuff that breaks, picking up packages,…), emails, blogs, volunteer work for others (a translation for a family member; proofreading for a friend), and my normal jobs, there was/is still heaps to do on my book. I usually work at night and go to bed exhausted, especially after long driving days or short excursions. The chaos surrounding the US election, the approach of the pandemic, and the sudden passing of my aunt haven’t helped my emotional state.
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 17th. We’d head south first. Then, turn west.
For the last seventeen years, I haven’t owned or rented a house or an apartment. While this doesn’t mean I was homeless, it does boil down to living alternatively, in a moving home on hulls or wheels or one that belongs to someone else. House and pet sitting gave Mark and me a welcome break from life on the road. And, when we were sailing (from 2007 to 2015), a multiple-week visit to family offered the same reprieve. I ALWAYS soaked up and enjoyed the luxuries found in a house, which are taken for granted by so many.
For example, we didn’t have to catch, collect, or grow some of our own food.
(Unlike my usual photos, these ones are flashes from the past, where modern convenience was lacking and “back to the basics” was favored. Click on or hover over them to read the captions.)
Fishing with a handline off the stern of our catamaran
Mahi mahi
Tuna
Wahoo
Lobster
“Wild” bananas
Avocado picking in nature – French Polynesia
Mangos are abundant in the tropics
Gardening aboard!!
Growing our own mint, basil, and spinach
These “luxuries” were so profound to me that I touched on them in my upcoming travel memoir. Twice. But, once seemed enough, so I deleted the second mention. This is what I wrote in chapter eight, Hurricane Force, which is set in the Dominican Republic:
Coralie of the inspiring travel blog Grey Globetrotters interviewed me for her insightful “travel chat” series.
Travel Chat With Liesbet from Roaming About
In today’s travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About, mature full-time nomad Liesbet Collaert shares how she has been travelling for a lifetime and blogging about her travels for thirteen years.
Her travel stories are rich, detailed and always leave me wanting to read more, so I was excited to interview her and get to know more about the woman behind the blog!
Hi, I’m Liesbet, I’ve been a full-time nomad since 2003!
As a nomad, originally from Belgium, I document our life and travels on the road (currently in a 19ft camper van in the US), my writing journey, and random thoughts and photos to inspire readers.
Q1. When did you start travelling?
As a child and teenager growing up in Belgium, I joined family vacations to France, Spain, Italy, and Norway and a school trip to Morocco.
Q2. Where did you go on your first trip, and why?
My first two trips without adults happened in the same year – the summer of 1993 – at age seventeen. One was by ferry and bus for a weekend in London, UK, with a friend. The other was a multiple-week hitchhiking adventure, with a different friend, to and in Italy.
Why? Adventure, freedom, and independence lured.
Liesbet at The Wave, Vermilion Cliffs, Utah, USA
Q3. How would you describe your travel style?
Low-budget, impulsive, 100% independent, flexible, adventurous. I’m curious about cultures, languages, and sights – architectural as well as natural. In general, light on luggage, but that doesn’t quite fit the bill when travelling with your own house (campers, sailboats, cars), which I have been doing now for seventeen years.
Q4. What do you love most about travelling? And what drives you crazy?
Being in nature with its peace and beauty, especially interacting with or observing wildlife, and being immersed in different cultures while meeting fascinating people are my favourites.
While I’m generally a flexible person, if nothing works out, consistently, and Murphy’s Law keeps following me, that drives me crazy! Also, not being able to get comfortable (or sleep) for days or feeling disrespected or taken advantage of diminishes my spirits.
Q5. How do you most like to travel? (mode of transport)
This really depends. While I like to say a small RV because that’s our current mode of travel and transportation, there are times I preferred our catamaran, and we both look forward to “no responsibility” travel in the future, as “backpackers” with just carry-on luggage.
Q6. Are you a planner or a last-minute traveller?
Last-minute traveller. We are quite impulsive and flexible and hate for anticipation to turn into disappointment. It’s better to have no or few expectations – pleasant surprises will await!
Liesbet & Maya – Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Colorado, USA
Q7. Are you a full-time or part-time traveller?
Full-time since 2003. Before that, two stints of a year at a time, and part-time.
Q8. Do you travel differently today to how you did in your 20s and 30s? What’s changed, and why?
Yes and no.
As a 20-something, I mostly backpacked on an even tighter budget than now and I explored the US and Canada in a small RV.
In my 30s, it was a slightly bigger truck camper and two smallish sailboats.
Now, in my 40s, it’s a 19ft campervan. It’s shorter than our last RV, but, in a way, more liveable and “roomy”.
With age comes the desire for comfort (I won’t call it luxury). The solution for me – and my past and present partner – was to travel with our own home, on the oceans and overland. We always knew we’d have a place to sleep at night (our own bed) and food to cook and eat (in our own kitchen).
And, we figured out a way to always carry enough water for showers and create our own electricity.
