Wandering Artist's Journal

Coming to you from my internet cafe. Only open from 4am-7am. I’ve been in Redwood City, CA for the last few weeks. My brother is a full-time RVer and he’s agreed to help me finish the van buildout. Since I got here the van buildout has gotten more expansive, involving a lot of electrical substructure, maximum insulation, a big air conditioner, solar panels, a rooftop passive solar water heater, a shower, and so forth. I’m realizing this phase of the van buildout is going to take longer than I had anticipated, and the plans going forward are in flux. I have a feeling I won’t make it to the East Coast this Fall. I’d like to spend the Winter in LA, but I’m not making any plans until I get a better handle on this current process. This process is challenging. But then, Life has been challenging for the last several years. Living in a van under construction is different in the specifics but not in the physical, mental, emotional requirements. The good news is that I’m still up...

Almost two years since my last posting here. What a journey - but it’s mostly been interior progress. Nothing to report. (Unless you’re a recent widow. In which case, let’s talk.) Let me just cut to the chase - I bought a van, moved into it (yes, I’m living full-time in the van) and I’m moving in increasingly larger concentric circles as I spiral out from Reno. This blog is written for family and friends and I’m blessed to have many of them, scattered all over the world, mostly on this continent, and mostly on the coasts. I plan to visit all of them in the next year or two, or however long it takes. This is NOT going to be one of those “how to live in a van” blogs. I think that territory has been covered. This blog is a means of updating people who care about me. A cargo van, built to suit me, is just a tiny house on wheels. I know some of you are worried - how can an old lady do this all alone? Relax. My basic needs are met - a safe, comfortable place to live, dream, re...