Girl time with Maya
On the last day of July, Mark left for his annual visit to Massachusetts, USA, leaving Maya and me behind in Belgium for two weeks. When you live together 24/7 with your partner, it’s nice to have some me-time once in a while. Maya and I enjoyed this special time and bonded with lots of cuddles, attention, and walks.
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
That time apart also allowed me to meet up with four different girlfriends, which allowed us to talk in Flemish and foster our relationships without any hurry. One of my friends, Rosy, had just obtained an 8-week-old puppy, Bonnie, who joined her for our day together. Maya was the perfect oma.
I also cooked a lot, wrote a bunch, ran errands, did research, studied German, saw my parents frequently, called Mark daily, cleaned Duke’s interior, had long nights of sleep, witnessed the partial solar eclipse, visited my nephew for his twelfth birthday, and sweated a lot during more heat waves.
I finally met a famous overlanding couple when they passed through Belgium. I’d been online friends with Geneva (and her husband, Mike) from “It’s Not a Slow Car, It’s a Fast House” for at least six years, but we never managed to meet up before, despite coming close. Our morning together was a bit rushed, but it was still special. And they had brought a dissolvant product for us from the UK, which is not available in Europe. The Vario T2 remained front and center in our lives even while we were apart.
Another highlight for this reggae lover was watching the Wailers (yes, from Bob Marley fame) through a fence during the Fonnefeesten in Lokeren. Why through a fence during this free concert? Because, unbeknownst to everyone, event security didn’t allow dogs on the premises anymore. Two years ago, Maya joined Mark and me without any problems…
The music wasn’t bad for a “cover” band! 😊
August 15th arrived very fast! Other than a long delay at immigration, Mark’s return to Belgium went smoothly, which was a big relief. No questions were asked about his long stays in Europe. Maybe it’s on the record that we are married and travel together 24/7.
Our last week in Belgium passed fast as well. I finally managed to see my niece play volleyball, and we fit in a couple more family visits while packing up the camper and preparing for a multiple-month return to Germany. The propane bottle had to be swapped and the water tank filled. Mark and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary with an exquisite tasting lunch at Pacht 26, a month and a half after the fact. Better late than never!
I had a teeth cleaning scheduled, and there was a little health twist for Mark, which made our last two days stressful and busy, but after thoroughly tidying “the little house” and having a last lunch at my parents’ place, we took off for western Germany on August 23rd.
Vario time with the entire family
It was time for the second part of our Vario chapter (part one was passing the German inspection, which you can read about here): maintenance work for the truck, and converting the habitat box.
First, we swung by builder/friend Mirko to pick up our German license plates. Our contact, André, had eventually come through. He had registered our truck and arranged liability insurance. I was pretty excited about the plate number FOR ML 26, which is easy to remember: FOR M(ark and) L(iesbet in 20)26.
After picking up our Vario T2, we returned to Mirko to grab all the packages he’d received for us, recycle the cardboard, check the contents, and test the solar panels. Then, in tandem, we drove to the Giessen area for the foreseeable future. Our overlanding friends Sandie and Karsten had generously offered us a space to park and live for the next step of our Vario work.
The last week of August was focused on truck maintenance, with the expected ups and downs, mainly due to rusty or stubborn bolts and limited access underneath — changing the transfer case, differential, and transmission oils, removing the driver seat, treating rust, installing a new faucet, replacing the metal step plates of the cab, greasing the nipples, fixing the electric step and manual passenger window, and dealing with a tricky transmission leak.
Luckily, it hasn’t all been Vario work. We go for daily forest walks with Maya, and our Spanish friend Ivan showed up. Six years ago, he was the one who introduced us to Sandie and Karsten in Baja, Mexico, which also led us to meeting our now good friends Heather and Jon!
Our little group enjoyed a wonderful BBQ at our friends’ place, an authentic paella dinner prepared by Ivan, exchanging stories, and tasty drinks and sides.
On a rainy afternoon, we all hiked up to the local castle, which had been on my to-do list.
September has now arrived. Mark and I hope for pleasant weather and productive days as we continue working on getting the truck in tip-top shape before we start tackling the habitat box.
Expenses for August 2026
Well, Mark and I set another record. Not a yearly one, but a lifetime one. Usually, every year has one, maximum two months that are above $2,000. This already happened in 2026, but our August was twice that, for one month! Just as we thought life couldn’t get more expensive, it does and continues to be. It’s crazy. And these numbers don’t even include our Vario work!
