Let's Go, Jane!

The one thing I didn’t anticipate about living in a van is how much time the logistics of daily life would take up. Add in the hours spent driving, and it really eats into the day. I designed my electrical and water systems for abundance, and so far they’ve been great. I have worked out a pretty good system for food, stocking up on the frozen and shelf-stable items that only Trader Joe’s and Costco sell, and visiting a new grocery store every few days for the rest.

But when I’m not at a campground or in front of a friend or family member’s house, and I don’t have access to a shower, it takes time to locate and drive to a Planet Fitness. I have yet to use a laundromat but I’m overdue. At least I can hang out in the van while I’m waiting for my laundry to finish.

And then there’s the question of where to park, which has become the defining question of my week in Vermont. I’m enjoying the beautiful mountain views and lush green forests, and later this morning I will head out for a hike around a lake. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Vermont has a national park where you can camp for free, just like out west. Yesterday I located the nearest access road, turned down a single-lane gravel track, and drove a couple miles until I found a site that looked reasonably level.

It was late afternoon when I arrived, and I hadn’t seen any other people on the way in. While it was only a 15-minute drive from Bennington, VT, I felt like I was deep in the woods. Traveling solo has made me think a lot lately about personal safety. I had purchased a fog horn a few days earlier. I figured if someone pounded on my door late at night, the horn would startle them and I could drive away, the element of surprise working in my favor.

But what if you’re alone in the woods, and there’s no one within range to hear the horn? And what if the person gets the horn out of my hands, what do I have left? I will not be purchasing any weapons for the van. Plus, the spot I was parked in was muddy and I could easily have gotten stuck. I’m not usually someone who dwells on worst-case scenarios, but solo travel requires a different kind of risk assessment. Not just from ill-intended humans, but also flat tires or engine trouble. On my own in the woods, with spotty cellular service, what would I do if I got stuck?

Around 8 pm, as it started to get dark, a bright red hot rod drove by. Then a pickup truck. And then another pickup truck. I decided it was time for me to leave. Everyone says listen to your instincts, so I did. I headed back into town and found a Walmart parking lot to stay in. As much as I don’t love being surrounded by asphalt, this felt much safer to me. In the morning I went inside and purchased a can of bear spray.

For tonight I booked a campground, and another one for tomorrow. Then I will spend two nights on an alpaca farm, two nights on an herb farm, and then make my way back to Massachusetts. I know in time I will find the balance between being out in nature, and still feeling safe and having cellular service. I am finding that I have very little tolerance for having no signal at all. I have satellite internet as a backup, but it only works when I’m under an open sky. Throw a few mature trees around me and it’s unable to connect. I’m learning that freedom comes with a surprising amount of logistics, and that feeling safe and connected is every bit as important to me as a beautiful view.