Rootless Living RLM 007 Jan/Feb 2021

Finally, 2021! 2020 was a crazy year to start a business while traveling the country full-time in an RV, but I still wouldn’t want to live any other way. If you are someone who had been RVing for a few years, you too might have seen the huge boom to the lifestyle from weekenders, to some-timers and now more and more full-timers. On the manufacturing side, companies saw record numbers, some breaking 40+ year old records. Last year so many people were introduced to both remote work and homeschooling. For most families that want to hit the road, those can be two of the biggest obstacles. People quickly realized they can actually live anywhere once their jobs are remote and the kids are learning virtually. Some families are jumping into…

What does “Rootless” mean to you? It occurred to me that we never really defined it ourselves and I think that’s the real beauty of it. It’s not ditching your roots or leaving extended family behind, it’s not cutting all ties to society. Unless of course, that’s what it means to you. To us, it means being able to live life on your own terms. Saying goodbye to people-pleasing and societal “norms”. It could mean leaving a high cost-of-living city for a small town. Or maybe it means finally moving to another country, the one you’ve always dreamed of living in, even if it’s just for a short time. Maybe it’s downsizing the house you thought you had to have to travel and live in an RV, a van or…

@fiftyandfifthwheeling “Kelley working hard! Kelley, like most people these days, is now a digital nomad working out of our camper since March.” @hurrricane_j “It seems like a lifetime has passed since I was on the road with other vanlifers. I'm so excited to be back at it. Enjoying sunsets, starry skies, hikes, good conversation, laughter… All of it.” @the_renegade_ramblers “I've been thinking a lot about what being "rootless" really means. I think it means having social and family ties EVERYWHERE.” @thatcutelittlervfamily “Life really is this simple. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.”…

Although Mammoth Cave National Park is most famous for its eponymous underground cavern, the park offers equally exciting places to explore above ground. We recently spent two months parked in Cave City, Kentucky just a few miles outside of Mammoth Cave. I visited the park almost daily, with our dog Ted in tow, since dogs are allowed almost everywhere in the park outside of the cave. Even after fifty-plus visits, I never tired of the peaceful, green forest and numerous outdoor activities. My favorite aspect of Mammoth Cave’s trails was the solitude. During my numerous hikes within the park, I only saw a handful of people outside of the parking lots. PADDLES The Green River which bisects the park provides opportunities for canoeing and kayaking adventures. Several local outfitters offer…

Running a remote small business from the road is no easy task. As a small business owner, you wear many hats! When’s the last time you felt unsure of a business decision you had to make? If you’re not in business yet, are you unsure of how to get started? Every week I talk to small business owners who are excellent at what they do but struggle with the business side of things. I also meet plenty of people who want to start a business and are stuck at where to start. Sound familiar? You’re not alone! While you've most likely spent hours perfecting your trade, you’ve probably received very little training on how to start and grow a profitable business. In fact, I’ve discovered that there are five mistakes…

Finding a job or a steady income that also compliments a nomadic lifestyle is not always an easy task. You want to be able to go as you please, but be financially stable enough to fund your adventures and put food on the table. Oddly enough, we got into vanlife thanks to Danny’s job as a travel nurse. A travel nurse is essentially a contracted nurse who assists hospitals all over the nation when they are low on staffing. The contracts are generally 13 weeks long and can be extended out a maximum of a year. The pay, in our experience, has been way more than what Danny made as a staff nurse, plus we are technically getting paid to travel the nation. There are numerous Travel Nurse Agencies that…