how’s it goin, vandwellers?
probably not so well. gyms are closed. most state parks, closed.
libraries, bars, closed.
lots of people are unable to work. everyone is practicing social distancing. which i find fascinating because i’ve been practicing social distancing since 3rd grade and i’m happy to see everyone else finally catching on.
fortunately, i’m largely unaffected. my family has been generous enough to allow me to use their shower. i can continue to work so long as i’m not sick so i still have income as long as usps or ups doesn’t stop running. or martial law takes place.
if that actually happens, geez. let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
i wanna talk a little bit about being safe physically, mentally, and financially during all of this craziness.
number one, if you’re in isolation with children right now, i feel for you, chaka khan.
someone told me today, “wow blue, you’re not stuck in quarantine with children, you don’t know how lucky you are.”
oh yes. yes i do know how lucky i am. i’ve been childfree for 30-something years now. this was deliberate. i know how lucky i am, i chose this life.
so, although i don’t know how you feel because it’s been a long time since i was stuck all summer babysitting my baby brothers, i empathize, and i hope this is temporary.
not being able to go places like the library, the movies, the mall – that creates a lot of pent up energy. your kids friends are probably not letting them play with your kids, and you likely wouldn’t let them anyway because the doctor is expensive, and now’s not the time to take a wild guess on whether or not your child has COVID-19 or allergies.
if you’re vandwelling and your regular overnight spots are state parks, you’re shit out of luck right now. some RV parks are closing as well and regular 24 hour spots like walmart are limiting their hours too, so it might be more difficult to sleep overnight right now.
if you have any experience with this right now, let me know. i had a staycation planned prior to this stupid outbreak, but i decided it wasn’t worth the risk so i stayed home, and now many parks are closed.
some national parks are still open, and those that are i think are waiving entrance fees.
another reason i am grateful for having a more stealth vehicle. i don’t stand out as someone who is moving from place to place, so it’s not as pertinent for me to stay at campgrounds, unless i’m roadtripping. and now is not a good time to be roadtripping, if i had to take a guess.
grocery store hours are limited, which has somewhat put a damper in my cooking plans. i usually hit up heb before work, but since most stores don’t open until 7 or 8, i have to find another time to go.
i didn’t realize how bad it was since i hadn’t needed to hit up a store, but this past friday, i went into foodarama after passing every other grocery store for being too damn packed.
i couldn’t get everything i needed, so i’m considering how to simplify my eating habits, introducing more canned and dry goods, less fresh stuff. at least for now.
minimalist dieting. i guess it’s time to give that one a second look.
planet fitness. closed. i know a lot of you rely on your gym memberships for a clean place to shower and perhaps get a workout in, and that is out the window for now. hopefully you all are learning to adapt, at least temporarily.
i’m lucky enough to have some family who is cool with letting me shower at their place, so i haven’t been affected too badly. i imagine if that was not an option for me, i have enough space now in the van for a makeshift spongebath area ever since i finally built that perpendicular platform bed i wanted. best upgrade ever.
it’s not ideal, but again, you gotta do what you gotta do. it’s good to be inconvenienced. you can only grow and learn a little more about yourself in the process.
libraries are closed, so if you used libraries as a spot to work or give yourself more space, then you’re probably burning up right now, especially if you’re vandwelling with kids.
with all this social distancing, everyone is sure to get some cabin fever soon. i made a comment the other day that the number of murder-suicides are gonna start sprouting up soon, and i just read a local story in the news this morning, so here we are.
the pro is stuff like outdoor hikes are encouraged so you don’t NEED to be pent up in your vehicle all day long. find a nice park to take a walk or a bike ride, practice a safe distance between you and people. use common sense. don’t stay inside until it culminates to annoyance and frustration.
to those fortunate enough to have children right now, wow i bet you guys are thriving. hopefully you are spending your time being creative, meditating, creating, trippin through space, anything constructive. if you’re working from home, congratulations, you are the luckiest motherfucker in the world right now.
if you’ve been sent home or laid off because your job is “non-essential” or your employer sucks, i’m really sorry. the way your company treats you in a time of crisis is an important indicator of their character. i know shit is hard, but this shows how ill-prepared we ALL are.
please don’t allow yourself to be a victim of circumstances. while everyone is a standstill, let’s gather our bearings and put together a long term plan.
i’ve been thinking long and hard about how soon i want to buy land. it’s the only thing they’re not making any more of, and if i have a nice chunk of unrestricted land, i can at least have somewhere safe to lay my head and build a small compound for myself and my loved ones.
or i could use my land to house other vandwellers like myself, people who use a small footprint. give them somewhere to stay while rv parks and campgrounds are closing all over the place.
this is either a piece of cake, a major inconvenience, or a complete disaster, depending on who is listening to this. i know everyone is affected differently, so i can’t say how someone with more to lose should act in these circumstances. i’m not you. but use common sense. no fear mongering, no excessive panic. no spreading misinformation, and cover your fucking mouth when you cough. why is that so hard for some of you?
this dumb fuck next to me at the movie theater 2 weeks ago wouldn’t stop coughing, both him and his girl. i swear to god i wanted to knock the icee out of both their mouths.
if you’re sick, stay home. don’t go to the grocery store. send your kid and make sure you tell them to stop picking their butt in front of other people or someone is going to douse them with lysol. it ain’t a good look.
all right, pause what you’re doing, and go rate me on itunes. go on… i’ll wait.
don’t forget to check out ramblinvanradio.com for FREE internet radio 24/7, handcurated by myself. this my pet project for the time being, so go listen to me talk to myself between songs.
i love all of you. every single one of you who download my podcast, those who send in an email every so often. this situation has made the outside world a lot quieter, so it’s somewhat easier to record podcasts some days, so hopefully i can keep this up a while, we shall see.
be safe out there. don’t hoard shit. listen to some good audiobooks. record a song. write a prisoner. these are only a few of my favorite pastimes, so try not to steal them all at once, all right?
now get outta here before i pull the lysol out.