Since the new year, I have stepped up my game at the gym. I’m
up at 4:30am and in the gym by 5:00am. It’s the spin, the weights and machines,
and then into the pool for what I call my “House Laps” with my waterproof MP3 player and
then I hit the showers. I do this 5 days a week.
Swimming and color treated hair are an ever-changing experience.
No matter what size swim cap you wear, your hair is going to get wet. So, you need to condition and color your hair
more often if you are a swimmer that washes her hair every day. The color fades
fast. It costs $90 - $120 at the salon to have your hairdresser do this.
How do you color
your own hair when you live in a van full time and shower at a gym?
It’s too big a pain in ass to ask your friends if you can
use their shower every 4 weeks. Last night I very carefully applied the hair
color to my hair in the van while parked in the parking lot of my 24 hour gym.
I waited 45 minutes and then wrapped up my head in a Durag
and put a leopard print baseball cap on it and strutted my booty into the gym
like a Harlem rapper.
I was lucky enough to find a single private shower stall
that did not share a drain with the shower next door. I got undressed, flung my
clothes and the two clean towels over the tall shower door. There were about
three other ladies in the shower room at the time.
I unwrapped my head and turned on the hot shower and began
to rinse out the deep red auburn hair dye from my glorious soon to be
mane.Some got into my eyes and started
to sting, so I rinsed it out as fast as I could and then opened my eyes and
looked down at the tile floor.
It looked
like a murder scene. Dark red spatters, dripping down the walls, the door and
all over the place.
Alfred Hitchcock would have been proud.
It started to move out from under the shower door and into
the public hallway.Luckily, I was able
to stop it with one of the towels. I washed it all out, cleaned up the shower
stall well. I felt bad about that gym towel I dyed a nice dark pink color, but
it was better than hearing screams from the woman near by at the terrifying
sight of gallons of watered-down blood.
I got dried off and dressed, put the baseball cap back on
it, and strolled out of that gym bathroom like a Queen.
If you are a glamorous person with high standards of personal
hygiene, style, like to stay in shape and must always have fabulous hair...
I saw the Superhero fantasy action adventure Movie AQUAMAN last night and it blew my flippers off.There was one quote that stayed with me all night. It's the scene before Arthur goes to get the Trident...
Arthur: I’m not a king.
Mera: Atlantis has always had a king. Now it needs
something more.
Arthur: But what could be greater than a king?
Atlanna: A hero. A King thinks only of protecting his
kingdom and nation, a Hero thinks of protecting EVERYONE.
I feel like this, like I am a hero in my heart, for the spirit of all humanity.
I have lived a life as a hero of my own journey and have survived
to tell the tale and teach the lessons I have learned.
I went through the
first half of my life exploring what and why I was
here, and suffered much along the journey, but NEVER giving up hope, or
the fight in the pursuit of Truth of Reality of existence and why - searching
for the true Spark of Life, Love, Meaning and taking the long road to get here.
It's not like I know the secrets of the Universe or anything, but if I can help one person who has lost hope, feels trapped and or just can't get out of bed, I GOT SOME GOOD STUFF FOR Y'ALL. I have been there.
I am making it up as I go along just like the rest of you, but I did make it through the full journey with some seriously cool insights that seem to have allowed me to CHANGE MY STARS. I can't believe I am going to say this out loud but, I am grateful
to have gone through my past. It makes more sense now. It's always easier after the fact. I honestly can say I am more present and happy to be alive
than ever in maybe all of my lives.
Fight the good fight. Love yourself through it, that is the
only real way lasting change happens. Work smarter, hustle harder! I think he may be right..."Persistence and endurance will make you omnipotent.” –
Casey Neistat
The wisdom that you experience once you
have connected to yourself and find your true home within You, is hard to describe.
This is why I have the domain name Really Weird Stuff.com. Trying to describe what I have learned over the course of my
life is really weird.
"We run with those who search for the truth and avoid
those who claim they have found it." - Miguel Conner
I have gathered videos, lessons and have found other weirdo’s
who I think have a clue, and are deep in their own quests, and are putting out valuable content, that I do believe
will help you and Everyone alive along their journey. If I know anything it is that, everything is a story.
