Nomadic-ERE Year 5 - Wanderlust Prevails

[2Birds1Stone]

I spoke too soon about being injury free. The 40 hours of sitting on planes/airports/buses/cars it took to get from NY to Chiang Mai did a number on my back. I have a lot of pain when sitting on different surfaces/positions without lumbar support as well as some discomfort while even walking around. It feels very similar to the pain I had lingering after I blew out my back deadlifting at the end of February, ironically that happened in Thailand as well.

Going to be taking it easy with hip hinging movements and try to get some massages here. Getting older sucks, but it's still better than the alternative.

[C40]

I'll chime in related to the campervan:

I think you've seen the pictures of mine. I've also converted a van for my mom, and helped another family member a bit when they were doing one. Related to my van:
- My van was a very good value for money. I bought the van itself for $3,200. It was in good shape, and all I needed to change to make it go nearly anywhere was put a $300 locker in the rear end and get some bigger tires. The conversion cost me another $9000 and that included tools. I did a full electrical system but not any plumbing and I liked how that turned out. After using it for a few years I sold it for about the exact amount I spent to buy and build it.
- If you'll spend significant time inside, having a ceiling that allows for standing is far, far better than not. Think through the floorplan a lot. My van was designed for just myself and the layout was wonderful for it. But if I had another person living with me it would've been very difficult to move around.

- Definitely also consider RVs and trailers. If you don't need to go up really rough/steep roads, a trailer might be much better value for money and a trailer is good if you will stay in one spot for a long time (as you can drive the truck itself to other places and into town for food/water). Don't get influenced by the Overlanding people - they approach the hobby by money burning.
- If you're into motorcycles or electric bikes, having one with you can be very fun AND useful. A motorcycle is very convenient for exploring. You can far further/faster than a bicycle. And if you can unload it easily, it's great for scouting roads and camping spots without having to drive your whole rig in

Buying a new van, nice tools, and doing a nice conversion can become a money pit. If you buy a van that has already depreciated a lot and make good use of money during the conversion, you'll have a good chance of selling it after you use it, without losing money.

[2Birds1Stone]

Thank you, C40! Those days are gone, at least the market on vans went bonkers during covid and hasn't quite normalized yet. MSRP on new vans is insane so the used market has barely budged in the past 3-4 years.

An older, high roof (I am 6'0") van that will still have standing height after insulation/flooring is probably going to cost somewhere in the $10-25k range, and that's for something with over 100k miles and likely used and abused. So even if we can do a budget buildout, and we have no skills, tools, or space to do it (without using up some serious social capital)......it will still cost multiples of your rig.

If we want something that's newer and has less miles, we're talking $40-60k all said and done when purchasing something that's already been converted by someone who knows what they're doing or started it's life as a quality class B RV.

For us the biggest issue is storage when we're likely to be out of the country for 6-8 months a year for the next 5-10 years.......it makes the math on paying annual insurance, registration, taxes, etc pretty bad......not to mention in NY we have annual inspections to deal with for emissions, which I think RV's may be exempt from if titled and registered as such.

Heck, trying to avoid having to register and insure any cargo van as a commercial vehicle in NY state is almost impossible. If you DIY a conversion you have to get it inspected by the DMV (which can often take months to get appointment for) and then retitled and registered as an RV, but then you have certain rules/systems like plumbing and electric that need to be permanent. PITA

I followed your purchase/build/exploration posts with great interest and inspiration. I read and reread them while sitting in my cubicle back in 2014-2018.........wandering fever......

I don't know what the answer is......we certainly can afford to go any way we choose, this is a reversible decision and we thoroughly enjoyed van life.

But maybe renting one on Outdoorsy for 2-4 months a year is a better idea?

[theanimal]

If you’re going to be out of the country and traveling around when within anyways, why do you need to have New York residency? It might be worth exploring other options, like South Dakota which is favorable to travelers. IIRC, that’s what C40 did (does?).

[2Birds1Stone]

@theanimal, for 2024 it was health insurance (which DW used quite a bit). We have really good insurance if you meet certain eligibility criteria, and we were in the USA enough where we needed it. Even at 6 months a year in the states, good health insurance is important. Idk how SD works with plans that would cover anything nationwide, but in NY the BCBS plans we qualify for have reciprocal coverage in many states.