Q9. Has Coronavirus made you think differently about your future travels?
That’s a resounding yes, as travel is our life. The biggest impact for me is not being able to see my friends and family in my home country. It had already been two years since my last visit to Belgium and this year, that trip won’t happen either.
Here in the US, it affected us back in March and it will do so in the future. We will still be able to roam about, but facilities might be hard to come by, national parks entries might be restricted, and certain attractions will remain closed.
We usually boondock (camp for free) in nature and away from other people. But we still need access to dump stations to empty our tanks and fill with fresh water. If those facilities close (again), we are in trouble.
Q10. Tell us about the most memorable place you’ve visited so far.
There are many memorable places; their influence depends on personal interests.
In the last decade:
Wildlife – Galapagos Islands and French Polynesia;
Culture – Guatemala, San Blas Islands in Panama and French Polynesia
Happy Hours & Socializing – Eastern Caribbean; Beaches – Barbuda and the Tuamotu Archipelago
Snorkelling – Bonaire, the Gambier Islands, and the Society Archipelago.
Sailing on Irie in the Caribbean
Q11. Is there anywhere you wouldn’t go, or a type of travel/experience you wouldn’t be comfortable with?
I’m open to pretty much any experience as long as it doesn’t affect the environment or local people in a negative way. Hey, I went sailing for eight years while being prone to seasickness.
Q12. If you could live in one other country, where would you choose, and why?
Very difficult question and one my husband and I have been debating for fifteen years. If there was a perfect country, everyone would live there, right?
We contemplated living in Belize, thirteen years ago, but changed our mind. At the moment, while being mobile, we kind of live in the United States, but we are ready to take our travels and lives abroad again. More tropical locales await.
We do think becoming expats in a place like Mexico, Grenada or Bali might be in our (distant) future.
Q13. What’s the worst travel mistake/regret you’ll admit to?
Being too frugal when it comes to splurging on a meal or visiting a site. Yep, I’ve skipped many an attraction, encounter, experience, and activity for this reason.
Q14. What do you do first when you arrive somewhere new?
Check whether there is WiFi. I sure hope this will change in the near future. Maybe whenever we retire… In our camper, we actually check if we are level first (or make that happen as best as possible) and on the boat, it was making sure the anchor was set. Safety and comfort are still more important than internet availability.
Q15. How do you stay healthy when travelling?
We walk most anywhere, go on hikes in nature, and eat a plant-based diet. Most importantly, we now have a dog that needs exercise, so taking her for a few walks a day is part of our daily routine.
Q16. What wouldn’t you leave home without in your cabin bag?
My diary (now on my tablet), my camera, my laptop.
Q17. Which movie(s) or book(s) have inspired your travels?
None. As a (young) adult, I travelled before I read books or watched movies. If I have to answer something, I guess it would be guidebooks and documentaries.
Q18. What are the best and the worst things you’ve eaten on your travels?
Eating fish tacos in Mexico
I like to try new foods and love rice and noodle dishes with loads of vegetables and non-bony seafood. I’ve also come to like spicy food as I started traveling. Mexican fish tacos along the street are cheap and to die for and you can order me anything in a restaurant in Thailand…
The worst? Probably Chinese street food (very different than what you eat in Westernized Chinese restaurants, as I’ve never seen fish eyes and chicken feet on the menu there) and fried insects.
Q19. When choosing somewhere to visit, what’s most important to you?
That it’s affordable, attractive, and a new experience, and that I can stay a while.
Q20. Tell us about three midlife bloggers you follow, and why their blogs inspire you
While I read (too) many, I’ll stick to three travel bloggers I follow for different reasons:
Lisa Dorenfest from One Ocean at a Time – not only is she a positive, supportive, inspiring, kind, and strong real-life friend, adventurer, and sailor, she is also an amazing storyteller and photographer.
Laura and Kevin of Chapter 3 Travels – I only recently discovered this blog through a mutual nomadic blogging friend, Peta from Green Global Trek, and like following along because they also travel full-time in a camper, love dogs and have one aboard, take amazing photos, and produce engaging (sarcastic and truthful) travel accounts.
Duwan and Greg of Make Like An Ape Man – This adventurous nomadic couple has a lot in common with us. They owned a sailboat, did house and petting gigs, live frugally, and they currently travel in a camper van. We hung out with them in person a couple of times and hope to meet up again soon. I enjoy following their blog as it contains great shots and practical information that might come in handy.
Q21. What’s #1 on your travel bucket list and why?
I don’t believe in bucket lists. I think it’s an over-used word that has lost its original purpose and meaning. That being said, I want to travel to so many places still, with South Africa, Patagonia, and Antarctica high on “the list”.
Q22. Where are you planning to visit next?
We are driving back to the visually stunning American Southwest and hopefully hop over the border into Mexico again this fall and winter. Our short-term goal is to find a way (meaning a suitable camper) to explore the South American continent.