You are writing the story of You whether you
are aware of it right now or not. Over my life, I learned if I wanted to change my life for the better, I had to believe I could even when I didn't believe in myself. Sometimes that took "Acting as if I were already that," and then behaving every hour as if I was that. Modeling those who had the qualities, talents I admired. Within time, I BECAME THAT.
What part of your story are you in right now? You are not your heritage, your family, your lineage. You
are not your wounds, your scars, you are not what anyone has ever told you...you are.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU
DECIDE, EVERY NEW DAY.
"Write your own gospel and live your own myth, or
someone else will do that for you."
- Miguel Conner
2018 was one of the hardest, most profoundly meaningful and exciting years of my life so far...
I create my own Reality everyday, yet sometimes astrology and numerology seem way to accurate, so I try to keep an open mind with them so I may anticipate the best times to make huge moves on my life path (Timing can be Everything) and use the transits to assist me for pushing beyond my limitations.
Last year I was in my astrological "Saturn Square Saturn", this happens every 7 years. It was also a numerological Personal year of 9. A double whammy of ass kicking and harsh life lessons. AND IT WAS! It was a year of loss in everything that once brought me a sense of safety, joy, and security. Saturn will either kill you or refine you when he comes knocking. And knocking he did, all the way up and down the stairs, the walls, the floor and down in the dirt, over and over...
I lost a job with people I really cared about, my big beautiful home, I got rid of my big stuff, furniture, my huge epic BBQ Smoker, my Gnaughty Gnome Art Car...
I filed chapter 7 bankruptcy and let go of the old IRS debt that had been hanging over me for years...
I lost a little over 45 pounds of body fat and got rid of tons of old clothes...
And as a grand end of year finale, I got rid of the deep big stuff... I finally let go of the anger I had with my mother, and let her go. She passed away years ago... and I was finally able to let go of two of the most toxic once significant people of my life...
Yes, it hurt. It felt like some kind of cosmic hot metal was being pored over every part of me inside and out, burning away the wood, plastic, brick walls, iron doors, the fluffy bunny rainbows of bullshit, old excuses, the stories I used to tell myself, and all of the other old worn out structures I had built that were no longer Real, True or Strong Enough to support the Truth of who I am NOW, TODAY. What was forged of me is now precious metal, and I stand before you, ON FIRE, Golden and New.
When Saturn calls you to the front of the class, you better get up there, and be ready. If you aren't, you must stand up be accountable. You must prove what you are made of. I learned what I am made of and honestly, I kind of shocked myself.
I found the wisdom of the Task Master and his teachings. Saturn clears away the crap so you can build something real and strong for the long haul. I was kinda like Kung-Fu from the television series, but still got my ass handed to me a helluva lot in the process. Instead of judging myself for my failures, or feeling any shame, I accepted my faults and took responsibility for them.
I still was able to stand in front of him, with love in my heart for myself, with all of my flaws, humbled, and he kept testing me, pushing me harder and harder to see if I would crumble. I DID NOT. Not in a stubborn egotistic way, in a fully human open-hearted, non-judgmental, self accepting way.
I guess this is when you know you are no longer depressed. When the actual shit hits all your fans, and you can accept and know you will be okay, all by yourself. No freakout, panic, or residue butt-hurt.
When you can accept all of your fuck-ups and figure out how to make them right the best way you can, and then set a plan and stick to it and know you can count on yourself and at the end of the year you stand on the scale and have proof...
When you finally can stop trying to heal or fix the most fucked up people who you once that thought were the most important ones in your life, and honestly let them go, with peace in your heart...
When you can let go of all of the things or attachments you once had, and still feel whole...
THAT IS A GOOD DAY, AND A GOOD YEAR CONSIDERING YOU GOT A BUNCH OF NEW SCARS.