It's definitely something to consider........we pay state taxes on Roth conversions in NY for example, I happened to do one at the end of December to maximize my tax advantaged space at a minimal effective tax rate......had we been residents of a state which doesn't tax capital gains, dividends, Roth conversions, etc we could have potentially avoided paying ~5% taxes on ~$8k in "income". This was not a big tax hit, but in the future it's a consideration if we do any big conversions or cap gains realizations. NY doesn't give LTCG preferential treatment from a tax perspective like the Fed does. We may be better off paying for an ACA plan or w/e and saving $$ elsewhere, though most states ACA plans suck (like FL) and don't cover out of state.

[2Birds1Stone]

A brain dump on 2024, of sorts.....

This journal has been a little light on details because I've been pretty busy playing in the real world.

Financially 2024 was an awesome year. Spending was near all time historical lows for us, the market went gangbusters for a second year in a row, and we've managed to keep our minimalism going with 90% of our worldly possessions fitting into a few suitcases or a compact car.

We lived in 18 different places within 8 countries across 3 continents......and that't not even counting the 26 states, 12,000 miles and 2.5 months we spent exploring the western USA.

It was also our first full year with $0 earned income since completely separating from employement in May of 2023. Felt ok since the market was up, but I wonder how we would be doing if we had the same % change in the other direction......*gulp*

Luckily we're able to take things month by month and as of now, very few of our decisions on location, activities is being driven by cost.....sure it's a factor but it's not the main one. We've still got wanderin' fever and 2025 is going to be another epic year......though much more expensive.

We are going to owe taxes for Int/Div/Roth conversions, pay for a lot more flights and hotels out of pocket now that our rewards points/miles are basically donezo, and we're going to be needing a vehicle/adventure rig when we relocate back stateside in the second half of the year.

Luckily, we can afford to spend more money if it enables the life we want to live.......and for that we feel eternally grateful.

On the fitness and health front......2024 was a pivotal year. A low point in April/May led me down a path that has been extremely rewarding and provides a deep sense of purpose and structure. It's so simple too....be happy with what you have and all that, right?

I've been geeking out on data related to the cutting/massing phases I've done over the past 32 weeks. The human body continues to amaze me and 2025 is going to be an experiment in human adaption and pushing the limits a bit further past recreational norms.

Quite honestly, I never thought I would get to the point I am at now without taking drugs. And after a call with my coach this morning, he believes we're barely scratching the surface. Right now being able to enjoy training, eating, recovering and spending time with friends and family is about all I need to feel very fulfilled and happy. Add in location independence, spontaneous and serendipitous adventures and encounters with new friends and old....and sometimes I still have to pinch myself.

Happy New Year everyone.

[delay]

Quite honestly, I never thought I would get to the point I am at now without taking drugs.

Thanks for your journal, congratulations on escaping medicine, and happy new year!

[2Birds1Stone]

Thanks, delay. Just for clarity, I was referring to PED's.

[delay]

Thanks, delay. Just for clarity, I was referring to PED's.

Aha, so you got strong without using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Thanks for pointing that out, I totally misread that.

[C40]

You are already bigger and stronger than ~everyone. How much further do you want to go?

A problem with strength/size is that when you keep adding more and more you eventually, ALWAYS get problems. Injuries (both nagging slow ones and disastrous sudden ones).. shorter lifespan.. more discomfort.




Personally I'd recommend you only try to increase strength further very slowly.

And increase your focus on improving small things. Balance. Strength of neck, grip, back, core, and other little balancing/supporting muscles... and other fitness aspects like: cardiovascular condition, keeping your testosterone naturally high (when doing cardio workouts, short and very intense intervals help a lot - like 30-60 second intervals), sleep quality.

A main reason I write this is because 15+ years ago I was focused on lifting a lot. I was also lean then but had like 30+ lbs more muscle than I do now. During a year or two that I was really consistent, I improved a lot. But I also started a problem with a tendon in my arm, from doing heavy weighted chin ups and also deadlifts I guess. It has never fully recovered, even with long periods of taking it easy. Now I'm sure it's going to bother me for the rest of my life.

[2Birds1Stone]

Aha, so you got strong without using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Thanks for pointing that out, I totally misread that.

I'm actually not strong at all, relatively* speaking.

And I was referring to my FFMI (fat free mass index, https://www.strongerbyscience.com/your- ... al-part-1/)

You can calculate here, https://ffmicalculator.org/

@C40, I appreciate your advice and sharing your experience.

