An Unknown Adventure Timeline
For the Blog, click HERE!
Here is my timeline - from conception (June 2020) to when I move into my van in August of 2021. I find timelines helpful, which is why I'm offering this one. I am also curious about my process. I'm going to list it backwards here, if you want to start from the beginning, scroll on down to the bottom. I will update this page regularly :)
July 2021
- My vanbuilders are delivering my van to me on 7/26!
- I'm scheduled to receive minor wrist surgery on 8/11. If I don't, I plan to leave my house for good on 8/16. If I do, I won't be able to drive for 2 weeks after the surgery.
- My first stop, regardless, is to meet my good friend Vance and go camping for a week!
- Then I'm off to Descend on Bend and after that–parts unknown :)
- I've been blogging regularly on Medium.
- I started a very sparse (so far) YouTube channel where I talk about selling my beloved couch. I will show the process of moving from my 750 sq foot mansion into my 60 sq foot van there.
June 2021
- 6/19 - my van builders told me my van should be finished in THREE WEEKS!
- Went to a local foam store to pick out my bed, which they are cutting and covering.
- Listing items on ebay, 1 per day.
- Packing up and letting go of crap. I knew it would be overwhelming and that's still an understatement! It's flipping HARD.
- The big thing that's changed for me this month (so far) is that I finally quit my day job!
- I feel like this is the first day of the rest of my life.
- The van is still humming along and you can find updated pics on my IG.
May 2021
- The build is happening! Maxair fan is in, subfloor is in, bedframe, kitchen frame, roof rack, solar, windows, soundproofing and wool insulation all in!
- I only have May left for this particular 15 year long day job/career and then I'm FREE!!!! I'm spinning in place with excitement!!!
- Leave date ETD August! First stops are in California to meet friends and then up to Southern Oregon.
April 2021
- My builders OFFICIALLY STARTED my build! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
- Please check here for photos!
March 2021
- My van builders are running another month behind = 3 months behind their original estimate. This is frustrating as it will cost me $10K I don't have budgeted to stay in my apartment for the extra 3 months but what can I do? They were supposed to start on my van build in January. They did put in the subfloor but haven't worked on it since and have informed me they can't start on it again until April. :(
- My day job is miserable and sucking me dry. I'm going to quit at the end of May regardless. I'm not making my overhead. I'm tired all the time. I can't focus on my other (passion) job at all.
- Pre work began on my conversion - but only during 1 weekend. Pics will be posted on Instagram as often as possible :)
- I'm going back to my full time day job for a few months and while I'd rather not go back, I'm also embracing this as the last time I'll be going into an office/clinic and working 13 hour days. 8am to 9pm. Plus I have tremendous love and respect for all the people I treat :)
February 2021
- Picked up the van from Nissan!!! FINALLY!!
- Bringing it the builders tomorrow!
- At the builders!! @woodelectric
- They are running a few weeks behind, pushing out my "leave date" a little further.
January 2021
- Nissan still has my van. They've dropped the ball again and again and again and again. Now they tell me I'll have it "next week" which they've been saying for 5 LONG months. Next week, next week, next week, next week....
- My builders need my van now, in order to start the conversion.
- If Nissan hasn't had the alarm THAT I PAID FOR in October installed by this Friday, I'm grabbing my van anyway. Enough is enough!
- I picked out and ordered my flooring and it came in. YAY!
- I ordered some paint samples.
December 2020
- Nissan Lost my Van. For real. The guy who "sold" it to me quit working there and completely dropped the ball. No one knew where it was for over a month.
- When they finally found it, I drove the hour there to make sure everything they said they'd do was done and lo and behold, it wasn't.
- So I don't actually have a van... which is fine because the builders can't start working on it until Feb anyway.
October 2020
- BOUGHT MY VAN!
September 2020
- Started a podcast to record my process and inspire others.
- Continued test driving and researching vans.
- Continued to downsize and give crap away - especially larger items. (ie: hammock stand, etc.)
- Decided to work until the end of April, take May off to pack up and leave on June 1st for my Unknown Adventure!
- Listed items for sale and started selling them. (ie: bicycle, tables, rebounder, etc.)
- Continued making lists.
August 2020
- Listened to vanlife podcasts and youtubers.
- Signed a contract, making it official with my van converters but because I waited several weeks, they had other contracts that came in prior to mine which pushed my "done date" to the end of April.
- Started designing the interior build of my van on paper.
- Started wrapping my head around minimizing.
- Began packing things up to give away.
- Started giving things away.
July 2020
- I returned to my bread and butter day job and quickly discovered that I cannot and will not earn a living post-Covid. I'm earning 1/3 (and some weeks even less than that) of what I was earning pre-Covid and I'm working even more hours and have a higher overhead because of all the precautions and PPEs (I work in healthcare).
- I researched a lot to find a company that I could afford to build out (convert) my van. It took several weeks but I found them and they live close to me.
- Started test driving vans.
- Met the people I hired to do my conversion.
June 2020
- I made my decision. It wasn't easy and it changed my life forever. I may be a planner but once I make a decision, I move forward with it. When my mind is set, my mind is set.
- I decided on vanlife for 1-2 years, driving around the USA and then moving to Europe.
- Started this website and blog.
May 2020
I heard a rumor (which turned out to be false) that the insurance company who pays my salary would stop paying my salary in January of 2021. What this would mean is that I would lose my primary business, which would take away my ability to afford and pay my rent and bills which would make it impossible for me to continue living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I think it's important to be transparent here so here it is. I own two businesses. I earn 90% of my income from one and the other loses money. I also have some passive income from investments = 10% of my income. My current overhead with my two businesses and living in the Bay Area is $10,000 a month. That's my overhead and in order to save money I have to earn more than $10K a month, which has not been possible. So yes, I've been on a hellish work hamster wheel for years.
I think it's important to be transparent here so here it is. I own two businesses. I earn 90% of my income from one and the other loses money. I also have some passive income from investments = 10% of my income. My current overhead with my two businesses and living in the Bay Area is $10,000 a month. That's my overhead and in order to save money I have to earn more than $10K a month, which has not been possible. So yes, I've been on a hellish work hamster wheel for years.
- I won't lie - the first thing I did was freak out LOL. I spent two full weeks (when not working) lying on the couch, utterly depressed, which is something I rarely do.
- I'm a planner (not-spontaneous or impulsive though I often wish I was) so the second thing I did was consider my options. In my first podcast and blog post, I talk about the options I researched. Everything from buying a house, to moving into a tiny home, to moving across the country in order to rent in a cheaper location, to moving into an RV or a van. I explored each one of these options. I applied for a housing loan and was accepted. I watched youtube vanlife videos. I talked to several friends of friends who were doing it already, etc.
- I made lists.
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