I am stronger than I thought. I am now lighter, quicker and free to move, pain-free on my feet. I have skills I didn't know I had before this year long life Grand Test. What I lost was nothing to what I have now gained. I think if I had balls, they would be really big and hairy, yet extremely well groomed. 😉
After letting it all go, healing, and redesigning my life, I am grateful for this experience. The freedom of letting go of all of the things that were holding me back is indescribable. The decisions I have made and are undertaking currently are perfect for this brand new year 2019.
It's like the smoke has cleared away and I can see. The legs I stand on today are stronger than ever. I will however, set off metal detectors at the airport with these new bionic knees - but who cares! I am more alive than ever in my life. The groundedness I am now in is powerful. The foundation I am building on now is strong, sound and more realistic and authentic than ever in my life.
I am building a new career and completley new life direction. My giggle is back!
I also feel extra awesome now that my transits have changed for the best in 12 years!
A one pound propane canister that costs $4.99 - $6.99 depending on where you shop, will last for 8 hours full blast on a Coleman 2 burner stove. Think about how long it takes to boil water or make bacon and eggs - NOT LONG.
I have NEVER had a cop knock on my van door. It's because I follow the basic stealth van dweller formula. I park someplace public, beautiful or a spot that gets free WiFi between daylight and 9:00pm. Park in a place where you can make noise inside, open your vents and no one cares. Then when it's time for shut eye, I roll into my sleep spot and go to sleep. I never park in suburbs or near homes. I usually park near apartment complexes and light industrial, retail spots. Parking overnight next to a bar has always been a sure bet as well. No one even notices me. I get up before the sunrise and hit the gym to swim and workout, shower and then off to work etc.
You will never have to commute in traffic to work EVER again. Choose a few places to park overnight close to your office. No more stress, get more time to yourself in the morning and your gas expense is almost nothing.
Van living makes you feel ALIVE! You may not really feel this way until week 4, but you will feel more alive THAN EVER! Think about how much you are paying for rent or a mortgage right now. Imagine that going monthly to pay off your debt, saving for a big fun vacation, cosmetic surgery, or retirement. My van payment and insurance ARE MY RENT payment. It is dope as fuck.
A $3.99 bag of ice will last 4 1/2 days in a Coleman Extreme Cooler, but it's free if you grab it from the freezers at work.
If you have a day job that has a kitchen, you will use the hell out of it and wash anything
you need to from your van, if you bring them in a grocery bag or I use a larger fancy zippable carry bag
that I bought at a dollar store.
Free coffee from work is so awesome, but making coffee is the easiest with a two burner propane camp stove. I have a Camp Chef oven/2 burner stove in my van that works great as a heater as well. I heat my entire van while making toast at the same time in the morning.
When it rains, make sure to not park under trees because
they make it WAY louder when it hits the roof. Normal rainfall in van life is a
beautiful sound that will help you have the best sleep of your life.
Gyms with 24-hour memberships have the biggest stoners on
earth getting super high in the parking lot every day and night. These people have the best and loudest great music when they roll up to
park before and after their workouts. Hearing peeps outside coughing deeply used to bug me, but now it has
become home for me, even though I don’t partake in the stuff anymore. I decided beefcake stoners are rad. There are many of us full time stealth van peeps that rotate overnight in these fun well shaded and large parking lots. Everyone is super cool here.
You will find discipline is easier in van life to do a daily
work out because you need a hot shower and once you get in there, you decide
you might as well sweat your ass off before you wash away all your sins. I find that getting up early and getting into the gym before the rest of the world is awake, gives me the use of the best equipment, my own full lane while swimming and a long super hot shower. It's weird but for a lady that spent a majority of my life as a professional vocalist, and in the bar and restaurant business, it was Casey Neistat and this fulltime vanlife, that has helped me focus on making the most of my time. For me these days, it is the secret and quiet empowerment of the early mornings, ALL TO MYSELF that have been the key to maintaining the long term major changes I have made in my body and life so far.
Using a small trash can inside your van with tall kitchen bags is an easy way to manage waste. You can dump your well tied off bag at any grocery store, gas station or public trash receptacle.
If you are a city van dweller, you can find a regular place
to park next to an apartment complex, because anyone who has a second car, that
lives in the apartment complex, always parks in the same place almost every
night. The neighbors know your van, and it becomes part of the neighborhood.
