Like so many of you, I have worked many different jobs.
And, like many of you, I haven’t been fond of most of them.
We will begin this story in 2016 when I had worked for the same company for nearly a decade and am ready for a change…
I was stuck behind a desk in a cubicle farm, working a soul-sucking corporate job that was making me miserable.
I had fallen into the trap of thinking this job was the best I could get.
Like so many before me, I mistakenly believed that no one else would hire me, that I was lucky even to have this job, that I was somehow a fraud, and that once the bosses caught on, I’d be fired straight away and life would be hopeless.
Needless to say, years of this kind of thinking led to much depression and anguish.
My first glimmer of hope came to me around April or May when I was turned on to hiking the Appalachian Trail.
I had heard the name before, but strapping on a backpack and thru-hiking nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine was a completely new concept.
It all sounded so romantic and adventurous.
Quit your job, put everything in storage, load up a large backpack with the bare essentials, and go hiking and camping for six months.
Sounds fantastic, right?
Sadly, when I learned about the whole thru-hiking thing, it was too late in the year to start and safely finish before the weather got crazy in Maine.
Plus, I was not in any kind of shape to attempt long hikes day after day for several months.
So, I contented myself with diving deep into learning all I could about thru-hiking and getting myself back into shape.
I was determined to make 2017 the year that changed it all.
Interestingly, not long after I decided that the Appalachian Trail was how I would kickstart my life again, a dear friend told me about a job opening near my hometown at her place of employment.
It was similar to what I was doing but different enough to interest me.
I couldn’t tell you why, but this opportunity somehow knocked some sense into me, and I immediately started to look at things more positively and was much more hopeful about the future.
I applied for the position and began looking into the logistics of moving there: housing, insurance, and all that fun stuff.
I immediately regretted my decision to apply so hastily and not do my research beforehand.
It had been many years since I looked at the cost of houses and apartments in that area, and it was disturbing how expensive everything was.
In addition, I had gotten used to walking to work where I was and was now looking at around an hour commute each way to find anything affordable.
Once I got the details about moving to and living in that area, I started hoping they wouldn’t want me for the position.
While waiting to turn down the potential job offer, I returned to my research and preparation for the AT.
I don’t know if it was a coincidence or because I had finally been snapped out of my mental funk, but I hadn’t gotten too far into my research again before I watched the YouTube video that, quite literally, changed my life.
This video was made by one of the many thru-hikers I was watching who were documenting their journeys.
However, this video wasn’t about the trail.
This video was about the van he and his wife had turned into a campervan for traveling and sometimes living out of.
It was like being struck by lightning.
I immediately thought, “That’s it! That’s what I’m gonna do!”
Hiking the AT was exciting to think about and plan for, but it wasn’t possible until the following year.
This was something I could do right now.
Something that I could use to escape my dead-end job and unfulfilling life.
To say that I became obsessed would be an understatement.
I dove into research like a man possessed.
Nearly all of my spare time was spent watching videos, reading blogs, and figuring out how I was going to make this thing happen.
After a couple of months of intense research and planning, I decided it was time to make it happen and put my plan into action.
In September, I drove to Texas and traded in my car for a retired rental van.
Once I got it back home, it was time to order a bunch of parts and gear.
I accomplished the first part of the build in the parking lot of my apartment complex.
However, I wasn’t sure how to proceed once I got to the point where I needed power tools to cut and measure lumber.
Thankfully, a friend from work, a man to whom I’ll always be indebted, volunteered using his barn and tools to finish my build.
He even helped with some of the projects.
For the rest of the year, all my free time was spent working on the van, selling as many possessions as possible, and organizing my affairs.
My last day of work was in mid-December, and I spent the last two weeks of 2016 prepping the van for launch, cleaning out my apartment, and giving away the remainder of my possessions I could not sell.
I said goodbye to friends and co-workers and spent my last night in town, which happened to be New Year’s Eve, with my friend from work before setting sail into the great unknown.
As it turned out, 2017 was indeed the year that changed it all.
On New Year’s Day, I hit the road and started my fabulous new life.
I had started using the phrase “New Year, New Life” and I was determined to make it a reality.
I love the outdoors and I love living in a vehicle.
I’ve gotten to see and experience 38 of our 50 states so far and have even gotten to dip into Mexico.
I have met and spent time with some of the best people ever.
I have gotten the opportunity to work many jobs in many different places over the years.
Heck, I even got a commercial driver’s license and drove a semi-truck for a while.
Of course, it hasn’t always been sunshine and daisies.
I’ve seen the dark side of nomad life as well.
It can be challenging, of course, but more often, it is extremely rewarding.
We all know that life involves risk and making choices.
Choosing a mobile life presents many challenges and obstacles that seem frightening when we have not experienced them before.
This blog was created with that in mind.
I have amazing parents, and one of the many things they inspired in me was helping others.
This blog is a resource for anyone and everyone who has questions or needs guidance on all things mobile.
Whether you’re looking to try a full-time mobile life or just planning to be a weekend warrior or anything in between, Vagabond Jon is at your service.
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
