YMCA: one-stop shopping for van dwellers

I go through phases of spending a lot of time at the YMCA... exercise, shower and Internet cafe all in one spot. I love yoga, and one of the Y branches that I frequent has daily classes at convenient times. I'll typically show up first thing in the morning, run in & brush my teeth & use the toilet, then head back out to the parking lot for a light breakfast in the van, and maybe a short meditation depending on how long I have before yoga class starts. Then I grab my gym bag, and head back inside, spend some warm-up time on the indoor track doing some cardio-walking, followed by an hour-long yoga class. I enjoy the guidance of several different instructors over the course of a week at the Y- one will focus on breathing aspects, another on adaptations to protect joints, and another on the transitions between poses... this way I can apply what I learn from each instructor during the other instructors' classes. I'm new to this type of exercise, so it's all helpful. I usually get my shower in after yoga, then grab some lunch and my laptop, and either head to the library to put in some computer time, or stay put at the Y; my favorite branch has a great little lounging area and free wi-fi. There's a nice little community of fellow van dwellers that hangs out there as well.

inspiration

A bit of history...

It was a book title in the back of a Mother Earth News magazine that led to some Internet research that uncovered the world of van dwelling to my consciousness... a whole fascinating array of folks called Van Dwellers or Permanent Campers or Mobile Living Advocates. That's when I decided to count myself in. I figure a lifetime of camping experience and a love of freedom make me a good candidate. Thanks to what I've read online, I feel like I'm embarking on this journey safely and relatively comfortably.

I'm glad I'm starting out at the height of summer... will give me time to learn the ropes (at least some of them) before the more challenging colder seasons.

first day of van dwelling

Today's the day... my first day as a van dweller!

I moved the remainder of my possessions from my temporary home in Redmond into my little travel trailer for storage (it will remain in Redmond for now) then spent the rest of the day in a parking lot, doing some last-minute organizing & getting in a little reading time.

About 9pm, I headed into a nearby neighborhood to find a good spot to camp. I'm on a residential street in an upper middle class area, sort of on a property line next to some tall trees (got the tip online that parking at a property line leads both neighbors to assume you're visiting the other). After parking and drawing the curtains, I noticed there's a streetlight nestled amongst those tall trees-- good for safety, bad for sleep? It's just a couple of weeks past Summer Solstice, so the day is still light. I think it would be better from now on to pull into my camp spot after dark, so as not to draw unnecessary attention, though I think that other online tip to scout out your spot BEFORE dark is also a good idea.

My Westfalia's water system and refrigerator are still untested. Last Friday I pulled off the access flap & lock to the on-board water tank to get it keyed (the previous owner had lost the key), but the locksmith was already closed for the 4th of July weekend.

Thanks to my new external laptop battery, I'll be enjoying a viewing of my Twilight DVD tonight, as I've been saving it for just this occasion.