Having a well organized and well appointed storage unit close by, with an easy roll-up door to access a heavy duty clothing rack, is very helpful.
Your grocery shopping may change because you will find yourself
using the freezers, microwave ovens and refrigerators at work to eat much healthier
and cost effectively while living in a van.
Don’t park where there are not well-lit places that people
are not close by to be there if you need help. Being in a quiet place during
day light is awesome, but when the sky gets dark, the “Freaks Do Come Out” at
night. Having a car alarm on your van is awesome if you hear someone trying
your door handles. Push the button and sound the alarm and then jump in the driver’s
seat and drive your sweet booty outta there. This happened to me only once in a darker parking spot in town. I think it's because I have a very nice, clean newer looking commercial van with possibly good tools inside. I have a loud car alarm, and I am glad I do.
The simplicity of being inside of a van full time is way more
comforting than anyone may realize. You have EVERYTHING you need in a small
space. This is easy on the mind. You feel in control of your world because you
simply have a contentment that allows you a freedom from needing anything,
except the stuff YOU decide you can’t live without. You will be surprised how
little that is once you live this simple life. The less you have, gives you a sense of
freedom that is hard to describe. You have less stuff to worry about. IT FEELS AWESOME.
You can take short power naps on your lunch break. Just set your alarm and give yourself the rest you need.
If you live in a van you can not stand up in, you will eventually
do exactly what you used to do in a house when you get home from work but do it
all seated on a comfy spot. I once was able to muti-task while sitting on the
toilet peeing, getting undressed, checking my email, while talking to a friend
on speaker phone, boiling hot water for soup, all at the same time while sitting inside. Thankfully, I wasn't chewing gum at the time. You master the art of the cheek game swivel.
If you don’t have a great place to hang clothes, you will
find a way to store them somewhere else and pick up what you know you will want
to wear for the next work week. Your wardrobe will become like a recipe for
your body. You will need to put together 7 outfits and that is easy to store in
a van.
You may develop a wet nap fetish.
Little comforts become huge when you live full time in a
van. Plush throw blankets, soft memory foam small carpets, and being hella
organized will give you peace you may have never appreciated before. Having a
place for everything and knowing where it is, in such a small space, is a comfort.
You will never lose a thing because its all right there.
In some ways, I feel safer living in a van full time than in a house. They can't case my place because I keep it moving. I have had my share of "Stockers" in the past. They can't keep up with me. I also don't keep any valuables in my van. I have them with me at all times. I mostly just lock them up in my desk drawer at work.
It only costs $25 per month for a physical mailing address at a local UPS Store that receives all of your Amazon packages, snail mail, and if you need to print anything, have anything scanned, need return labels, or any mail room needs, you just email them and pick them up with your packages. Your address looks like an apartment number.
Van life is perfect for hanging out with fun party friends who may find they can't drive home. I have a couple silly girlfriends that now have there own drawer for their stuff, for just these occasions. It's a full size bed, and I bet 3 drunk people could sleep in it in a pinch if needed. I had 10 people all hang out in here 2 weeks ago.
You will probably not want to take home left overs from
restaurants as much in van life. Unless you have a great kitchen set-up inside,
you may find yourself eating out more in city life and ordering smaller
portions of things, so you don’t need to bring them home. I love to cook, so friends invite me over and I use their kitchens for get togethers. I really dig cooking outdoors too!
A high-end non-stick pan is your best friend in van life for
when it does come to cooking. A simple wipe of the pan, and waa laa, CLEAN. Also, any water left over in your kettle for morning coffee, becomes the right amount to heat up for washing your face, or when it cools, brushing your teeth. Van life teaches you how to conserve water and your waste. BONUS!
You will become a glutton for nature and epic views or
places to park. Van living allows you to be in the most amazing places imaginable.
If you can park close enough to see it all from your own bedroom or open your
van doors to breath and enjoy the freshest of air, or park close enough to get
outside and hike the best spots, YOU GET TO DO IT ANYWHERE YOU WANT.