Everyone has a genetic ceiling with this stuff, and as you get closer to yours, the gains are very incremental and the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

I'm actually not training for strength at all, in fact I've been infatuated the past 7-8 months with training much much lighter than ever while stimulating muscle protein synthesis. I'm trying to play the long game, as you eluded to, this is a marathon and not a sprint. I switched from training in the 6-8 rep range to 12-25 on most exercises, using tempo and full range of motion to make lighter weights feel heavier, and on top of that changed up exercise sequencing so that I pre-fatigue my body with more isolation/activation work and then I am not as strong on the compound stuff that would normally require heavier loads. This has resulted with much faster recovery times and *knock on wood* my joints feeling the best they have in years, all while getting my FFMI to it's highest in years (~24.0 currently).

I am going to play with volume, frequency, even niche techniques like BFR (blood flow restriction) to stimulate the muscle while minimizing joint and connective tissue impact.

To answer your first question, this is about as "big" as I every plan to get, from a weight perspective. I dialed calories back to roughly maintenance on Jan 1 and have already started losing some weight (peak was 205.0). I'll probably drop to a deficit in the coming days and stay there for 3-4 weeks. Should get back under 200 lbs and more or less maintain that (slight surplus) until I start a longer cutting phase in late April/early May.

My goal for fall of 2025 is to cut down to ~180 lbs, but this will result in some extremely low body fat levels. It's a very temporary state for the likely purpose of entering a drug free bodybuilding competition.

From there......who knows. But I'll likely stay in the 190-195 lb range long term, which for me is pretty light, and not very large considering height (183cm or 6'0" for the Americans).

My main focus/goal long term is to continue weight training for the enjoyment of the lifestyle for as long as I can. I do want to spread my knowledge and learn about other ways of training/mobility/yoga/etc.

Hear you on the nagging pains and injuries! Most of mine are from sports and mountain biking crashes.........but I've got a few gym ones too, including a slipped disk last year while deadlifting the day after a 3 dive scuba trip.......still feel that when sitting sometimes, a year later. The massages here don't hurt though.

I need to figure out the best way to do that interval training, as cardio is definitely a limiting factor (was sucking wind on 12 rep squats today).

[C40]

oh nice. Sounds like you are all over it with long-term focus and your lifting methods. When I see you in [don't say where], I should ask you for advice on training methods for improving my power output in short time range of 0-90 seconds

Yeah it's good to have a way to do that kind of interval training that's not damaging. I'd guess actual sprint running is not a good idea for everyone. I've got bicycling, so I haven't experimented much

[2Birds1Stone]

Musings

We had an amazing two months in Thailand, spending ~5 weeks up north, getting to spend quite a bit of time hanging out, sharing meals, gym sessions and evenings exploring the city with WRC and his DW, hanging with the Ego's and C40.....Chiang Mai exceeded expectations, and we'll definitely be back.

After CM we boogied down to Bangkok for four days, staying in a completely different part of the city than last year. It's such a unique place, and we also look forward to returning and exploring more. I could see getting a monthly rental there and slowing down to a snails pace for a month at some point in the future.

Our final Thailand adventure was taking a plane, bus and finally ferry over to the island of Koh Tao, where we stayed two full weeks and enjoyed the island vibes. DW got her advanced open water scuba cert completed, we did a bunch of snorkeling and I hit the gym regularly while there. Koh Tao is cool, but it doesn't feel like "authentic" Thailand, since many of the businesses and dive shops (and people) on the island are European. The bonus in that is that we had some of the best croissants outside of France here, and after 4 PM they were buy one get one free.

We flew to Ho Chi Min City on the first day of Tet (Lunar New year) and what an experience that was. The city which is famous for gridlocked traffic and millions of motorbikes was empty streets and full sidewalks of people ringing in the new year with their families and friends, from street side karaoke to marching bands dressed like dragons roaming the streets. It looks like a giant party for 2-3 days.......and now things are humming like any other Monday.

Yesterday we spent half the day in the National War Remnants Museum, which was both depressing and extremely educational. Seeing the history documented from the perspective of the Vietnamese people is a little different than what they taught in the USA during the 1990's and early 2000's. It also makes me shake my head in disbelief that the USA can come out of WWII knowing what the the axis powers were capable of and take part in such actions, and for so long. I'm just really glad I was born in the 80's and not the 40's or 50's.

Tonight we fly to Da Lat, where we'll spend almost an entire week before heading towards the coast. We'll be in Viet Nam for just over two months, and I'm very much looking forward to it. While Thailand is amazing in it's own way, the vibes here are otherworldly for someone from the west.

After Vietnam, we head to Japan for three weeks in April before flying to Portugal for a 5 week house sit........so our year is more or less planned through end of May. After that, TBD.

