It’s been five days now, and I have no regrets at all! I don’t worry about where I’m going to sleep too much anymore. I haven’t been disturbed, but have slept peacefully each night. It’s been quiet during the night, and I’ve gotten better at my evening/night/morning routine.
Things that can use improvement include not eating out so much. I’ve found this to be a little more difficult than anticipated. For one thing, in order to use a restroom in the evening to prepare myself for the night, I feel like I need to buy something. This puts me in a place to have an evening snack at Starbucks. Last night, I just ordered passion tea though, and that was fine, it’s just that I don’t want to spend an excessive money on these kinds of things. The idea is to save money so I can do the things that are important to me… and that doesn’t include Starbucks. Tonight I might try just using a gas station bathroom, but these are usually much dirtier than the one at Starbucks. I don’t know… maybe it’s worth it to buy something small at Starbucks.
The eating out problem is compounded with a need to charge my cell phone in the evening. This is also something I can do at Starbucks. Both of these problems will be somewhat ameliorated when I get some way of having some power in my van that doesn’t use my car battery, and when I get an ice chest. I’m planning to get a high quality ice chest, which is why I haven’t done it yet. They’re quite expensive. Also, I don’t quite understand about house batteries in vehicles yet, which is why I haven’t purchased anything to date.
Another issue is that during the week, I need something to do between the time I get out of work and the time I park to sleep. What I’ve been doing is sitting in my van in a parking lot at a strip mall and playing a game on my phone. This wasn’t my intention. And it is this that leads me to needing to charge my phone at Starbucks before sleeping. I’m sure that things will shift and I’ll settle into something more meaningful as I become adjusted to this life.
I did end up getting a storage space. There isn’t as much room in the van as I anticipated, so I’m planning to stop by the storage space to choose what I’m going to wear for the next week on Fridays. I’ve got the shower thing down, because there is a gym at work – I work at a University – and it opens at 6:00 AM.
This is all a learning process, but I’m still really excited about it! Maybe I’ll be inspired to write a real blog rather than just talking about my experiences.
Can you charge your phone at work? Can you get rid of some apps so the phone’s battery will last longer?
Is there a public or university library you could hang out at before bedtime? Libraries are great because you don’t have to buy anything, they have restrooms, and many of them have electrical outlets where you could charge up your phone. Also, libraries don’t get suspicious if they see the same people every night.
I’m glad things are going well for you!
LikeLike
There is a library. I didn’t think about that, but that’s a great solution. Thanks for bringing that up Blaize.
As far as people getting suspicious – there is part of me that does care if they start to wonder about me coming in every night or every morning at Starbucks, but on the other hand… I’m a paying customer. Their restrooms are specifically for the use of paying customers. I’m not making a mess, and I’m not taking my sweet time in the restroom. What I do outside of Starbucks isn’t their business.
LikeLike
Glad the suggestion to go to the library was useful.
Your post has inspired me to write a long post on my blog about restrooms, electrical outlets, and hanging out before bed. May I include a link to this post of yours?
It may be some time before I get the post up. It’s only been outlined, not written, and I may not have internet access again for a while. But I think it is a good topic that I have experience with and folks might be interested in.
Cheers!
LikeLike
Absolutely you are welcome to link, and I eagerly await your post on these topics!
I did go to the library last night, and it really was the perfect solution. I was able to sit and charge my phone, and watch netflix (I’ve been watching The Borgias – a showtime series) before bed. I was also able to wash up and brush my teeth before bed there, so it was a one-stop solution. If I wanted to just relax and read before bed, I could do that there too.
LikeLike
I suggest purchasing a mountable solar panel system. I’ve never heard of a person mounting it to a vehicle, but I imagine it would be quite easy. If all else fails, you can visit your local outdoors store (REI, Cabelas, Bass Pro) and purchase a photovoltaic (solar powered) cell capable of charging a phone. A nice model would run less than $70.00USD. One high-efficiency solar panel could easily be mounted to the van using uni-strut. In fact, I purchased a solar-powered outdoor shower the other day for 90 dollars. It works quite nice. I would much prefer for cleansing than a disgusting public bathroom. Good luck!
LikeLike
I really want to do something like purchase a solar panel. The problem is that, I don’t even understand what people are saying when they talk about solar and battery power… it goes right through my head. I’m going to have to have someone do it for me I think. Because yes, that’s my intention.
LikeLike
I am finally working on the long post about electricity, restrooms, and WiFi. I am hoping the first part will run December 16 and the second part on the next day.
LikeLike
Nice! That’s definitely something I could use more information about! I love your posts by the way. Makes me want to quit my job and work at campgrounds! Not that it’s a real option for me, but I would love that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the kind words about my posts. Part 1 is scheduled to run on the 16th and Part 2 on the 17th. And maybe someday you CAN work as a camp host. There’s a lot I like about the job…
LikeLike
3 Pingbacks
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
Categories
Meta
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
Categories
Meta