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van life: the beginning With a few weeks under my tires, and some pretty foul weather coming this week, I thought I’d write about how being homeless and living in a van has been so far. This last weekend I spent the majority of my time in the apartment of a friend who was gone with his family for a few days. It was my first taste of normalcy since officially declaring my van as home, and I’ll admit it felt a bit odd at times. I caught myself longing for my vehicle more than I would have anticipated, but equally reticent to return to it once Sunday arrived. The irony is that my days spent in the apartment were sunny and warm, but now that I’m back in the van there’s a storm advisory threatening low temperatures. As I sit here and write this, it is colder outside than it is in my mini fridge. I woke this morning to a light version of frozen rain. By the end of the day I’d actually witnessed a hail storm, but I also saw the sunshine more than once. All of this is to say that I am doing my best to remain comfortable, but nighttime is the worst. I go to sleep and it’s perhaps 50 / fifty degrees in the van but when I wake up in the middle of the night it has sometimes dropped as much as 20 / twenty degrees. That’s what it’s like in the mornings right now. I wear multiple layers of clothing to bed, and soon enough I am pulling my blanket over my entire body to trap in the heat from my breath. It’s unpleasant but not horrible. The upsides to van life increase as I get used to it. The level of noise I no longer have to deal with is surprising, and if I’m not too stubborn I can simply start the vehicle and drive away if something does come up. This morning I found myself irritated by the horrific buzz of a leaf blower, and at first I was determined to remain where I was parked and deal with it, then decided it was better to just drive a few blocks away and come back later. It worked pretty well too. I’ll admit the leaf blower was still running when I returned, but I was able to exit the vehicle and go inside a building where it could not be heard. That sort of flexibility is key to attaining the kind of positivity I’m trying to be content with for now. When I get a job, the places I park will change. Unless I find something in the area, chances are I’ll be searching for a new spot to stay while I am sleeping. So far I’ve been frequenting some of the same places, while trying to still remain unobtrusive, and there have been no confrontations. Nobody has asked me why I’ve parked on the side of the street for the last few weeks, but it’s bound to happen sooner or later. My hope is to find a less conspicuous spot once the weather gets warmer, and I can go scouting on my bicycle. Driving around looking for the perfect place to park would not be good for my pocketbook, which gets a little lighter every day. This is not, by any means, an unpleasant experience. Sure there are moments of discomfort, maybe even misery, but they are brief compared to the lighter, brighter, calmer moments I am able to enjoy. Sounds don’t plague me nearly as much as they were, and my overall attitude remains upbeat. I’m convinced that if I just persevere the job thing will fall into place, and if that does happen the next step is to find a companion. I’d very much like to get me a girlfriend but if I have to settle for a furry friend I will. I am so damn lonely…  |
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