FAQ
How do I make a living?
This is the most frequent question I receive from people wanting to live on the road just like me. The unfortunate answer is that there is no magic secret. Making money is work no matter where or how you live. We are all unique individuals with unique stories. What works for me might not be what works for you. I personally rely on several means of income:
- Teaching photography workshops
- Speaking at events
- Selling photographic prints
- Licensing images to publications
- Working with companies on advertising/sponsorships
But I have good news! I have a few tips that apply to everyone wanting to live a happier, more successful life:
- Simplifying your life will reduce your needs and desires, making you realize just how little you need each month.
- Redefine your idea of success, and you might find that success is a little easier to attain than you thought.
- Watch my video blog on the subject if you need a shot of inspiration!
How do I get mail?
When I first went full-time, I learned A LOT from fellow full-timers. One of these lessons was an introduction to the Escapees RV Club. Membership to this club offers a plethora of services including RV education, forums, community job boards, and yes, even a mail service. The mail service will grant you a permanent address that you can use for all of your official documents, taxes, and registrations. They physically receive your mail, and all you have to do is shoot them an email and tell them when and where you want it forwarded. Voila! Membership is worth every penny.
Feel free to use my membership number as a reference: SKP #131471
How do I get internet?
Since I work on the road, a strong internet connection with a large data plan is very important. Because of this, many of the mainstream options offered from Verizon and AT&T are not optimal. These plans either don’t include enough data, or in the case of unlimited plans, slow down your connection an de-prioritize you after you’ve reached a certain limit. Lucky me I learned another trick from my road friends: JMS Internet. This provider is not the very cheapest on the market, but it is fast, reliable, and unlimited.
Contact via text to (559) 862-4559 or by email to jmsinternet@gmail.com
Mention my name as a referral to receive a discount!
Where do I go to the bathroom?
Does a bear sh*t in the woods? Me too! But seriously, most of the time I am boondocking out in mother nature, which provides the best outhouse I could image. Clean, breezy, and the views are great. Be respectful, be clean.
But what about when I’m not in the middle of the woods? Ask yourself when the last time was that you were in public, had to go so bad, and could not find a restroom? Not very often. There are toilets… everywhere.
Where do I shower?
Okay, time to throw some honesty at you. I shower whenever a shower is available to me for free. That is probably more often than you would think… but less often than the vast majority of Americans prefer to shower. These showers typically come by means of campgrounds, friends and family, or provided by an event I’ve been hired for.
This lifestyle has a lot to do with your perspective and frame of mind. I shower often enough to be presentable when I need to be, and the rest of the time… well… now you know why I wear my hair in braids! 😛
Do I feel safe while traveling?
Absolutely. The best suggestion I have for staying safe on the road is to use the tool that we are all (hopefully) equipped with by nature: common sense. We all have a survival instinct that alerts us when we are in danger. Listen to it. Don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation. Use your head. If you follow that simple rule, you’ll find you can trust in yourself, your bravery is resolute, and you can face the world, and your fears, with confidence. That, and carry a gun. Legally.
Where/How do I find places to camp?
I have been on the road for over a year now. In my first year, I paid for only 34 nights. Free camping is important to me not only because I live on a tight budget, but also be cause I didn’t choose to live in a tiny trailer so I could be surrounded by the people and amenities of an expensive RV resort. I find my peace in nature, and so want to be surrounded by it as often as possible.
That being said, it’s also important to me to camp legally and respectfully. There are so many resources out there for finding these pieces of public land, and after spending hours perusing them all, here are my favorite and most used:
How do I charge batteries?
Every now and then I have shore power, in which case I have all the power I need to plug my electronics into the outlets in my trailer. But for those occasions when I am on the top of a mountain for a month with no power? Solar power!! Yes, solar is the wave of the future, and something that the manufacturer of my T@B Outback has fully embraced. nüCamp RV now offers solar panels as an optional add-on to any of their campers. I have 300 watts of solar on my T@B. On a nice sunny day, I can leave my laptop plugged in all day long and still charge my camera batteries.
But beware! If I need to work on a very rainy or cloudy day, I run the risk of draining my battery. On these days I have been known to frequent the seats nearest outlets in coffee shops. Don’t forget the Americano!