Well, my land search has been fairly fruitless. Everything in my budget either restricts RVs and livestock, or it's in the middle of the desert. I'm tempted to spend the money on the van instead, upgrading some parts and building the interior features. Then set aside my $2,000 max and maybe apply for a realty loan later on. Plus I have a few bills I really want to pay off...
Hmm...
My mom does not like this idea, but it would allow me to have more safety on the road, better security features (4 point security cameras? Hell yes.) and I'd have a little bit of gas money for traveling for a few months. I wasn't planning on traveling, but it's something I've always wanted to do. I've never seen the east coast and I have some friends there I'd love to meet.
I'm gonna take a step back and meditate about it.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Limited Options
Most of the lower priced land I've been looking at comes with HOA regulations that restricts RVs and Campers. Ugh. I'm having troubles finding anything within the north western US that is within my budget. There are some options if I go coastal, but that's far away from family. So I'm going to start looking at south western areas. The traveling convenience is the same, but insanely hot in the summertime. I probably wouldn't stay at a south western lot year round. This means if I get any animals they will either have to travel with me or be scheduled for butchering at the end of every year.
I'll look into more land options tomorrow. But for now, a quick tour of the new van!
Sarah loves it.
There are a couple spots of wear damage, but they are easy to fix. The biggest one is a tear in the front seat. I can replace it with one of the middle seats, no problem. Especially since I won't be using them anyway!
Removing the middle seats will make room for storage. It's a good spot since it's next to the fuse box, so hopefully setting up electrical for appliances won't be too difficult. *crosses fingers*
Sarah thinks she owns the place.
Her new favorite spot. She likes to act as a watchdog here at night.
The van is very spacious, and already watertight, so I'm adverse to making too many modifications to it. I love it as is and it's already road ready.
In unrelated news, my main laptop died. I'm trying to fix it quickly since I was in the middle of an art commission. Replacing it would cost around $1,000, which is a number that I didn't have in my current budget. I'm hoping that looking for land in cheaper areas might give me some wiggle room to get a new one and to get some other amenities like a fridge, microwave, and solar panels. It would be good to have those at the beginning of the journey instead of saving up as I go.
I always figure it out. *hugs* Love you!!
-Tes
I'll look into more land options tomorrow. But for now, a quick tour of the new van!
There are a couple spots of wear damage, but they are easy to fix. The biggest one is a tear in the front seat. I can replace it with one of the middle seats, no problem. Especially since I won't be using them anyway!
The van is very spacious, and already watertight, so I'm adverse to making too many modifications to it. I love it as is and it's already road ready.
I always figure it out. *hugs* Love you!!
-Tes
Friday, August 5, 2016
First Step
The first step toward my new free-spirit lifestyle is obtaining a vehicle. As fortune would have it, I found the perfect one! I've been keeping an eye on vans and RVs for ages. The main feature I need being a comfortable bed. When I lived in my Honda Civic, every space was used and I never found myself wanting... with the exception of a long flat surface to sleep on. Sleeping in a car chair is never comfortable.
I was also hoping to find a rig that already had a fridge, however finding one within my budget has proven impossible. So I decided to settle and instead looked for something well cared for, durable, and with an already established electrical setup to make solar easier. I can live without a fridge for a few months.
Behold!
And thus a dream began to take form.
This beauty was a little tough to get. I had seen a number of options locally which had met my specifications and my budget (including a beautiful white one that I fell in love with on sight), however they seemed to get snatched up faster than I could travel to them. So I had to go a few cities out to get this van.
We had an exciting train ride out for a few hours. Sarah, my Service Dog, did an impeccable job. I expected her to be a bit uncomfortable, but in contrast to bus rides, the train was as smooth as boating on a calm lake. She did very well and even slept for a small part of the trip.
The family selling the van was absolutely adorable. I managed to haggle them down about $150, but even so still ended up paying $150 more than it was worth on Blue book. With the scarcity of the van, I was ok paying a little extra to get exactly what I was looking for. By the end of the excursion, Sarah was exhausted.
The interior of the van is beautiful and very well maintained, with few defects. The engine is also well cared for and passed emissions like a boss. It did fail the initial safety inspection because the rear brakes were out of alignment, but I've got it all fixed up and the paperwork is ready to go. Monday I'll get it registered and fully official. I'll post pics of the interior later. It's a bit to soon to make any modifications since I'm pinching pennies for the land plot, but I gotta say, things are going smoother than I expected.
Makes my spidey sense tingle. I wonder what's waiting around the bend? Hopefully, more good news.
