Attitude is everything you have a purpose...

This is where it starts ... with you. Since I am a Christian I will give you one of my favorite quotes... " He will not give your more then you can bear." Meaning if you feel you are going through a hard time no matter how hard it is you can handle it.

You will face resistance from the people you love and others.

The homeless face a huge stigma meaning it's assuming that all are bums, beggars or mentally ill addicts. While you may be on hard times its all about the choices we make..

In my particular situation I am not homeless I am in fact a van dweller. The difference between me and a large luxury RV is not the size or income its all about the attitude!

" You got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice. "
-Steven D. Woodhull

I am not trying to sell you a bunch of candy covered poo poo. I am telling you that you sometimes cannot control what happens to you but how you react to it is just as important.

I am telling you that some of the poorest ... the most broke people are really the most happiest.

You will notice as you drop out of society that the rules are not applying to you anymore...
Get a job work it 5 days a week until you are worn-out. Only then can you enjoy life

You have been told buy a house... buy a bigger house...

Buy lots of things that fill it up with stuff and when something comes out keep buying... Never stop buying...

These rules work well in our machine society... where you must obey and follow along...

It just occurred to me while making this post the government wants you to live in a home somewhere so you can pay your property taxes!

" Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do then by the ones you did do - So throw off the bowlines. - Sail away from the safe harbor - Catch the trade winds in your sales - explore. Dream. Discover " - Mark Twain

I will go over the reasons you should live life in your vehicle ( I perfer a van ) over other in another blog post. Until then carry a smile in your heart and know that you have a roof over your head that is more then most. Living in a van means you are never homeless.

I want you to put a hand of yours and put it over your heart

Do you feel that ?

Thats called PURPOSE...

There is a reason you are here on this earth... So many people wanted nothing more then to wake up another day alive and couldn't. So many more want to go to sleep and never wake up.

It's the power of choice... the power we all have

I challenge you to find yours... and if anything smile right now if for no other reason then you are alive...

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American Nomads - documentary

A cool BBC Documentary called America Nomads. People who roam the South West free from the bonds and chains of normal every day life

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44 Ways to Organize Your Camper

An RV is the ultimate tiny-living space. Meticulous organization will make a carefree life on the road that much more comfortable. 

Click on the image below to see them all 

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Working Full Time and Underemployed

Full Time Worker living in a van in Santa Monica CNN Reorts -




 

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Pick Up Truck Living

Came across a great resource for living in your truck

Be sure to check out the site here

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Medical Supplies Beyond the basic first aid kit

Being that I am a Emergency Medical Technician I cannot express to you the need to carry a First Aid Kit if not for you then for someone that is in dire need...

Relatively inexpensive they can be mounted virtually everywhere  but we are talking about survival here...

Is this over doing it maybe... but I plan of having a little more in my kit then just band aids and tape

Pick your bag hard case or soft case Bass Pro Shop or the like we are going to make sure we are ready for almost anything. Start with a couple of items a week or month and add to it when ever possible. 

• an assortment of adhesive bandages
• gauze pads
• safety pins
• adhesive tape
• antibiotic
• antiseptic and hydrocortisone creams
• insect sting relief pads
• cotton balls
• cotton swabs
• Vaseline
• pain relievers
• digital thermometer
• tweezers
• scissors
• a needle
• hand sanitizer
• saline solution.
• CPR MASK 

If you have children around Include children's versions of the above, if applicable. Such as baby and children's pain relievers, prescribed medications, Benadryl spray, a syringe or medicine cup for administering medications, and baby wipes.

Don't forget the items for more concerning injuries. These items should include hot and cold packs, disposable synthetic gloves, a disposable mask, a suction bulb, anti-diarrheal medication, eye wash, and plastic bags for disposing unhygienic items.

Add personal items that your family is bound to need. Examples include baby products, allergy and asthma medications, motion sickness medication, and an Epi-Pen.

Pack an emergency blanket and water close to your first aid kit, if you have the room.

Make room for a lite stick, flashlight, and call police flag, just in case you get stranded on the side of the road. A prepaid emergency cell phone can also be included. Remember any cell phone even one with turned off service can still call 911 keep one with a charger...

Keep extra batteries for the flashlight 

I will show my personal kit for my car at a later time. 

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7 tips to keep yourself under the radar

Be discreet...

Keeping your situation under wraps minimizes the embarrassment and helps avoid becoming a target for police officers and criminals alike.

• Rotate among several parking locations to avoid getting noticed. I travel to a different spot every day of the week. 
• When you move around in the parked car, move slowly to avoid rocking the car. (take the antenna off when you park it moves a lot when the car does) 
• Consider using a car cover. Not only will it maintain privacy (especially since condensation on the windows will otherwise make it obvious that you're in there) but it will also keep the car warmer during winter. This is not a viable option, however, when it's hot outside.
• When it's sunny in the daytime, use a sunshade for the windshield.
• You may find that you need and want more privacy than windows offer. There are a few cheap ways to gain this privacy. Reflective window shades in your back and front window help. Similarly fold up shades on the side windows are good. You can also buy some cheap cloth and either stuff them in the windows, tape them in, or hold them in place by magnets. Black cloth is best for privacy and blocking out light.
• If you can afford it, and local laws allow, and you don't mind driving with it, get your windows tinted as dark as legally possible. This along with the front sunshade and dark cloth or towels can provide a lot of privacy. If you hang a towel or cloth on a untinted window, it screams homeless person. You hang the same on a tinted window it'll be impossible to see inside and won't draw attention.  If you can see curtains form the outside of your vehicle it screams homeless! 
• Keep the windows cracked open while you sleep, not wide enough for someone to reach in, but enough to allow fresh air and reduce condensation on the windows.

