Stealth Shower

I slept soundly in the parking lot next to the post office. Maybe because I was clean for the first time in nearly a week.

I took a shower in the parking lot, and it was actually quite pleasant.

There was a conveniently abandoned concrete pad next to the vacant warehouse on the south side of the van that was hot as an oven by 1:00 PM, and earlier in the day I had filled my sun shower and set it in the desert sun to warm up.

So after it got dark I took a stealth shower.

It was quite exciting.

I opened the passenger doors on the van and stood between them for privacy. The side they opened out to faced the blank wall of the warehouse, and I was somewhat sheltered by the pines and sumac tree surrounding the van.

I was still, however, buck naked in an unfamiliar parking lot in a very small town in the desert.

I have a sun shower that pressurizes with a foot pump, so I washed my hair first while I was still partially clothed. I have a LOT of hair and it takes a while to wash. Then I stripped, soaped up and rinsed off, with just enough water to finish. The desert gets quite cool at night, so the thought of being discovered wasn't the only reason I was quick.

As I washed, the cats took advantage of the open doors to sneak out and go exploring.
I saw them get out, but I was naked, what could I do?

I dried off and got dressed, and when I called the cats they came back and jumped in the van.

At 9 PM, this particular block of this little town gets quite deserted. I'm surrounded by a bank, city hall/library/police station(all in one building), the post office, a vacant lot, and an abandoned warehouse. So it's fairly secure, yet quiet at night. I did worry about getting hassled by cops for parking here, but no one seems to care. I think the occasional drifter/van dweller rolling through is not an unusual phenomenon in the little town of Lordsburg.

I'm back!

Hello to all out there in the blogosphere. I bet y'all thought I'd disappeared for good.
The trip took longer than anticipated, and I had many grand adventures. I made it safely to washington state, and once I have an opportunity to load my pictures onto this computer, I will be making a series of posts chronicling my adventure.

I've been busy moving my few belongings into my new room, helping Mom get her garden planted, and getting the kitties adjusted to their new home and to two kitties who already live here.

A few things I learned on my trip;
Sleep upwind of truck parking areas if possible, and never trust mechanics at dealerships.

More later....

MY floor won't drop out

I've nearly finished prepping the floor of the van. It has been de-rusted and given a coat of primer. I just need to finish sealing all the joints and seams with fiberglass, then one more overall coat of primer. Sealing all the seams may be overkill, but this van is my future house. I'd rather overkill than wish I'd done better, later. Do it right, do it once. The next step is to install a plywood sub floor, which will level out the current uneven state of the floor, and serve as a secure attachment point for my interior structures.
I have also taken painstaking measurements, so I can draw the van to scale and come up with a "floor plan" for the bed/kitchen/cabinets/battery box, etc. I will also determine where I need wiring, so I can install it before I put up the insulation and "walls". I've always liked scale drawing. I've used it in innumerable carpentry projects, and did a stint as a landscape designer for a while. Drawing and writing are great tools in my creative process. They help me generate ideas, see what will work and what won't, and think through the constuction process so I don't leave out critical steps.
Measure twice, cut once.

The Rust speaks

I've been treating the rust as bad. It is eating my van. But it also has a story to tell, like anything else.


Rust is the memory of water. Where there is rust there was water, and likely will be again. Water is the stuff of life. Oxidation (rust) is vital to life processes.


This rust is telling me that if I pay attention, I might thank it later.


My van has a pattern of rust around the roof that is familiar to anyone who owns an older van. The two back corners are the worst, at the lowest points where the little van gutter encourages water to sit and work its oxidizing magic.


I'm sure it isn't coincidence that I have been reading about the desert (thanks rube!) and water catchment and cisterns. If I want my van to be as self sufficient as possible, why not include catching water? Obviously plenty of water takes a certain path across my van.


So instead of hating the rust, I let it inspire me. My van will have a sort of 'spoiler' across the back that prevents most water from going off the back. It will be diverted to the rust spots about a foot forward of the corners, where it will be released into pipes running into water tanks. I still need to work out the details. This idea has just hatched.

The water may not be drinkable, but as long as the van is clean and not in a polluted area I don't see why it wouldn't be.
Brilliant! Thanks rust!

Freedom

The other day I was talking to a friend. She said, "You are so free, I envy you."
I had to laugh.
I'd been reading a few blogs, and thinking, "She is so free, I envy her."
So I guess freedom comes in varying degrees. Or perhaps varying states of mind.
I am more free than many people I know. I no longer have a house. I no longer have any debt. I have no children or spouse to take care of. So yes, I am free.

But my soul yearns for the open road. In my endless pursuit of freedom I bought a van. If I live in a van, then I will truly be free. I will be able to break the cycle of oppression that involves working my ass off to pay for someplace to live and a bunch of crap I don't need.

Naturally everyone thinks I'm crazy for wanting to live in a van. But after some internet snooping I find out that there are others like me out there. And lots of them are excellent writers! Who knew?

Not only are they excellent writers, they write about the things that matter. The simple beauty of ice, or the moon. The ability to enjoy times with friends, or festivals, or drum circles. The quiet whispers of your soul or the universe that you can only hear when you slow down enough to listen.
And perhaps most importantly to me, right now, how to set up you van so you can live comfortably in it.

This is all very exciting.
It inspires me to try to tell my story, and maybe help others with van dwelling through my mistakes or triumphs. I will write when I can. I don't live in my van yet, so I have to keep quiet enough that the thought police don't kick me out before I have the van ready.
Safe travels y'all.