A Little More Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About
Liesbet, Mark, Kali, and Darwin – Samara, Costa Rica
Liesbet’s Top 3 Travel Tips:
Top Packing Tip
Only pack what you need on a daily basis, nothing you rarely use. Comfortable clothes and shoes. Anything to collect memories and retain them.
How to Survive Long-haul Flying
With plenty of water and a book or tablet.
How to Stay Safe When Travelling
Be aware.
Remain vigilant, kind, and open-minded.
Learn a few words in the local language.
Trust your gut.
Liesbet & Mark, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Final Quick Words for this Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About
Self-guided travel or join a tour? Self-guided travel
Window seat or aisle? Window seat
Favourite thing to wear for travelling? Comfortable shoes. Shorts with deep pockets
Favourite Country? Australia
Checked bags or carry on only? Carry-on only
Book or Kindle? Tablet which has Kindle
Best travel resource? Other travellers
I hope you’ve enjoyed this travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About! Don’t forget to check out her travel stories on Roaming About and do follow her on social media Facebook and Twitter.
Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert – Interview on The Professional Hobo
I’m excited to announce something entirely different and unique today…
Many of you know that I post monthly and yearly expense reports on this blog, without any secrecy. Yet, I have never disclosed how much money I/we actually make in a year. I’ve also been pretty vague about how we have been able to afford our nomadic lifestyle over the years and what is required to financially sustain ourselves.
All this and more insights can be found on Nora Dunn’s website The Professional Hobo, where I take part in her Financial Case Study series. Unlike most of her guests, we don’t make six figures a year and stay true to our motto “The less money you need, the less you need to earn.”
Financial Case Study: Liesbet Collaert, Roaming About
Liesbet Collaert was born in Belgium and recently became an American, but calls herself a world citizen. She’s been a digital nomad since 2003 (sailing, house sitting, and RVing), earning money as a freelance writer, photographer, translator, and editor. Her first travel memoir is almost ready for publication. Liesbet connects with her readers on her blog Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary, as well as her Facebook page or Instagram account.
While Liesbet’s income seems small, I think you’ll agree that she and her husband have lived an extraordinary life of travel, and by using creative budget travel tips (like getting accommodation for free) they haven’t been left wanting for much. Check it out!
How long have you been living/working on the road, and where have you traveled to?
Where do I start? Since I’m pretty impulsive and adventurous, my nomadic existence and means to make money developed organically. I’ve always been a traveler. One of the reasons I became a teacher in Belgium was to have a long summer vacation designed around exploring the world. I took two “leave of absences” during my first four years of teaching, to backpack in Southeast Asia and Down Under. Being frugal and passionate about travel, that’s what I used my income for. I never owned anything, making it easy for me to be flexible. The third time I left Belgium for an extended adventure, I never returned. That was in 2003.
While I didn’t need to make money during these initial escapades, as I had savings from my “real job” and I run a tight budget ship, one – of course – can’t journey forever without earnings. Darn! I think it was in 2008 – after a few years of RV-travel and getting close and personal with sailboats – that I started to create some sort of income. Up until that point, I’d cleaned a few boats for change and kept a free blog about our sailing journey on SV Irie to share our experiences and inspire others.
I traveled throughout Europe while living in Belgium until I was 27, backpacked in Southeast Asia and Oceana for two years, explored the continental US, Canada, and Alaska in a truck camper for a year and a half and Mexico and Central America for another year. In 2007, the sailboat episode followed – a journey that brought us from Maryland (USA) south to Florida, throughout the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, spending hurricane season in the Dominican Republic, and on to the Eastern Caribbean via Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
After three years up and down the Leeward and Windward Islands, we skimmed the out islands of Venezuela, spend time in Colombia, and enjoyed over a year in Panama. The next steps were transiting the Canal, being blown away by wildlife in the Galapagos Islands, and concluding our sailing voyage after cruising in French Polynesia for two years. Eight years after casting off (in 2015), we sold Irie in Tahiti.
Since then, we’ve slowed down a bit, house and pet sitting throughout the United States and exploring North America in our 19ft camper van Zesty. I am more than ready for tropical and exciting destinations again, whenever this pandemic allows it.
Please describe what you do for income.
First, I’d like to point out that my husband and I are very frugal and we’ve found that being careful with expenditures allows us the life we desire – more freedom and less need to be workaholics. The way we manage our money, our aversion towards collecting material goods, and our love of simplicity are leading factors for how we make this nomadic lifestyle work – financially and otherwise.
We have been perpetual nomads since 2003 – sailing, camping, RVing, house and pet sitting – and are currently roaming about South America in a truck camper with our rescue dog, Maya. As lifetime adventurers, we are self-employed and maintain a tight budget. This blog is about all that – and more – to inspire a life less ordinary. Don’t dream but do! 🙂