Our car category topped out at $1,354, an amount that used to be our monthly average not too long ago. We got hit with a bunch of taxes – the Vario’s German road tax of over 700 euros (this was way more than we expected because it’s an old truck without emission standards), Duke’s Belgian road tax of around $200, and André’s annual fee ($60) for dealing with our German paperwork.
Then, there were a “low” fuel cost of $255 to keep Mark’s rental car going in Massachusetts and to drive one camper in Belgium and Germany and parking fees of $27 for the airport garage in Zaventem and the Dana Farber hospital garage in Boston.
A huge chunk of money – another $860 – went to Mark’s trip to the US. And I’m not talking plane tickets here; that expense went to a previous month. He had to rent a car for two weeks, which set us back $650, and he needed to bring back two checked bags (stuff we brought from Bella in Chile), which now cost $105 a piece. Ouch! Where are the days when checking a bag – or two – was free?
Belongings from Bella and some new items
We bought $478 worth of household supplies, like an impact wrench, other tools, a new pillow for Mark, an extension cord, toilet chemicals for Duke, lots of brake cleaner, a light, and more…
The grocery category was average at $384. This was a normal expense and as long as we can keep it under $400 in western Europe, we’re doing pretty well, I think. This seems to be the only cost we can keep under control these days!
Visit to a new dentist for a cleaning
Another extra expense in August was for medical services. I had my six-month teeth cleaning done (which only took ten minutes since my dental care is still excellent) for $85; good money for the dental hygienist. And Mark had to undergo a dermatological procedure in Belgium ($232), because he fell through the cracks with the dermatology department in Boston. Everything was supposed to be taken care of there, for free.
Our dining out splurges hovered around $170. This doesn’t include the full Pacht 26 experience for our 19th wedding anniversary since we used leftover gift money to cover most of that.
The German liability insurance for our Vario T2 was prorated at $137 until the end of the calendar year. In January it should renew for a full year. Our alcohol expense was relatively high at $128, because we brought wine and beer to gatherings.
Mark managed to buy a “new” pair of Oboz hiking shoes off eBay and a bunch of T-shirts at thrift stores to get his wardrobe equipped again ($86), and we spent about $80 on gifts as thank-yous to people who have helped us out with storage for our campers and receiving packages, and for my nephew’s 12th birthday gift.
We also needed new razor blades and Parodontax toothpaste ($33), which I stocked up on. I swear by this brand, since it has really prevented gum infections and is an integral part of my renewed, proven dental hygiene, which gets compliments from dentists around the world.
Utilities claimed $28 in August. A low $15 went to our monthly data plan in Germany and the rest we paid for propane gas. Here’s that quick story: we needed to swap our 11kg fancy, lightweight fiberglass tank for a new tank and had to pay €51 for just the gas!!! When I inquired about the price of the 11kg normal, heavy, metal tanks, the quote was €31. So, for the exact same gas but in different bottles, there was a difference of €20!!
If you know us, you can guess what we did next… We returned the fancy bottle for a high deposit and got the other tank for a lower deposit and more affordable propane price. Hence the “discounted” expense for gas. We also decided to give Maya fish oil ($22) to help with her arthritis.
Despite being careful with our money (as always), cooking most of our meals, and not spending anything on accommodation or laundry, August’s $4,074 total was an all-time high, due to the awful exchange rate, inflated prices for everything, and the necessary costs for visits, camper ownership, and healthcare.
Here is the breakdown:
- Car (taxes: $1,072; fuel: $255; parking: $27): $1,354
- Travel (car rental: $650; baggage fees: $210): $860
- Household supplies (tools, pillow, …): $478
- Groceries: $384
- Medical: $317
- Dining out: $168
- Camper insurance: $137
- Alcohol: $128
- Clothing (shoes & T-shirts Mark): $86
- Gifts (birthdays and thank-yous): $79
- Health & Fitness (razors, Parodontax toothpaste): $33
- Utilities (internet: $15; propane: $13): $28
- Dog (fish oil): $22
TOTAL: $4,074
This post is linked to Natalie’s Monthly Wrap-up blog link-up.
Next up: Probably our September 2026 update and expenses, unless something else is worth reporting on earlier.
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September 4, 2026 at 8:57 am
A lot of money spent for you!
Free checked bags? You have to fly first class for that.
