Living In Your Car Like A Bohemian ( Or A Bum )

For me, the word "adventure" has always been associated with something that presents a challenge, something that offers an unbelievable, firsthand experience,   and creates unforgettable, vivid, self-defining memories.

Since I started this blog I've been blessed with meeting, reading and writing about people who push their physical, mental and spiritual limits, who challenge orthodox social viewpoints, who possess a burning desire to expand their knowledge through firsthand experiences to test the limits of their own strength and endurance, and in doing so, discover their true self.

There are many names for people like this :  adventurers, wanderers, vagabonders, nomads, minimalists, bohemians... One thing they have in common - living the life on their own terms.

The choice to live an adventurous lifestyle is not an easy one. It is very difficult to break free of the monotonous routine of daily life when you have been repeating it for years on end. There is only one way to break the routine, and that is to just do it. And that's exactly what I did...

Living off-grid in a trailer/RV/van like a traveling nomad enjoying life, going on adventures, and writing inspiring stories has been on my Bucket List for quite a while. I talked to people who lived "RV life style" full time, read and followed the blogs of those who went off-grid in tiny houses , wrote about fellow adventurers who perused their passion full time while living in vans and camp sites, and even created a visual aid to help me try this new exciting way of living. Until one day, I just decided to go for it....

Since I'd been traveling for quite some time, at that time I didn't have too many possessions. Everything I had fitted in  a  5x10 storage. It just took me a matter of two days to rig up my faithful Subaru, and "hit the road".  Because of my family circumstances I didn't go too far, and spent the next 3 months living in my car.

Unlike many unfortunate folks out there, my experience wasn't created by a financial situation. It was a pure adventurous and social experiment. Inspired by people I read and write about, I wanted to see if I had the guts to walk away from the convenience of every day life, challenge a few social norms, and to see what I'd be capable of physically and emotionally. 

As you might know, many stories that I write about I experience myself firsthand.  Surviving and off-grid living haven't been the topics of this blog... not till now.

Today I'm starting a new category " Survival/Off-Grid Living ".

Looking back at my adventures living in a car, traveling cross country, spending majority of my time playing in the backcountry, and coming from former USSR with nothing but $50 in my pocket ( and surviving the first 7 years as an "undocumented alien" ), I think I've deserved the right to share my knowledge and experience to help people prepare for times when SHTF or/if they fall into harsh financial times.