This is a story all about how my life got complicated and I ended up in the Midwest. No really, it is an interesting story and not at all how I thought my dive into the wonderful world of nomadic living would begin.
My boyfriend of almost 2 years cited “my depression was too hard to deal with” and dumped me. I needed to figure out a new living situation. But that did not really sit well with me.
Fast Forward Through Trauma
The idea of “tiny living” came back to me after I got into a better headspace. I had been interested in it ever since I had become homeless the first time. Faced with the idea of being homeless for the third time in my adult life (not to mention multiple times as a child), I decided to go for it. I auctioned off my belongings on eBay. Then I scoured Craigslist, RV Trader, the classifieds in the local paper, went to Camping World (please don’t ever buy from them), and then I found my beautiful Shasta. I saved up for three months and bought her.
Luckily the person selling her and I worked out a payment plan. I had planned to fully remodel her, but couch-surfing became a problem. Before I knew it, I was living in her full time, and the repair wasn’t even finished. It was a thrown together, half-done job, but she was livable.
I started out camping in a friend’s driveway, paying a small portion of rent in exchange for electricity, internet, and water. Texas was bad for me and I needed to leave. Everywhere I went there were memories of my ex, which led to panic attacks and breakdowns, and I had family begging me to come back home because of my mental health.
So I hitched up the camper, took the pup I found on a road trip a few months before and drove from Texas to Nebraska in 2 days. It was an exciting drive and go figure as soon as I got to Nebraska my family acted like they had no clue I was coming. In fact, they wouldn’t allow me to even stay with them. I barely had any money left, and I couldn’t believe the family that said, “come on up” was saying, “sorry, turn around.“
There was one family member I could count on, but she lived an hour away in Iowa in the smallest of Midwest small towns about 10 miles from where I grew up. So I hitched the camper and took off again.
1 Year Anniversary Of Midwest Camper Life
I’ve almost been camping out in the Midwest for a year, and things are going okay. I am, of course, itching to move on, and I am sure my cousin wants her yard back. I’ve compiled a list of things I would do differently after my first year of full-time camper living.
- I would have gotten a mini-fridge sooner.
- I would have tried to finish remodeling her before the winter hit.
- I would have gotten rid of more stuff.
- I would have found a better way to incorporate the dog’s crate with the remodel.
The camper has no bathroom by the way. I have a 5 gal bucket with a trash bag liner and a toilet seat for comfort. Inside, there are compostable bags with the gel. I dispose of the bags once full. For washing I have a portable water can that I use to fill a 6 gal jug. There is one for grey water and one for drinking water. I wash myself with a hose attachment to the sink and dump my water at the dump station in town. Then I use my cousins bathroom about once a week when I also do laundry to minimize the amount I impose on her. And that’s it! That is how I live in a camper in the Midwest full time.
Are you full time?
Is there something you would do differently?
Mention it in the comments.