Glad you got to see some of your friends. I don’t envy you all the work on that vehicle though.
September 5, 2026 at 10:18 am
Hi Alex,
We hope to never have to spend that much on living expenses just for one month.
Back in the day, when flying was fun, you could check one or two bags for free with most airlines. Bliss! Usually, we only travel with carry ons, but when we move continents we need a bit more than that. 🙂
The last time we switched gears and moved continents, from our sailboat in Tahiti to homeless in the US, we could each check two bags for free. Hence, we had more stuff then than this time around.
Right now, the Vario work is accompanied by friends, who also came here to do maintenance on their truck.
September 4, 2026 at 9:15 am
Poor Mark sure spent a lot of time under a truck! Consider getting an airline-affiliated credit card (if you have a regular or favorite airline for flights back to the U.S.); most of them get you a free checked bag. Basic cards are only $50/month which more than pays for one heavy checked bag.
September 5, 2026 at 10:22 am
Hi Lexie,
That was only one week in! Mark is still spending a lot of time under the truck – me less as his assistant – but we are starting to shift some of the work to the interior today.
Mark tried to sign up to another United credit card, but his application was denied! This was a first! We think his income level wasn’t satisfactory… He would have saved $400 on his flight and gotten a 50% discount on each bag. That was our intention. But when they told him he had to go to an office in person (we were in Belgium at the time) to see if he could get the card and discounts, the deal was off for us. Unfortunately. Having a $500 break on last month’s expenses would have been very welcome!
September 4, 2026 at 10:46 am
Keep that Starlink working so you can make that extra money. Yikes! on the bills!
September 5, 2026 at 10:24 am
Hi Jacqui,
We don’t have a Starlink anymore. It stayed with Bella when we sold her in South America. Pretty much everything we owned stayed with that camper. So, we have to start fresh with everything and right now, buying a Starlink mini is low on the list. Our German SIM card works for our internet needs and it’s very cheap at $15 a month with plenty of data. 🙂
September 4, 2026 at 11:28 am
Love that first photo of Maya with her head o the sofa. LOVE IT! Congratulations on your 19th wedding anniversary. What a great license plate. Even I will remember it 😉. What an amazing opportunity Sandie and Karsten offered you three. Wow!!! Beautiful castle photos! I know you said this was an expensive month, but even taking that into consideration, you always amaze me. Thank you for sharing. Jim
September 5, 2026 at 10:28 am
Hi Jim,
Maya can be very photogenic. 🙂
We are very fortunate with friends like Sandie and Karsten. You know, this is not the first time that we switch gears/campers while using our friends’ properties. Last time, we switched campers at a friend’s place in Idaho while we slept in his house and when we first got Bella, we stayed for three months on the driveway of friends in Oregon and then stopped by four other friends in that state, Colorado, and Texas to finish our prep work to head to South America.
We really hope to never have an expense month like that for just living costs!!! We’d have to quit this lifestyle for sure.
September 4, 2026 at 12:27 pm
You pack as much in a month as most of us do in three. We all have those expensive months, so hopefully things will get back to normal in terms of your expenses. I imagine by now you are either on or almost on the road again.
September 5, 2026 at 10:34 am
Hi Pete,
We better have cheaper months in the future, because we couldn’t afford living like this. And it feels like we’re having quite a few of those crazy expensive months lately. So I’m with you: fingers crossed things go back to normal soon, financially. Although being in Europe adds at least 20% to the amount of money we spent in the US. And 40% to our past South American costs.
We won’t be on the road for a few more months. We’ve only just started working on truck maintenance and then we have to do some conversions in the habitat box and fix the frame. Plus add tanks, heaters, storage boxes, solar panels, etc. And all this is not accounting for other issues we will find along the way.
My goal is to be done before winter.
September 5, 2026 at 11:25 am
Sorry to be so clueless. It must feel overwhelming.
September 5, 2026 at 1:48 pm
Hi Pete,
It’s a all bit overwhelming (but we knew this ahead of time) and you’re not clueless!! I don’t think I ever explained all the things we had to do to the Vario before being able to move in. Next month! 🙂
September 4, 2026 at 1:50 pm
Your friend’s new puppy is very cute. And you must be exhausted!
