SWIMMING IN OPEN WATER freaked me out when I was a kid. The first time was in Chesapeake Bay when I was about six or seven years old. What’s in the water? What am I stepping on? Will something bite or sting me? It was not a fun day at the shore.
That anxiety stuck with me into adulthood. For a while I lived a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean, but never went swimming in it. Because, hey man, I had seen Jaws. There’s dangerous stuff down there. And some imaginary stuff that’s far worse than reality.
A few years later I was living far from the ocean and I really missed it. (Sing along: Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?) Then one day a friend said she was going to take scuba lessons. Yeah! I wanted to do that, too, because Sea Hunt, Flipper, Jacques Cousteau and all that. So I did, despite my apprehensions.
Here’s what I discovered: I did the giant stride off of the dive boat and… the fear went away. Because I could see what was under the surface. I was there, in the middle of it, part of it. Not only was it not terrifying, it was beautiful. And I discovered I could do it. I could breathe underwater, and swim with barracudas, stingrays and even sharks—safely, comfortably, panic-free.
The nomadic life can be scary from the outside. Living without the safety of walls and roofs runs counter to our instincts for self-preservation. We invented houses for a reason. There’s dangerous stuff out there (and folks eager to warn us about it although they may never have been out there themselves).
But I’d like to propose that taking the giant stride into full-time vehicle living—or just wobbly baby steps—will make many of the concerns go away. “Oh. This is what it’s actually like out here. I can do this.”
Of course, like scuba diving, you don’t want to jump into nomadic living unprepared. We don’t want you to drown or be eaten by sharks. Learn all you can from those of us already out here. That’s why Cheap RV Living exists. We want to share this beautiful world with you.
Soooooo true! I have lived 100% off grid since Dec ’07. I am constantly amazed at how many people comment that they are impressed and envious at how I live, then in the next breath say they couldn’t possibly live as I do… I try to explain to them that my life isn’t that much different from theirs, the main difference is I am responsible for my own utilities, I have to maintain my own solar system, I have to be conscious of my power in and power out… it’s not that big a deal, but I love every minute of it and wouldn’t go back to my old life! I agree though, it does look different from the outside than the inside of this life…
We occasionally house-sit.
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During each orientation tour, we are constantly amazed at closed bedrooms piled with tilting boxes of once-used — and never-used — stuff.
“Here… help me push this door… open… and I will show you…oh, nevermind… I can get to it next week…”
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A stand-still house… a mini-storage with a mortgage?
Good post, Al. Things are always scarier when you’re uninformed.
Do a little research, make a few practice tries, things suddenly become easier.
I do find I feel better paying $1.00 a night to park in a lot or whatever than on my own. Be it the slabs, Or in IL by the Mississippi or Pahrump, NV. $30.00 a month is a bargain to sleep safely.
Where can one get a camping spot in Pahrump for $30 a month
Can you really sleep by the Mississippi? I’d heard that it’s hard to find a place to park out east. Although I was going to try the gas stations where the big rigs overnight.
Where are you paying two American dollars to safely park your vehicle
Such a great analogy. We have been living in our 5th Wheel for 6 years and although we mainly camp-host in state parks (we do have full hook-ups), I can’t imagine living in a ‘house’. We have found we have everything we want and need and we get to live in such beautiful places!
Everything is scary to the uninformed and those who hold onto their fears. It is truly liberating to bust through barriers and experience the unknown!
This is good to read! I’m just starting out at an advanced age and I worry sometimes if I’ll be able to manage it all.
Same with me. Advanced age also, but I’m going all out in doing it
You are not alone.
Did you see the increase of rents in one city? A young lady was paying $1600, it went up to $2500 per month! We can all say, “price gouging”!
I would love to live off-grid, for the freedom, and satisfaction of being a DIY in all areas of my life. I am preparing to live off-grid in northern Minnesota summers, winter in a southern warmer climate, hopefully off-grid. I am soon to hit the big 80. Too late? nope. never to late to try ….
Excellent. My childhood and most of my adult life was all about exploring the Gulf of Mexico. I never gave a thought to what might hurt me beneath the surface of that vast pool. It was always a place of relaxation and fun. Not even Jaws made me think twice about diving in. By that time, I well knew what awaited me, and it was beautiful. My transition into the nomad way of life was not scary, perhaps because my former lifestyle had prepared me. To this day, for many practical reasons, I do my best to camp alongside a body of water because it feels right with my soul.