Unhappy-#Vanlifers-Doing-It-Wrong-Bob Davis Podcast 1133

Unhappy #Vanlifers Doing It Wrong

Are unhappy #Vanlifers really doing it wrong? A recent Wall Street Journal post about the hash tag Van Life again points out the obvious. Details in Unhappy-#Vanlifers-Doing-It-Wrong-Bob Davis Podcast 1133.

Nomad Coverage

Firstly I have rarely seen positive coverage of the nomad experience.

Hard Life

Secondly the recent Wall Street Journal piece reports on a few #vanlife people complain about how hard the life is.

Instagram

And say Instagram has it all wrong.

As a result I’ll ask again whether anyone actually believes anything they see on social media?

Best Foot

Of course we put our best foot forward.

Or show our best face to the world.

In other words analogous to cleaning your house before guests arrive.

But there’s more.

Negative Experience

Because the article in question illustrates a number of negative experiences for the vanlifers interviewed.

For example, no place to sleep.

And not being able to take showers.

Or being lonely because the dating life out here sucks.

Finally the unexpected costs of mechanical problems and fuel.

As I have said many times in many different podcasts…

Not A Bowl Of Cherries

In general life is not always a bowl of cherries.

Overcome

In fact part of the experience in #nomadlife is overcoming setbacks and solving problems.

Won’t Quit

To sum up the article on a positive note all of the van life people interviewed said they won’t quit.

Great Potential

All in all I believe there’s great potential in nomad life.

And as I have noted as the infrastructure for digital nomads gets better…

In time more may choose this lifestyle.

Establishment Media Hates Nomads

However I don’t think the establishment back home or the establishment media will give our lifestyle a break.

Presently reporters and editors seem to love the idea that social media is ‘lying’ about living on the road.

Don’t Dream

In essence don’t dream of a different life.

It’s too dangerous.

Stay Back In The World

Meanwhile keep paying ridiculous amount of rent and commuting four hours a day.

By and large living in huge expensive cities and stepping over homeless people to get to the subway.

Of course doing a digital job and being required to work in an office…

When even in the present time you can work from anywhere.

Just In Case

Just in case you’re thinking about buying a van and dumping your absurdly expensive efficiency in said large city…

Take a look at these poor idiots in this Wall Street Journal story without delay.

After that you’ll accept your life as it is.

Reality

In reality over time nomad life can be easy and satisfying.

Lots To Learn

Of course there is a lot to learn.

Yes You Can

But if you can do it and you want to try.

Go for it.

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Unhappy-#Vanlifers-Doing-It-Wrong-Bob Davis Podcast 1133

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Maps-Planning-Arizona-Florida-2024-Bob Davis Podcast 1129

Maps Planning Arizona To Florida 2024

Time to check the maps and do some planning for my Arizona to Florida 2024 adventure. And some stories too. Details in Maps-Planning-Arizona-Florida-2024-Bob Davis Podcast 1129.

Firstly it’s been a minute since I was on the roads.

Great To Be Back

Secondly it sure feels good to be preparing for a 2500 mile road trip from Quartzsite Arizona to Sarasota Florida.

On The Back Roads

As a matter of fact I have been stopped down here in the desert since October of 2023.

So I am ready to hit the road.

To say nothing of the power of the back roads.

Maps And Planning

With this purpose in mind I’ll share the types of maps I use complete with the sound of turning pages.

Rig Improvements

In addition I’ll share some of the improvements to mobile podcast command.

Planning

Furthermore we’ll also discuss travel plans for this trip.

Navigation

And how to navigate the back roads on the fly to get where you want to be and save fuel.

In view of the main objective and the distance to be traveled…

I don’t need to point out there are many different options available.

First thing to remember is the type of maps.

In fact I started out with a Rand McNally road atlas.

But recently graduated to Benchmark Maps.

All things considered the Benchmark maps are very useful for navigating the back roads anywhere in the west.

Places and Things

Above all I like to talk about some of the places I’ve seen and roads I have traveled.

Maps-Planning-Arizona-Florida-2024-Bob Davis Podcast 1129 is a great opportunity to talk about these subjects.

Staying Off The Interstates

Certainly staying off the Interstates is a learned skill.

Practice Makes Perfect

If you are plying the back roads then you know it takes a lot of practice to make sure you end up where you want to.

As I have shown the nomad ends up navigating on the fly in almost all these situations.

To that end when it works it’s a joy.

However when it doesn’t then let’s just say it’s a learning experience.

Finally it’s great to be back on the road and moving again.

Maps-Planning-Arizona-Florida-2024-Bob Davis Podcast 1129

Is-Nomad-Life-Over?-Bob Davis Podcast-1129

Is Nomad Life Over?

Firstly it’s a good time to ask Is Nomad Life Over? Details in Is-Nomad-Life-Over?-Bob Davis Podcast-1129.

Fully Committed

Secondly while I remain fully committed to the nomad lifestyle I wonder whether the trend is starting to fade.

Reality Bites

Certainly the longer I do something the more I see the reality in it.

Community

But these days I am not feeling the much vaunted nomad community as much as I used to.

Social Media Presence

Another key point are the Vanlife and Nomadlife Instagram posts.

As well as YouTube videos.

And videos on other platforms.

False Reality?

Undeniably the reality is often not the picture presented in social media.

Unquestionably there are difficult days.

Sublime Moments

Notwithstanding those difficult days there are truly sublime moments.

In fact that’s why I still want to live the nomad life.

Trend Starting To Wear

In view of all this though it feels like the trend is starting to wear.

To put it another way I am seeing a lot more RV people out here these days than straight up nomads.

Attendance Spotty

In addition attendance at some venerated ‘nomad’ events has been spotty.

Economic Hardship

This is said to be on the account of economic hardship.

On the other hand it seems to me more Americans are being called back into the work place.

Therefore barnstorming around the country isn’t as easy as it used to be.

With that said it doesn’t mean there is a great desire to be physically present.

But there it is.

Meaning and Purpose

Even more I think there might be some questions about what it all means.

In fact a great purpose.

Negative Experiences

On the negative side I’ve had some experiences and there have been some situations out here this year that should raise eyebrows.

Sustainable

All in all one wonders what is needed to create a sustainable nomad experience?

Eventually further technology improvements will only make nomad life easier and more productive.

In the meantime we’ll see you out there.

Is-Nomad-Life-Over?-Bob Davis Podcast-1129

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