If you would have a question that would like to get answered then ask here... 

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Half Homeless - Documentary

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To Park or Not to park that is the question

One of your most immediate needs will be finding some place safe to park. 

In there are  many laws against sleeping in your car.

In some places it is illegal to sleep in your car. 

 Generally I have found that local councils near surf beaches have laws against people sleeping in cars. 

If you are in the USA I highly recommend you check out http://www.parkfreeovernight.com/ It has a great searchable database of free places to sleep overnight for free. Some places I have slept in my car include:

• Barbecues and pubic toilets are good resources, so if you can find a location to park near to either of these, use it.
• Quiet industrial estates or small shopping centers. Especially small ones near populated areas. They are usually deserted at night, and quiet due to being near houses.
• Boat ramps. It is not unusual for boaties to head out early, or to stay overnight. I've never been questioned, but my prepared story has been that my buddies were out fishing and I was waiting for them to arrive back in the morning.
• Railway stations. Many towns around have commuter rail service and Amtrak stations. The stations though still have parking lots which are rarely used at night.
• Quiet back streets. Usually only good for one night. Quiet suburban streets are not too bad if you pull in and keep quiet. ( beware neighbors might call on you to police ) 
• Church parking lots. Not good on Sundays, but most week nights you will have no problems. Most churches around here only open on Sundays, so you generally will not be noticed on week nights. I don't know about other towns or countries. Generally though I expect that if you are noticed, that you could explain your situation and ask if it is okay to park in their car park. If worse comes to worse they will say no, but they might also give you some assistance.
• If you are in rural areas, camp sites and camp grounds may be an option. The cost can be weighed against the fact that you have a right to be there and can not be hassled by cops, unless you are a pain, which I expect most people are not.
• National parks. The rental on national park camping sites is often ridiculously cheap. Sure, there rarely is showers or hot water. But most sites I have been to do have water and toilets. Plus most are very quiet and usually don't have many people to hassle you.
• Public barbecues. Most of the time I tend to camp near parks with public barbecues. It makes it easy to cook dinner. Plus few people frequent parks after dark, so I am rarely interrupted.
• Truck stops. These can be noisy, so they are not up there on my choice of places to sleep. You can usually top up on water and pay for a shower there though.
• Highway rest stops. Now these are good. If you use ear plugs to block out white noise many highway rest stops are a good place to sleep. At least this is the case in the US.
• Police stations. You'd be surprised by how friendly police can be, especially in country towns. If you've lived in the town for years, the local police may have suggestions on a safe place to park.
• Universities. If there is free parking use it. If you are a student, get a parking permit.

Some bad places to park.

• Hospitals. I've never done this. Hospitals tend to frown upon people sleeping in their car parks and many of them have security.
• Airports. Once again, they tend to have security, parking fees and can be noisy If you are parking near the terminal, you can expect security will want to know what you are doing.
• Schools. Bad bad idea. You don't want to be picked up for being a potential pedophile.
• Shopping centers. Lots of people may have read about Walmart offering free parking in their parking lots for overnighters. Shopping centers tend to be noisy They have trucks loading food and goods in the morning. They have shoppers at all times of the day. They attract kids and teenagers. They usually have security who will ask you what you are doing. Trust me, I've been there, done that. Shopping centers / malls are not an ideal choice.
  In the USA however, the Walmart is a good option, as they often allow free, legal overnight parking in their lots.

Getting to the parking site.

Take care of eating and going to the toilet before you park if parking in a residential area. You want to go to the toilet as close to the time you go to sleep, so it is best to use a toilet just before moving to where you park. Having to go to the toilet at night can be inconvenient and difficult.

It is best to arrive late in the day, park, and then remain silent and quiet. If you are parked in a residential street, don't do anything to alert the people there that you are living in you car. Mostly, don't do anything to annoy the residents like make a lot of noise. In places away from people, you can of course use your lights, play music but don't over do it. If you can get permission to park some where, then you should feel free to make reasonable noise and show reasonable lighting if you need to. I've heard of some planned parking arrangements in the US now as the number of people living in cars has risen due to the financial crisis and foreclosures.

When you park, think about which direction the sun is coming from. In summer, you may want to seek out a shaded spot to help keep cool. In winter, you might want to seek a sunny spot, and face the car into the sun to allow as much heat in through the windscreen. Generally though, you should face the car so that you can drive forward out of the place you are parked in. In an emergency, you don't want to have to back up to leave. Some people say it is best to leave the keys in the ignition while others say it is best not to. Me, I have found I have felt safer with the keys in my pocket, or close to the ignition where people can not see it. When I slept away from towns I did not always block out the windows, so the keys would be out of the ignition. When I sleep with privacy curtains I leave the keys in the ignition.

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Start Here Your Beginning

So you found yourself by here either by choice or not...

Use the search bar to type in what you are looking for... chances are its here.

I am updating this as it goes... I want to try to help as many people as possible when it comes to finding out the information they need...
This site has a overall theme to be self sufficant, unplug from the grid, be part or full nomadic and not conforming to the traditional lifestyle of having 4 walls a picket fence and a 2 car garage.



I am always looking for ideas things that can help other
please leave a comment and don't forget to sign up on the right to stay connected...

Living out of your vehicle is mostly a last resort for some... I tend to think of as living on the edge of society... Some people cannot live without the modern "Keeping up with the Jones" lifestyle.

I beg to get yourself unplugged what  you have been told your whole life and go explore your state your country. The people you meet the places you go the people you see you will never forget it...



Send me your questions... Chances are it can use a blog post or video... If you have any questions fill out the contact form.

This site will eventually evolve and change but for now its pretty basic...

I appreciate your comments and recommendations.

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