Nomadic life

[gavroche]

I watch a lot of Youtube videos both from English and French people having decided to live their lives in converted vans or campers. They want to escape the rat race and live a more simpler life, travelling Europe or just their own countries.
Some are on their own with maybe a dog for companion and others are couples with or without children.
I found their stories fascinating and often wonder if I could live as a nomade.
They live simple lives travelling around, not driven by money and the need to constantly accumulate material things.
They make me dream of a different life, away from the constraints of modern living but not without its own problems too.
I respect them and inwardly admire them too for having the guts to do something different.

 

[slowmotion]

I would find the condensation a bit wearing after a while........and the lack of headroom.

 

[welsh dragon]

I need a Homebase. A solid house. I would feel very vulnerable wondering around living in a van. I like routine. Order.

 

[Mo1959]

I need a Homebase. A solid house. I would feel very vulnerable wondering around living in a van. I like routine. Order.

I’m not so much nomadic, but could live more like a hermit I really don’t need much human interaction.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

You’ll like the story of The Hermit of Loch Treig then. He’s 74 and has been living alone, miles from anyone and surviving by foraging and fishing for 40 years. He lives in a log cabin that he built himself, which has a log fire but no other services such as electricity or running water.

A woman who heard about him made a film of his lifestyle over the past two years and he agreed to come down to Glasgow to see its first screening. He had to get up at 4 am to then walk two hours to the nearest road where he was picked up for the journey to Glasgow.

You can read more about him here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59174870 and here
View: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-60640173

He seems a very content and likeable fellow.

 

[OldShep]

When I first retired we spent nearly 7 weeks on the road with our caravan. I was ready for home at the end. Reason being I was so fed up with bought bread.
I could only be a nomad if I can have my breadmaker with me.

 

[ColinJ]

I’m not so much nomadic, but could live more like a hermit I really don’t need much human interaction.

Could...?

I too am pretty hermit-like but I do like to keep that last few % of contact.

There have been a few times in the past 10 years where the only words I spoke in 2-3 weeks were a quick "Thank you" to someone at a supermarket checkout.

I suppose the big test would be to give up on CycleChat and other social media and see if the lack of face-to-face contact started to bite then.

I have quite a lot of space in this house but I could happily live in a small studio flat as long as I had secure space nearby for my bikes and room to work on them.

 

[a.twiddler]

I like solitude but not if I have to spend all that free time catching and making stuff just to survive. I would miss my local supermarket and library.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

You’ll like the story of The Hermit of Loch Treig then. He’s 74 and has been living alone, miles from anyone and surviving by foraging and fishing for 40 years. He lives in a log cabin that he built himself, which has a log fire but no other services such as electricity or running water.

A woman who heard about him made a film of his lifestyle over the past two years and he agreed to come down to Glasgow to see its first screening. He had to get up at 4 am to then walk two hours to the nearest road where he was picked up for the journey to Glasgow.

You can read more about him here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59174870 and here
View: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-60640173

He seems a very content and likeable fellow.

I watched the programme and enjoyed it, but I couldn't work out how he 'acquired' the land. I got the impression that the land owner was happy with him being there, so left him to it?

 

[a.twiddler]

Could...?

I too am pretty hermit-like but I do like to keep that last few % of contact.

There have been a few times in the past 10 years where the only words I spoke in 2-3 weeks were a quick "Thank you" to someone at a supermarket checkout.

I suppose the big test would be to give up on CycleChat and other social media and see if the lack of face-to-face contact started to bite then.

I have quite a lot of space in this house but I could happily live in a small studio flat as long as I had secure space nearby for my bikes and room to work on them.

+1

 

[welsh dragon]

I’m not so much nomadic, but could live more like a hermit I really don’t need much human interaction.

I am quite a hermit. I don't tend to talk to anyone where as Mr WD talks to anybody

 

[aferris2]

We did it (sort of). One year in a campervan touring around Australia. You do have to have a yearning for adventure though.
It does take a few weeks to get into the rhythm of finding places to stay, stocking up with food etc. Once you have an adequately equipped van, life can be very comfortable. Most nomad vans have heating, cooking, fridge, and electrics so not much different from being in a house/flat - except for the inside space. You learn very quickly not to accumulate stuff!
We tended to move on every few days but would occasionally stop for longer, and it does help if the weather is good enough to be outside. Being cooped up in a small van is tedious.
Of course we were just on a long holiday. Depending on your work though, it is possible to work and travel. Either picking up casual work as you go, or WFV(an) as proved by the pandemic. Mobile phone and decent data package and it's all out there for you.
There were several reasons why we did return to the UK, but could easily have stayed for longer (visa permiting).

 

[Rusty Nails]

Not exactly going to help the environment, or the pocket, driving around the continent in vans, or towing caravans with vehicles that are not exactly high on mpg.

There are simpler, greener ways to lead a simple life, but not as 'romantic', and, let's face it, as interesting as being a nomad.

I would have thought that it is something that needs a bit of money, or pension, to support it, otherwise it becomes far less simple as work will have to be found to survive.

 

[Dayvo]

I’ve always been fascinated by people who like/choose to live ’off-grid’, whether it be nomadic or permanently based somewhere in isolation or away from the ’matrix’ that is modern society.
Naturally old age, sickness, ill-health is an ever- increasing thought playing on your mind, but we’ve all got to go one day, so best to live the life you feel most comfortable with.
Ben Fogle’s progams are very interesting and deal with this topic of being isolated and self-sufficient.

 

[Blue Hills]

I am quite a hermit. I don't tend to talk to anyone where as Mr WD talks to anybody

You?