Photos from February, 2020; Van Timing in on both US oceans.

It's been a busy February:

• Finishing up a 7 day silent meditation sit (Gil Fronsdal, Theravada-esque, Vipassana ) in Santa Cruz, CA.
• Saw Condors at Pinnacles National Park
• Back to Vegas for some re-tooling of the van
• Out to Columbus Ohio
• West Virginia for Frostburn festival
• Down to South Carolina, and then an impactful trip to the EJI Legacy Museum which highlighted the depths of dehumanization of slavery, Jim Crow, and modern prisons.
• Down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
• Over to the Bayou, and Lafayette, LA, which I'm kinda falling in love with. Southern charms are quite charming.

I wish I had my fiddle or my trumpet with me.

Here are some more of these photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YCYekhCjBbB6b9gZ6
About 20 photos there.

a few tips for starting vanDwelling

I've read a few articles on van life. I think they are good, but often overcomplicate things for beginners. So, this is my guide to getting started really fast.

A view from the Santa Cruz office.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cse1pumy8NZWVzSD9

Or preview:

Laptop, cereal, sandwiches, meditation book, ocean and beach views. About 60deg and sunny.

Two views in Berkeley, CA, at the Marina

Berkeley holds a special place in my development. I learned to sail dinghies here. I also bought a sailboat before knowing how to sail, partly because I was unhappy and wanted to shake things up. I met a lot of people outside my bubble. I think Steve fed me, Peter kept things light but got shit done, and Doughman demonstrated a windsurfer+vanLife option.

About me / this

This is the Semi-Retired Van Buddha blog.

1. Semi-Retired because I haven't worked a regular job in 2 years. I used to be an unhappy college professor. Now, I do some consulting and programming work for myself. My goal was to be able to do all my work in my pajamas and never have to work because I need the paycheck. Success.
2. Van because my primary residence is a van. Lived in 40+ states. I did own a home and homes have their plusses and minuses. #Vandwelling (which is culturally different from #vanlife) started as an experiment about what I really needed. Turns out I didn't need that much (no kids or spouse), so I keep things really simple. My van doesn't even have air conditioning, but that's okay: if it's too hot, I can go North! I'm a Nomad. Say hello, and I can let you know when I'm in your town.
3. Buddha because I am an avid Buddhist, and this is the orientation I've chosen for the rest of my life. I've gotten a taste of what the peace that comes from a mind with calm, non-clinging, non-greedy, non-angry, and non-wishfulness. And, Buddhism is now my primary interest.  I like to point out that I haven't lived a saintly life--I've had all sorts of excesses, youthful indulgences, and minor criminality. I point this out so that you can consider the idea: it's never too late to train the mind.