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Van Build
Sabbatical Year
Where I’ve Been
Our heroine reminisces on the places she has called home.
“I don’t know where I’m going, but I know just where I’ve been…” (Battle Born by Five Finger Death Punch)
“You lived in Minnesota? That must have been rough.”
Sure? I guess?
“Went to school in Iowa? Must’ve been boring.”
Actually, it was a hella great time.
“You were in California? Man, I’m sorry about that.”
Well, I’m not.
I hold a special place inside me for all the places I put roots, regardless of how temporary those roots were.
Anoka House
Minnesota, the winter tundra. It brought me a love of fishing, flannel, and forests. I fell in love with backpacking here on the Superior Hiking Trail. The strong German and Scandinavian heritage developed serious cravings for spatzle, Bavarian brews, and potica. When you grow up in Minnesota you learn that when the going gets tough, you buckle down and push on because when the snow keeps coming down, your snowblower has died, and you have to get to a twelve hour shift, you best get to shoveling because staying home doesn’t pay the bills.
Cyclones in their natural habitat
Iowa, the great cornfield. Iowa was all about the camaraderie. You may not know the stranger next to you at the bar, but they are wearing cardinal and gold and hate the Hawkeyes just as much as you so they may as well be kin, because they are. Yes, the small towns hold less things to do, but your favorite bar has your favorite bartender who knows your name, your favorite drink, and asks about your final because they heard it was a rough one. Don’t for one second believe Iowa food is bland, try a state fair pork chop on a stick, it will have you hearing angels singing. Mostly, Iowa encouraged me to dance to my own music. If everyone around you is line dancing to yet another country drab, go ahead, jump on the pool table and head bang to Disturbed in a plaid shirt and spike heels.
RPV patio
California, the one everyone has a strong opinion of. First thing that comes to mind is the flavors. My mouth waters with the thought of street tacos, fresh caught sushi, and west coast IPA’s. The almost-always-perfect weather led to the most outdoor exploration I’ve ever done within a calendar year. The most insane landscapes still leave me breathless. We met jawas in Joshua Tree, vandwellers in Yosemite, life long trail family in Sequoia. California was the people, some of the best, most kind people I have ever met. California taught me to not judge a book by its cover. The dumpy, divey bar has the best Philly cheesesteak you will ever taste. The clients dropping off their beloved pet for surgery are crying despite one wearing Costco and the other Chanel. They both hug you when you bring their pet out for discharge.
First day of vanlife
As the great band (Five Finger Death Punch) says, “I may not know where I’m going, but I know just where I’ve been.”
Short Essays From The Road
Gettin’ Our Ish Together
Our heroes are one month into their epic campaign. What lessons have they learned along the way?
Month One: Gettin’ Our Ish Together
4/5/2023
LA - Phoenix - Sedona
We are one month in from the official start of our sabbatical year. One month! If this past month in the Submarine had a theme it would have been: Gettin’ Our Ish Together.
Prior to our sabbatical start we had already dealt with a dead engine battery and getting ourselves locked out of the Sub.
We were bound to complete the trifecta of vehicle hell at some point, why not the first week on the road. We found ourselves in Phoenix with the flattest of flat tires. Naturally, our tires are so old that no tire shop would touch them so we dipped into our precious Van Fund for a set of brand spankin’ new tires.
Sexy tires, no?
En route to Phoenix we had originally planned on staying in Joshua Tree for a few days. However, we pulled up to some nice (read: free) BLM land and after settling into base camp mode, had no ambition to move.
We saw a few sites like the Salton Sea and Slab City and met a real cool guy we dubbed Desert Scott. He mentioned us on his website here!
We adjusted to sun time versus clock time. We woke up when it got bright, ate when we were hungry, slept when tired, and went to bed at dark.
Tired trail doggo
Even though we were settling in nicely to a mini retirement, as the theme states, we still had ish to get together. We had to learn to live on limited resources because batteries don’t last forever in the desert. We needed to eliminate waste because trash stinks in your living room/kitchen/bedroom and we be broke af (so you had better finish that spinach at $1.69 a bag). A big fight had us learning super quick how to coexist in 53 sq ft.
Then there were the super sexy things like storage items to be stored, new residency to obtain, taxes to file. So after dropping Leinie with his grandparents and putting the Sub into temp storage, Jake and I trekked to the midwest to drop off storage items and gain new residency.
We made a pit stop in Colorado to visit Adam.
Gang’s back together
Gained a new hometown in South Dakota and tried the local watering hole.
Spearfish Brewing Co.
Dropped the car and storage items off with my brother, Dan, in Nebraska where we tried Site-1 Taproom and Upstream Brewing Co.
Site-1 Taproom
Upstream Brewing Co.
Hitched a ride with Ryan and Nate to Iowa, where we ate, but mostly drank our way around Des Moines, stopping at Barn Town Brewing, Exile Brewing Co and The Iowa Taproom.
Barn Town Brewing
Exile Brewing Co.
The Iowa Taproom
Then it was a flight back to Phoenix to get back on the road. Except our van’s battery was dead. Super dead. Like three attempts to charge it and move it, then leave it plugged in for 30 hours dead.
Attempt two of three
Our first difficult choice was which area to scratch from the itinerary due to the van needing shoes and meditation time. The crippling indecision was cut short when the lack of free camping and dog restrictions of the southern peaks was discovered. The Superstition Wilderness whispered, “Dogs Welcome” and “dispersed camping” in our ears and we were hooked. Battery almost fully charged, we waved adios to the fam and headed off for adventure.
If the Superstition Wilderness was a beer, it would be a crisp pale ale. It’s easy on the eyes and soul. One day of over indulgence with a hike to The Flatiron, left us bruised and questioning our life choices. But with the hair of the dog the next day, it soothed our grumpiness with an amazing hike to Fremont Saddle. Yes, I would drink in this wilderness area again.
The Flatiron
Weavers Needle from Fremont Saddle
A quick pitstop back at the folks to use laundry and a dishwasher. While listening to our stuff get squeaky clean, Jake and I took a peak at our bills. Flatiron hurt, the bills from the last few weeks hurt just as bad. Time to get our financial ish together.
A tough discussion on spending and saving had us grumbling, but we figured out a game plan going forward. Quick note to any impressionable readers: Living with someone is hard, especially in 53 sq feet. Sharing finances with someone is hard, especially with no income. Bottomline: vanlife is very, very hard at times and we’re only one month in. Look past the rose-colored lens that is plastered everywhere due to Algorithmic Big Bro.
Soapbox off, back to normal broadcasting.
Financial plan in place, a battery hopefully charged, and no more major hiccups in the works (someone knock on wood, fast) and we were back on the road. This time heading north, our sights set on the Grand Canyon.
Jake came up with the genius idea to take the winding road there, so at this time we are still en route to the Grand Canyon. We looked around Vickenburg and Prescott before regaining some hit die in Sedona.
A month-long learning curve to get our ish together. Our life resembles nuggets more than ducks. It’s less in a row and more running amok with one rogue nugget neurotically circling, squawking at random. RIP Digger, you were our very special nugget.
One final note, as part of our financial ish, we started a Patreon. We love drinking beer and sending postcards full of Leinie love. If you do too, please consider joining our patreon as postcards and stamps ain’t free. This is not a plea to finance our life choices, this is a we would love to share our journey in another way and is completely optional. Link is below. We will love y’all the same either way.
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For as much as we love the outdoors, we also love a good lazy Sunday.