As for land, I have a couple plots in mind, but it's difficult with my limited budget. There are a couple plots in the mountains that I'm considering. However, because of my budget I will have to deal with some kind of land issue, either very sandy or salty soil structure, a flood zone, or a steep incline (maybe all of it together). I have enough money left over after the van to buy the land outright as long as there aren't any hidden fees (unlikely). Here are two of the plots I'm considering in the mountains:
A relatively flat surface for both, but one is on a road called "Quick Sand" soo.... May not be what I'm looking for. lol
They are both modest, size-wise. I'll never really need more than .25 acres, unless I decide to go full goat ranch, which is more work than I want. Unfortunately, the land size is too small to have livestock, but I'm hoping that I can get an exemption for 2 pygmy goats since I'll be keeping them more as pets than anything. *crosses fingers*
So, lots of exciting progress! w00t! I love my new van baby. I think I'll call her Big Bertha. Always wanted to use that name for something other than my left boob.
-Tes
I was also hoping to find a rig that already had a fridge, however finding one within my budget has proven impossible. So I decided to settle and instead looked for something well cared for, durable, and with an already established electrical setup to make solar easier. I can live without a fridge for a few months.
Behold!
This beauty was a little tough to get. I had seen a number of options locally which had met my specifications and my budget (including a beautiful white one that I fell in love with on sight), however they seemed to get snatched up faster than I could travel to them. So I had to go a few cities out to get this van.
We had an exciting train ride out for a few hours. Sarah, my Service Dog, did an impeccable job. I expected her to be a bit uncomfortable, but in contrast to bus rides, the train was as smooth as boating on a calm lake. She did very well and even slept for a small part of the trip.
The family selling the van was absolutely adorable. I managed to haggle them down about $150, but even so still ended up paying $150 more than it was worth on Blue book. With the scarcity of the van, I was ok paying a little extra to get exactly what I was looking for. By the end of the excursion, Sarah was exhausted.
The interior of the van is beautiful and very well maintained, with few defects. The engine is also well cared for and passed emissions like a boss. It did fail the initial safety inspection because the rear brakes were out of alignment, but I've got it all fixed up and the paperwork is ready to go. Monday I'll get it registered and fully official. I'll post pics of the interior later. It's a bit to soon to make any modifications since I'm pinching pennies for the land plot, but I gotta say, things are going smoother than I expected.
Makes my spidey sense tingle. I wonder what's waiting around the bend? Hopefully, more good news.
As for land, I have a couple plots in mind, but it's difficult with my limited budget. There are a couple plots in the mountains that I'm considering. However, because of my budget I will have to deal with some kind of land issue, either very sandy or salty soil structure, a flood zone, or a steep incline (maybe all of it together). I have enough money left over after the van to buy the land outright as long as there aren't any hidden fees (unlikely). Here are two of the plots I'm considering in the mountains:
They are both modest, size-wise. I'll never really need more than .25 acres, unless I decide to go full goat ranch, which is more work than I want. Unfortunately, the land size is too small to have livestock, but I'm hoping that I can get an exemption for 2 pygmy goats since I'll be keeping them more as pets than anything. *crosses fingers*
So, lots of exciting progress! w00t! I love my new van baby. I think I'll call her Big Bertha. Always wanted to use that name for something other than my left boob.
-Tes
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
The Beginning as the End
Today is the first day in the last 11 months that I have not wanted to kill myself.
The beginning of every new adventure starts at the end of an old one. My last adventure was a struggle, so I'm pretty happy to be rid of it. In 4 months I tried to kill myself 4 times.
First a little history about me.
I was abused by my father for several years of my childhood. When I finally sent him to prison I became a social reject, at least, more so than I was before. A lifetime has passed since then, friends have come and gone. I've been abandoned many times. But I know I will eventually find a new set of friendly faces.
Because of the trauma I experienced I have a severe mental disability called Agoraphobia. Literally it means "fear of the marketplace", but in practice it is a widespread fear of anything outside your comfort zone. I'm afraid of mosquitoes, leeches, certain sections of the freeway, men, confrontation, large crowds, small crowded spaces, touch, loud noises, and so much more.
About a year ago I lost my part time job. Shortly after, my best friends stopped contact with me, telling me not to visit without giving me a reason why. After months of waiting for them to tell me what was happening, I finally decided to approach them. I found out that a certain member of their family had accused me of stealing something. This person had a distaste for me and had been trying to alienate me for quite some time.
I didn't steal from them. But he made them think I did, so I lost them.
The sudden and complete loss of all my friends put me in the hospital for suicide. After this my psychologist convinced me to finally apply for Disability (he's been wanting me to get on the program for years). Two weeks after the hospital, I made my second suicide attempt. It's a good thing I'm so scared of death, or I wouldn't be alive right now.
My third attempt happened 2 months ago, when my partner broke up with me... Another loss in this already fucked up year. And my fourth attempt was last week, the day before I was approved for Disability. It seemed the world was breaking. I was getting numerous calls from bill collectors, panic attacks 3 times a day, and a shroud of loneliness and despair enveloped me.
I'm a shitty suicidal, at least, shitty at the follow-through. But I'm glad. Today I am very glad. Maybe not entirely happy, depression has always lingered with my list of numerous mental disabilities. But I don't want to kill myself. And for me that's progress.