Finding good laundromats next to great shopping malls saves
you time and makes it way more fun.
Mood lights as well as functional lights inside your van are
both important. Even better are having total black-out window covers at night
while you have them all on inside at night, is vital to never worrying about
stealth van living.
Having a clean soft faux sheepskin rug draped over your portable high capacity toilet, looks and works like a vanity stool or desk chair when pulled up to your desk table inside the van. You will need to dump the toilet in a public toilet about every two weeks. Park or beach public toilets are the best for this. The best holding tank treatment by far I have used is this one. By some kind of chemical magic, it completely turns what you think would be a foul bit of dirty business, into a delightful one. Seriously, it smells almost good. SUPER WEIRD. Having a toilet in your van gives you the freedom, privacy and dignity for any location when nature calls. A lady NEVER shits in a bag or pees in a bottle. Just sayin.😉
If you are a glamorous person with high standards of personal hygiene, style, like to stay in shape and must always have fabulous hair...YOU CAN STILL HAVE ALL THE GLAM IN VANLIFE.
Remember when tattoos were for carnies and sailors? Remember when living in a van "Down by the river" was for bad salesmen, musician's on the road, divorcees paying high priced alimony and that weird uncle in the 1970's ? Think again. All the sporty, smart geek cool kids are doing it now. Being able to work as a "Digital Nomad," allows you to work anywhere in the world. Living in a van allows your office to be anywhere you want it to be.
Keep your van well maintained and clean outside. You don't want to look like a "Scrub" neither does your van.
Your bedroom view is new every time you want it to be.
If you have Fantastic roof vents with a reverse switch (I have two), they feel like
skylights inside during the day. I have no side windows in the van. Only two back windows. You can have live plants inside that are happy
because they get enough light to thrive. Also, if you open them both, you only have to turn one on because the suction pulls enough air through to make the other vent spin on it's own. It saves power for the blender for Sunday Brunch frozen cocktails.
In van life, you are home everywhere you go.
Having your own solar or battery power system with a pure sine wave inverter and an encased deep cycle battery, are the key of
happiness if you love to geek out or are really into gadgets and playing lots of kick ass
music or games in your van. I run hot rollers, a Bose speaker, charge my iPhone 7 Plus, Laptop, LED lights and and other little gadgets and never have come close to running out of power yet.
If you are a bit of a thrill seeker and need a break from your life, this is a great way to let go of your shit and take some time off to make a total life change. Sometimes it's good to disconnect from the world and reboot your system. Van life makes it easy.
If you are on a Keto or any special diet that requires you to cook for yourself, you have everything you need to stay on track in the privacy of your own home.
An unlimited data plan with your hotspot on your iPhone doesn’t work as fast as WiFi, but
it’s kinda awesome when you just want to be tangled in the interwebs while you
are right on the beach or want to be alone. It streams your Netflix, YouTube and porn just fine.
Make sure to anchor your shit down inside your van. When you
drive, shit moves around, even stuff you thought was too heavy to move. You
will find yourself clearing the “No fall and break my stuff’ runway before take-off,
more often inside your van than you think.
If you do it right, you can have ROCK STAR PARKING at any event or party because you can get there the night before and score the sweetest parking ahead of time. Your house will be the excellent PARTY PAD for fluffing cocktails.
You will begin to roll or fold your clothes in a way that
they will not look wrinkled when you wear them in van living to save space.
You will spend a bunch of time alone as well as visit friends
and explore places you never thought you would. Van life will turn you ON in
ways you can’t imagine. You will begin to crave new experiences and hunger for
new adventures with new people.
You will notice other van dwelling people like yourself and
you may never see one another in city life. It’s weird but, there are many of
us out here that just keep to ourselves but have never met one another. I met a
hard-working great kid that lives in his car. He works in the pizza bar nearby
that has free WiFi and no table service I like to frequent. He is cool. We
kinda watch over one another when we park near each other.
Free range living gives you more time, money and makes you realize what is serving you and what is not in your life. It gives you more time, to serve others.
