As I started exploring what “life on the road” might be like, I came across a fascinating blog, http://cheaprvlivingblog.com/. The blog and its associated forums, as well as other blogs linked to them, are loaded with tips for living on the road…things vitally important to know, especially if your life on the road does not include a luxury RV. For example, what does one do about using the bathroom? What about keeping clean/taking showers? What about places to stay overnight, places that don’t eat away limited financial resources?
Reading the site’s forum about options for showering, I was impressed with the ingenuity of people who have chosen to live out of their vehicles, whether out of necessity or desire for freedom.
Reading the blogs and forums gave me a better understanding of why people make choices that, to most of us, seem strange. In reading forum posts and comments, it became clear to me that this lifestyle is, for most of the people who visit these sites, a conscious choice. It is not driven by poverty, job loss, mental illness, or a desire to be different. While some people make the choice under financial duress, many others do not. They do it for the freedom and the experience and the adventure such a lifestyle offers.
I’m not planning on living out of a van…at least not now, and not for the long haul, but I find the lifestyle intriguing. I think I may want to give it a try, though, for just a while. And I may want to meet some of these creative, interesting, and adventurous people who break social convention without fear.