Be well friends and lurkers.

[2Birds1Stone]

What a clusterfuck this month has been.......

.....not for me personally, at least not yet, but It sure is shaping up that way and I can't help but observe the western world seemingly lose it's mind thanks to he who shall not be named.

Until 2024, I have never been to a National Park in the USA. We had the pleasure of visiting almost a dozen of them during our 10 week road trip across the western USA last summer/fall. Our plans for the second half of this year included a very similar trip, hitting some of the ones we missed and returning to the ones we loved but didn't have enough time in. It saddens me to see that there is already a high likelihood that this will not be possible thanks to defunding and changes to the way reservations/permits are being (or not being) handled. I also wonder what the long term impact will be, greedy hands will surely make a play for America the beautiful.

The middle of the year, after pet/house sitting in Portugal through May, was supposed to be centered around visiting family and friends in Poland for an extended period of time......with the recent developments in the Eastern block, the risk of me being in Poland when a ban on international movement for able bodies males takes place is too high. Thus these plans are on hold for now, and I'm not entirely sure what June-August will look like.

I'm not entirely sure if this is a good or bad thing about our current nomadic lifestyle. On one side, we're not "stuck" in any particular place.....but at the same time the two places we planned on spending the most time are becoming less than great/terrible options given the tail risks.

I feel a bit lost right now, at least when thinking about the future. Guess there's not much to do but enjoy the present and "wait and see" what happens.

As far as all of the doom and gloom about recessions and the recent thread being revived on preparations......for not having a home base, DW and I are decently positioned, so long as the USA economy doesn't completely collapse/dollar doesn't go to zero.

We are able bodied and relatively healthy.
Our baseline cost of living is very much ERE levels.
We have a <2% WR, so even if the market took a 50-60% nosedive for a few years, we could maintain our current level of spending without fear of running out of money.
We started retirement two years ago using a rising equity glidepath, so we have a decade of current expense levels in cash/fixed income.
We have a solid friends group and family that is supportive, and while Poland would be off the table due to the whole risk of conscription, we could land in the USA on our feet and figure things out
We are also very much enjoying meeting and building relationships with ERE community in the meatspace. If anyone in the coming year falls on hard times and we're able to assist, doing so wouldn't take a second thought. I'm not a religious person, but do believe in good karma.

[thef0x]

My heart is with you and your family in Poland as well. I can't imagine how stressful these last few years, let alone weeks, have been for you all, with my own sense of confidence in the future feeling faint as well.

You're completely right: you're both poised to manage what the future holds with resilience and strength, even if all priors are changing so dramatically around you. Feeling both the largest sense of abundance you've experienced in your life and also the biggest sense of dread sounds incredibly challenging. The idea that problems aren't problems when you have 'enough' is bullshit; we're all human.

Know you have a community here to support how best we can; what a gift. Thinking of you guys.

[Laura Ingalls]

You are making me glad that we took in so much of the national parks last year. Bummer about Poland.

[zbigi]

Regarding risk of staying in Poland - Marek Budzisz has an interesting section on how a a people's popular plan of "packing up family and fleeing West towards the border" would work if Russia were to attack Poland: https://youtu.be/4CaR2Lce09U?t=1774 (Polish only). TL;DR is that it won't be so easy, and may not end up working out for many people.

[Stasher]

As mentioned above, I was hoping to make it back down to many of the western US National Parks again this year mixed into a trip to the MMM Moab meet but that won't be happening with our country's sovereignty concerns from the south. Of course the impacts on staff and the rangers will be unfortunate too, I had many great experiences with the passionate network of Park rangers at the national parks, they are also a wealth of information.

Also, all the best to your family and the growing tensions in Europe, we are standing with you the best we can

Your past many years as travelling nomads may serve you very well in growing concerns of global stability. Your International experiences and knowledge gained will treat you well. On that note, if you ever want to spend some time on a PNW island we have a very large basement spare bedroom (as long as you like dogs lol)

[chenda]

Come to Portugal

[Western Red Cedar]

@2b1s - I find that sometimes these road blocks lead to new, unexpected adventures. The opportunities in Europe over the summer are endless. While it is tough to match the beauty of the US National Parks, there are still plenty of options on Federal land available for boondocking, hiking, and exploring.

On that note, if you ever want to spend some time on a PNW island we have a very large basement spare bedroom (as long as you like dogs lol)

@stasher - I've been plugging BC to @2b1s for over a year now. So much to do and see there.