Driving an extended body cargo van takes way bigger turns than you expect. You will also learn to park a big ass van LIKE A BOSS in city life.
There is more room than you think in here. It’s bigger inside
than it looks on the outside. You would be surprised how comfortable it is
inside a van. I have a full-size bed with 13-inch memory foam. It’s sweet.
Comfortable over the ear high end headphones are your friend.
You can feel like a Million Bucks after a bowl full of hot
soapy water and a fresh wash cloth, vanilla bubble bath and then rinsing off
with a fresh clean hot water/coconut oil-soaked hand towel. Sometimes creative quickie
baths are Da Bomb for a fresh soft luscious preparation before bed.
Never leave shit in the cab. Keep your front cab area plain,
clean and unsuspecting.
An almost empty strong paper towel roll makes a perfect
window wiper for inside your front windows if any condensation is there. I keep
mine down under the dashboard and it works great every morning.
Van life is simplifying and uncluttering your life. Nomad life is never lonely when you are in the city.
In front of most every major grocery store is a Primo Glacier Water self service refill station. It is 45 cents a gallon. I have this nice 7 gallon container I refill once every 2 weeks. Having fresh filtered water runs me around $6.30 per month, but it's FREE when you bring your 1 gallon easy to carry empty water containers into work and refill them there. SCORE!
There is something exciting about putting on a formal power suit inside of a stealth van and leaving for a corporate business meeting at your day job. You feel like you are a fancy hobo diva and like you are getting away with something. The contradiction is delicious.
If you feel a weird icky feeling in your gut at any time while parked, trust it and high tail it outta there. Go find a new spot. Trust Me. Trust your intuition. Sometimes
things change, and you need to listen to your inner and higher protective self
for direction. Don’t question it, just go and find a new spot. It’s way easier
to roll into a spot at bedtime and leave before sunrise. No one will know you
were there.
You can clean your entire house in 15 minutes.
Even if you don't want to live in a van full time, it is fun to have a comfy stealth camper to do longer road trips and vacations. The money you save on hotels, you can spend on fine dining, spa packages or just stay longer and take the time to enjoy your life exploring this amazing world.
Having your own bug out van is always a great idea if you find you and your family are suddenly faced with a tsunami warning or other disaster situation, (The wild fires out here in California have been devastating to many good people) or if the country goes to war. Having your own fully ready stealth van allows you to take you and your family to a safe place immediately, if the moment ever happens. Being prepared is wise.
VAN LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I EXPECTED IT TO BE. I can't even begin to tell you how healing, fun, rewarding, and beautiful it is. I started out just doing this for the summer of 2018, but I am digging this lifestyle so much, not paying a dime for rent, and saving money, it's giving me a chance to change the course my life direction for the better. I'm gonna give this a year. I have enough friends that need pet and house sitters, that I do get a break every once in a while. It is a nice balance.
I initially bought the van for my new business venture as an event planner and production company. I just sold my 1973 T2 VW Bus Camper this year that I restored for 15 years. I plan "Glamping Events", so I knew I was turning it into a glamorous camper. It's easy for me. I'm single. I have no kids or pets. I was very inspired by the "Tiny House" movement. So, I JUST DID IT!
I am building the interior out into a work of modern art car art called, "STUDIO 3". I will debut the van in 2019 with a full video tour and kick-ass music party! STAY TUNED!
SAN FRANCISCO, There is NO PLACE LIKE IT in the world.
I am working on my side hustle small business, doing something I LOVE. I'm a late bloomer. I can't wait to share all of the fun stuff I'm cooking up with you!
I am a city girl at heart that is completely infatuated with nature and the beauty of the great outdoors. I LOVE urban art and dining and all of the fun nightlife of the big city too. There is no place on earth like San Francisco and the bay area. It's my home and I love it here, but I want to explore all of this country and visit my pals in Canada too. YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL IN VAN LIFE!
If you have ever wanted to try this, JUST DO IT.
You were
born to be ALIVE!
If you have any questions or want to learn more, I'd be happy to answer any you may have. CONTACT ME HERE VIA EMAIL: tretaylor7@gmail.com
