Most of you know that Mark and I are not retired. We live frugally as nomads – now on the road, previously on the water. We’ve been at that for over eighteen years. I’m a freelance writer, translator, editor, and photographer (and since last year author and book promotor). Regardless of his master’s degree in computer science, Mark picks up work along the way and ran a successful marine WiFi business for nine years. Because we are careful with our expenditures, we manage to maintain a less than ordinary lifestyle without working fulltime. Combining travel with eight to ten hours of work a day is extremely challenging and close to impossible – we do have experience with that while sailing.
These last months, you might have read between the lines that a higher cost of living, inflation, and the need of camper and truck improvements to prepare for travels abroad have been troubling us. For that reason, we decided to postpone our trip to Baja California, Mexico, and work in Arizona during the month of December. I would focus on more paid projects and book promo; Mark would apply for a job, locally. How hard could that be? You’ve all seen the “for hire” signs everywhere. And experienced how “nobody wants to work anymore.” And heard the rumors about businesses dying to find employees. Right? One thing is for sure, during the holiday season, many companies do need extra help.
It was mid-November 2021, when we found ourselves in the desert of Tucson, Arizona, and Mark uttered we’d spent $1,000 on fuel to drive across the country, still needed new tires for Thirsty (costing a similar amount), and that months of research and patience to find items on our list for a better price stopped being productive. Price tags online rarely drop anymore. “I need to find a job,” he decided.
The UPS delivery job
We preferred to stick around Tucson if at all possible, despite Phoenix offering more potential with its abundance of warehouses. Mark scanned hiring ads. Delivering packages for UPS with your own car appeared to be the most profitable temporary job. We could stay at our not ideal but free camping area on the edge of Tucson, separate the camper and truck, and make good money (over $20 an hour), plus a generous mileage reimbursement and a weekly bonus. All we had to do was “cover and secure” the bed of our pickup by buying a locking cover. Hours later, we remembered one vital part: our tailgate was still in Massachusetts. It had to be removed and stored for the camper to fit.
Storing our tailgate at a friend’s place in Massachusetts
The position of driver helper earned much less money ($15/hour, no bonus) and still required commuting, but Mark found one in the area that would work. The next day – as we figured out logistics – the job was gone. We needed a different approach.
The Amazon warehouse
Our attention turned to Amazon. Longtime readers might remember that Mark worked at an Amazon warehouse in Kentucky two years ago, with a program called CamperForce. Somebody was in charge of matching seasonal employees with Amazon and a campsite was included. This time, we were on our own. Mark filled out a job application online for an Amazon warehouse in Phoenix and was approved for a nightshift.
Then, we hunted for a campground. Near the Amazon fulfillment center. For a month. In RV central of the USA. During the busiest time of the year: snowbird season. We found two RV parks on Google somewhat close to Mark’s job site – one never answered the phone and didn’t reply to our message, the other (a trailer park) doesn’t allow truck campers! This boggles our mind, as we are as self-contained as any of the bigger rigs. It sure felt like discrimination…
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