September 5, 2026 at 10:35 am
Hi Anabel,
I always hope I get to charge my batteries while in Belgium and/or while Mark is gone. I’ve been partially successful, this time around. 🙂
September 4, 2026 at 3:50 pm
Hi Liesbet – wow, what a busy and fulfilling month. It’s exciting to see you getting your new home on wheels ready for the next adventure. As I mentioned before, we’re taking a good look at having some type of camper van in Europe someday, so we’re really interested in your journey. And yes, it’s tough saving money these days with the dollar tanking so badly all over the world (you know who to blame for that). The exchange rate for the dollar here in Colombia is the lowest it’s been since we moved here, although it has been recovering a little in recent days. Let’s hope for better days soon.
September 5, 2026 at 10:41 am
Hi Susan,
I hope I won’t start boring people with all my Vario talk and updates. But it’s quite exciting yet challenging to turn this truck and box into our next home on wheels. I don’t feel a connection yet – hence our future camper doesn’t have a name yet – but hopefully that changes in a couple of months.
There are no words for how I feel about (and the damage that has been done to the world by) that idiot at the top. All the environmental issues and damages caused to Mother Earth and pretty much every person on the globe are worse than all the financial loss we’ve been going through. 🙁
September 5, 2026 at 5:56 pm
You are preaching to the chorus, amiga. Hoping we can start to see some major changes after the November elections.
September 4, 2026 at 9:25 pm
Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! I hope you’re enjoying Germany and September expenses will be back to normal. Thank you for linking up with my #MonthlyWrapUp.
September 5, 2026 at 10:42 am
Thanks, Natalie. We are surely doing our best to make good progress with our next home on wheels and hope our expenses return back to some kind of normal.
September 4, 2026 at 11:13 pm
Ouch! That monthly total must hurt a bit. But at least a lot of your budget is going toward creating your ideal new home on wheels – I hope the renovations and build-out go smoothly and easily for you! 🙂
September 5, 2026 at 10:50 am
Hi Diane,
We have a different budget for the Vario build and truck maintenance, but you’re right, the high registration fee, the tools, and some other parts for the Vario were part of this expense report. Let’s hope everything settles down soon!
So far, we are pretty pleased with our progress, despite a few frustrating moments and some banging out heads on the … chassis. 🙂
September 5, 2026 at 5:38 am
I don’t know why airlines just don’t include the cost of baggage in the ticket costs. All these extra charges soon mount up, as Mark and you discovered.
I hope you both had a Happy Anniversary. Good to see you celebrating, especially after all of that work. You do have me wondering where you guys will be now that the cooler months have arrived and winter is on her way. Like some of the birds, I think you could be migrating south. I’m already enjoying the cooler days and nights.
September 5, 2026 at 10:55 am
Hi Hugh,
All the airlines now seem to do is try to save as much money as possible while having the customers pay as high prices as possible. It all started with the budget airlines charging for every single thing and it’s really sad that the bigger commercial airlines have followed suit. Mark and I usually fly very light – only with carry-ons – but when swapping continents, we need a few more items and belongings to pick up our new lives.
We require a few more months to get the Vario ready as a new home on wheels. And then we have to sell Duke. In the off season… But the hope is to be done before winter and head south.
September 5, 2026 at 4:38 pm
I’m glad you had some “me” time with daughter Maya. And you look so happy with “Bonnie,” but I don’t think you need a puppy right now. ha!
Thanks for showing shots of time with friends and various yummy menu items. On another note, I think your expenses will be less, probably much less, in the coming months. 😀
September 6, 2026 at 6:54 pm
Hope Mark’s health twist you mentioned isn’t very concerning. How much longer will you need to carry the financial weight of two vehicles? Once you offload one, life will be a lot easier for you both, I hope.
September 8, 2026 at 8:38 pm
It will be interesting to see your monthly spends as the months move forward and it’s getting difficult to escape escalating prices everywhere. In a few weeks the tariffs will kick in everywhere and we’ll all choke. On a brighter note, I’m glad you got some me well needed me-time. 🥰
September 10, 2026 at 2:33 pm
I love all your vegetarian meals! I’m thinking of trying to find some grain bowl recipes. They look easy and hopefully filling and healthy. And those desserts look awesome!
Bonnie is adorable! I hope Maya enjoyed hanging out with her. Poor Maya with her arthritis.
It looks like you had some fun experiences in August—the concert, the castle, meeting up with friends, etc. And so many boxes to open. It is always exciting to get new things.
I hope everything is going fairly smoothly with the build.