Pondering My Nomadic Lifestyle
Iām at one of my favorite campgrounds in the St Augustine Florida area but something feels different. Itās not anything with the campgroundā¦ itās with me.
After a nourishing glass of strawberry KaāChava and jump starting my brain with a caffeinated beverage, I find myself pondering my lifestyle.
Van lifeā¦
I think about all the fun adventures (and mis-adventures) Iāve had since moving into the van in October 2015.
Iāve lived off-the-grid in deserts, mountains, and ocean fronts as well as stealth nights at Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and hidden nooks. I also spent plenty of time plugged-in at campgrounds across the USA.
I love the simplicity and flexibility of living in my van, spending time in nature, and changing my location whenever my heart desires.
The trade-off for this simplicity is giving up a lot of space, having questionable climate control, and no easy way to shower.
With my MCS, I canāt always depend on campground or public bathhouses being safe for me. If a bathhouse has an air freshener I canāt even enter. If others are also showering or showered just before I got there, the air or surfaces could be toxic from the products they used - causing me to become very ill.
I can wash up at the sink in my van but itās not a simple process and doing it day-after-day gets old fast.
Travel trailer lifeā¦
In June 2021, life slowed down and I thought a travel trailer was something I needed to add to my lifestyle. I kept my MCS in mind when choosing a small travel trailer.
I loved the trailerā¦ when it was parked. It felt like an apartment on wheels.
It wasnāt difficult to tow but I hated towing it all over the country with my van:
- I couldnāt just go down a road to see what was there.
- I had to make sure gas stations had enough room for me.
- Everywhere I went, I had to consider the extra 17 feet behind me.
- Even maneuvering thru campgrounds could be tricky.
- Thereās more to setting up and breaking camp in a travel trailer than it was with just the van.
Life wasnāt simple anymore.
I sold the trailer in February 2022, happily moved back into the van, and walked away knowing I donāt like hauling a house behind me while traveling the country.
Hotel lifeā¦
In December 2025, on a last minute whim, I decided to stay at an extended stay hotel for 4 months (instead of staying at my usual campground over the winter).
I knew this hotel was MCS-safe. Iād spent a week there last year when the van was in the shop after critters got under the hood and chewed stuff up.
I loved staying at the hotel this winter while visiting Nikki. It was my own little apartment without the hassle of a lease or all the other hoops you need to jump thru just to rent a place.
One of my favorite perks was hopping in the van to go somewhere and not having to do the campground shuffle. This made me smile every time I headed out the door š
The only downside isā¦ itās in a big city. I can do the hustle-n-bustle of big city life for a while but not permanently.
Now that Iām back in the van, I enjoy being back in nature, on the road, and away from big city lifeā¦ at least for a while.
Pondering what this meansā¦
I like staying in one place for a while but Iām not ready to settle down permanently.
I love the simplicity of van life but Iām not sure I want to continue doing it full-time.
More space, better climate control, and my own easy-to-use shower would be nice to have but I donāt want to tow a trailer around the country.
Extended stay hotel life is a great optionā¦ as long as the hotel is MCS-safe for me.
So, whatās an unconventional gal to do?!?
Maybe itās as simple as remembering that Iām not meant to do things the same as other peopleā¦ and continue tweaking and crafting my own version of portable living.
Connie š¼
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Life Right Nowā¦
- My Whereabouts ā Coastal northeast Florida
- Home Base ā A cozy little campground
- On the Horizon ā Heading to northwest Illinois for the summer season (arriving mid-late April)
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