It is a massive comfort to know that I can finally cover my financial obligations. Unfortunately, my benefits are still very low, and they keep me in an extreme state of poverty. To combat this I will be going homeless at the end of October. I've been homeless before, and it will be my 3rd time embarking on this adventure. I love the lifestyle, I love the freedom, and mostly I love how well it mitigates my disability.
When I lived in an apartment, my apartment was my safe space. I can only travel a few blocks from my safe space. But when I lived in my car, my safe space moved with me. It made me free. And this time, I'm going to do much better with a larger vehicle.
SSDI does something called backpay, which is a lump sum of money that they allot you for your time waiting for Disability approval. It will be enough for me to invest in a camper van, and might even be enough for a small plot of land if I can find something. In an ideal world, I would put this money into a savings account to buy a home or a condo later on. However, after 6 months if I have money left over it disqualify me for other benefits, namely Medicaid.
So I'm forced to spend my benefits within the next 6 months. All part of the poverty trap. But I have a plan. A tiny plan. My first goal is a camper van, my next goal is a plot of land, and from there I can invest man hours and free resources into infrastructure that will convert my land into an urban farm with chickens and goats. Ultimately, I'd like to build a tiny house. That's about 5 years down the line.
So I figure it's a good time to document my progress. My goals, my life. Future blog posts won't be this personal, but I felt a history of how I got here might be informative. I don't know what group of friends I'm going to encounter next, but I hope they're vagabonds like me.
All I want is a safe haven to call home. A tiny plot of land, a tiny home, a tiny farm. This is my Tiny Dream. And I'm finally waking up.
The beginning of every new adventure starts at the end of an old one. My last adventure was a struggle, so I'm pretty happy to be rid of it. In 4 months I tried to kill myself 4 times.
First a little history about me.
I was abused by my father for several years of my childhood. When I finally sent him to prison I became a social reject, at least, more so than I was before. A lifetime has passed since then, friends have come and gone. I've been abandoned many times. But I know I will eventually find a new set of friendly faces.
Because of the trauma I experienced I have a severe mental disability called Agoraphobia. Literally it means "fear of the marketplace", but in practice it is a widespread fear of anything outside your comfort zone. I'm afraid of mosquitoes, leeches, certain sections of the freeway, men, confrontation, large crowds, small crowded spaces, touch, loud noises, and so much more.
About a year ago I lost my part time job. Shortly after, my best friends stopped contact with me, telling me not to visit without giving me a reason why. After months of waiting for them to tell me what was happening, I finally decided to approach them. I found out that a certain member of their family had accused me of stealing something. This person had a distaste for me and had been trying to alienate me for quite some time.
I didn't steal from them. But he made them think I did, so I lost them.
The sudden and complete loss of all my friends put me in the hospital for suicide. After this my psychologist convinced me to finally apply for Disability (he's been wanting me to get on the program for years). Two weeks after the hospital, I made my second suicide attempt. It's a good thing I'm so scared of death, or I wouldn't be alive right now.
My third attempt happened 2 months ago, when my partner broke up with me... Another loss in this already fucked up year. And my fourth attempt was last week, the day before I was approved for Disability. It seemed the world was breaking. I was getting numerous calls from bill collectors, panic attacks 3 times a day, and a shroud of loneliness and despair enveloped me.
I'm a shitty suicidal, at least, shitty at the follow-through. But I'm glad. Today I am very glad. Maybe not entirely happy, depression has always lingered with my list of numerous mental disabilities. But I don't want to kill myself. And for me that's progress.
It is a massive comfort to know that I can finally cover my financial obligations. Unfortunately, my benefits are still very low, and they keep me in an extreme state of poverty. To combat this I will be going homeless at the end of October. I've been homeless before, and it will be my 3rd time embarking on this adventure. I love the lifestyle, I love the freedom, and mostly I love how well it mitigates my disability.
When I lived in an apartment, my apartment was my safe space. I can only travel a few blocks from my safe space. But when I lived in my car, my safe space moved with me. It made me free. And this time, I'm going to do much better with a larger vehicle.
SSDI does something called backpay, which is a lump sum of money that they allot you for your time waiting for Disability approval. It will be enough for me to invest in a camper van, and might even be enough for a small plot of land if I can find something. In an ideal world, I would put this money into a savings account to buy a home or a condo later on. However, after 6 months if I have money left over it disqualify me for other benefits, namely Medicaid.
So I'm forced to spend my benefits within the next 6 months. All part of the poverty trap. But I have a plan. A tiny plan. My first goal is a camper van, my next goal is a plot of land, and from there I can invest man hours and free resources into infrastructure that will convert my land into an urban farm with chickens and goats. Ultimately, I'd like to build a tiny house. That's about 5 years down the line.
So I figure it's a good time to document my progress. My goals, my life. Future blog posts won't be this personal, but I felt a history of how I got here might be informative. I don't know what group of friends I'm going to encounter next, but I hope they're vagabonds like me.
All I want is a safe haven to call home. A tiny plot of land, a tiny home, a tiny farm. This is my Tiny Dream. And I'm finally waking up.
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