Afternoon friends, I hope you’ve all had the most marvelous time between updates. After a wonderful 26 days in Utah, I am back on the road. Some changes have happened the biggest being I am only traveling with ONE dog! (Bandit) I made a quick trip in the jeep back to Albuquerque to drop my oldest and my youngest boys with my mom. (Diesel and Floofa) She loves them dearly and was worried about their safety on the road during these very hot months. There is 11 acres, water, love, and tons of adventures for them and although I’ve cried every day since leaving I know we will be reunited soon. So something I’ve been thinking about since taking off and today being a MONTH of full time on the road is how much RISK is involved with tiny living, van life, bus life, full time travel, etc. So let’s get down to it!
Not only do you go to bed in strange places each night wondering if you’ll be kicked out but you know the next day you have to do it all again! Really picking spots to stay is hit or miss all over and that can be exhausting. On top of that you have to plan where you can get water, propane, fuel, dump gray water, peepee, etc which sometimes is not very easy. Plus if you have dogs you have to make sure to find good potty spots, dispose of feces, and insure they have water/don’t overheat. Then you have people message you wanting to meet up and they are probably serial killers so you worry you’ll be murdered. Also, your mom texts you that there is around 50 serial killers around the United States and the most common profession is truck driving WHILE YOU’RE SLEEPING NEXT TO TRUCKS. Then don’t get me started on the heat! It’s hot while driving, hot while sitting, and you learn that you can sweat from places you never thought possible. Then your bus/rv/van starts having issues and you need repairs…. you need a hotel….or to be able to stay in your bus/rv/van… THEN there’s the issue with money… do I have enough savings? Am I earning enough…..? What will I do?
Anyone else have anxiety or relate while reading that? It’s true, this life isn’t easy and it really ins’t for everyone. Just take a deep breath and seriously every bit of this adventure has been worth it. Those people (from my experience) that want to meet up for adventures aren’t serial killers and they will be the most incredible people you meet. Use the iOverlander to find good spots to stay and if you’re too worried, get an RV spot. Rest Stops are awesome to stay, plus they sometimes offer free water and other facilities. Be smart about being on the road and you won’t have any issue you can’t handle. After breaking down, basking in the way too hot, and going on so many EPIC adventures I feel like after a month there’s really nothing I can’t handle. I get sooooo many messages from people with all these concerns and I have to tell you, YOU’LL BE OKAY. Chill out my dudes and follow your dreams.
Zoe, Bandit, and I are currently in Nevada heading towards Reno/Tahoe area along with my friend Cameron. So cool to have people share parts of this adventure and get to live a life most dream of for a bit. I’ll be posting more about my time in Utah soon so stay tuned. Also, Happy 9 months of living in Zoe to me! Can you believe it’s been so long? I couldn’t! Time flies when you’re having fun.
-Paige, AKA Zoe.Bus.
Zoe bus 