Brain Dump / Things I Took For Granted

Recently, I’ve been struggling a lot with what content people want to see about my adventures, who my target audience is, and what platform(s) to use. I can see myself becoming wrapped up in the likes, views, and subscribers, forgetting why I’m doing what I’m doing. I talked to my mom about this the other day and she mentioned that I should be documenting things for my own memory’s sake – almost like a virtual diary. The timing of her saying that was perfect because, for the past few weeks, I’ve been in the area I grew up vacationing to. Visiting our log cabin in Twin Mountain, NH then our lake house in Maidstone, VT brought back a lot of memories that I had completely forgot about – from floating in the the Ammonoosuc River and snowmobiling all around the Northeast to going moose hunting at dusk and holding my cellphone upside down by the window to send a text! With all this on my mind, I was listening to a podcast this morning in which the host was interviewing Miley Cyrus. Miley reflected on how she always worked for others throughout her career, creating music and television for her listeners and collaborators, and it wasn’t until recently that she started to take her wants and needs into consideration and starting creating for herself. And I came to a conclusion:

I’m going to use Instagram and my Facebook group (which are connected) to update friends and family weekly. These are fun and a good way for me to reflect on the week and let people know I’m still kickin’.

I’ll use YouTube to educate those who are interested in what full-time RV life is like, regardless of their relationship to me. Making videos is a hobby for me but time-consuming, so I won’t hold myself to a schedule.

Lastly, I’ll use my blog as a virtual diary for brain dumps, to make note of things that I want to remember in the future or things I have on my mind. This is for me, but you’re more than welcome to follow along. This platform will be unfiltered, honest, and open. I have no audience but my future self (I’m going to have to keep reminding myself of that).

Alas, brain dump #1. Things I’m realizing I took for granted in sticks ‘n’ bricks life:

Water

Only having a maximum of 30 gallons of water to use is tricky. I can go about 2 weeks conserving water until I have to find someplace to fill up, but sometimes that is tricky, too. I take quick showers, turning off the water when I’m not actively using it, and make sure to optimize my water use when washing dishes. I cringe at the thought of me laying on my bed at home, scrolling through my phone while the shower runs…

Baths

With period cramps, sometimes the only relief is a hot bath. No such thing in an RV! I’ve resorted to Midol, a heating pad, and a nap, but it’s just not the same.

Charging things – aka electricity

THIS has been my biggest struggle. I never realized how quickly electronics lose a charge until they weren’t plugged in 24/7. Most of the time, I use my booster pac, which is a “portable” (it’s heavy) battery that I got for my Jeep. It has a DC outlet, so I purchased an inverter so I can charge my electronics with it. That has seriously cut down on my generator (aka gas) usage. I also use my Jeep outlets to charge things.

Internet

It’s 2020 – shouldn’t there be internet everywhere? It must be 3020 I’m thinking of because I have had QUITE a hard time finding ample WiFi for work. It doesn’t help that I try to stay decently removed from civilization, hence boondocking, but still…2020…

Maneuverable vehicles

I will never take for granted being able to pull into any gas station. With my RV, I can only go to gas stations with parallel pumps, so I don’t get stuck and have to detach my Jeep in the parking lot, getting hit by a delivery truck in the process (this fear is from experience).

Chiropractic care

I get stress headaches. It feels like a real tight headband that can only be relieved by applying pressure on the back of your head. In sticks ‘n’ bricks life, if I started getting headaches I would just head to my chiropractor, get my back cracked, and all my problems would be gone. Luckily, it doesn’t happen too often where it’s unbearable, but having my chiropractor with me would be nice.

Familiarity of an area

Being away from home 100% of the time comes with a lot of planning. Even if i just want to go to Wal-Mart, I have to do some research to see where the closest one is, what their hours are, and if they have what I need (ie. water refills). Something that I did on auto-pilot at home is more of a chore now in full-time life.

How do I end a blog when I’m just talking to myself now?

…Love you, byeeeee

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