Hey Reader, I thought I’d send you a picture of me saying hello. I'm really thankful you are here and on my email list. Send me one back if you like! I always enjoy seeing who I'm emailing :) I also wanted to send you a couple of articles that have been popular on my Facebook page. The Six Most Valuable Lessons I Learned After 4.5 Years of Van Life Here is an excerpt of this guest post by New Zealand van lifer Lisa Jansen: For the next 4 ½ years, my trusty van and I explored everything New...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, One thing I tell people is that if you're considering the van life, rent a campervan first! Renting lets you get a feel for the size of various campervans and which amenities you might want in your own. But the thing is....so many campervan rentals are flipping expensive! I've seen some that are $300 per day, which isn't a financially viable option for many people. I wanted to introduce you to Avanti campervans....these guys rent out stealthy, small, affordable minivan campers....
4 months ago • 1 min read
HeyReader, This might surprise you, but once again we are hauled out at Cabrales boatyard after just three weeks of cruising around the northern Sea of Cortez. Yes, our cruising season on the boat was SUPER SHORT this spring for a variety of reasons: The impending heat The fact that we just got new mountain bikes in the fall that we are very excited to go ride We have tons of family and friends to see The lack of exercise on a sailboat is hard -----PAID AD------- Ready to hit the open road...
5 months ago • 2 min read
HeyReader! Any moment now, we will push out from our marina here in Puerto Penasco, Mexico and head down to the Sea of Cortez for a couple months of cruising. I love this time on our sailboat, when we are exploring the islands off Baja. Someone once asked me: do sailboats boondock like vans and RVs? And the answer is yes, but in the sailboat world it's called gunkholing (referring to the anchor getting stuck in mud). Both have a similar vibe: away from hordes of people, absolute solitude,...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! After a much-needed weekend away from the boatyard, Tom and I made a big decision! We are tired of endless boat work, bouncing around in rough seas, barfing over the stern of the boat, and getting caught in ferocious blows. We are also exhausted by van life: digging holes, showering outside in the wind in sub-zero temperatures, swatting mosquitos, and generally living in the dirt. So we decided to sell both the sailboat and the van and upgrade our lives to..... A CAMPING AIRPLANE....
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Just a couple of days ago, I ate my very first grasshopper tostada at the outdoor Oaxacan market here in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. Visually, it was strange to see all these tiny insects sprinkled all over my tostada like they belonged there with the cabbage, onion and avocado. Grasshopper tostada! They tasted fine, though, like crunchy nuts or chips with a little protein, LOL. The tiny legs are what got me, though: when we were done, I wondered if one was stuck in my throat. I've...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hey, Reader! When I tell people I am living in a boatyard in Mexico, I think the typical reaction is to feel sorry for me. "When are you getting out of there?" "That must be miserable." "It must be so dirty and loud!" "Sucks you have to be there for so long!" I'll tell you a secret right now: I am ENJOYING living in the boatyard. You must find that to be a strange confession. I haven't had a "real" shower in two months (instead, we take solar showers behind the van). I have to use a communal...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Hey, Reader! When we were traveling in Europe with a campervan rental, I brought this bright green bag called a Scrubba wash bag. I didn't have any big expectations for this bag as we typically do laundry in laundromats. But the Scrubba wash bag was a GAME-CHANGER. For 5.5 weeks, we did all of our laundry in this bag, using dry detergent strips and hanging the clothes from a portable clothesline. We liked the convenience and how this method was gentler on our clothes. Plus, we didn't have to...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Hey, Reader, You might not know this about me yet, but I REALLY love coffee. In fact, I am borderline obsessed with coffee and NEED it every morning. You better not talk to me until I have my coffee! Did you know that caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world? I have a system in place: A hand-grinder where I grind whole beans. A tiny electric hot water kettle. And a simple pour-over method that results in delicious coffee. Then I sit and read the newspaper on my iPad as...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read