Wandering With Bill

It seems that there are more and more solo females living this lifestyle. Some are young, having just finished their education and trying to find their place in life or simply taking some time to travel before settling into a career or married life. Some are retired and some are still working. I’ve met quite a few traveling nurses and others that rely on the Internet which affords them the ability to live this lifestyle and work remotely.

Solo Female Hiker

The first impression one unfamiliar with this lifestyle may have is that these traveling nomads are homeless. That would be far from the truth. Most of these folks are well off. Granted there are some living on social security, but this lifestyle can be lived on social security as most have no bills other than gas for their vehicles, food and a few other necessities. Some “workamp”, meaning they follow seasonal work. Amazon comes to mind and Amazon and some other companies even provide camping areas with amenities. Most camp free on BLM Land, National Forests or other free campsites. They are not that difficult to find.

All this brings me to my subject.

I’m a retired PI (Private Investigator) so I’m curious by nature. I enjoy engaging these folks in conversation and in doing so, learn about them and why they’ve chosen this lifestyle. Perhaps one day I will write a book about the nomadic lifestyle.

Not long ago, I was camped in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona. There were several other campers near-by and a converted van set up camp some 50 yards or so away from me. The following day I saw a female moving around her van, setting out chairs, an awning, etc. After a while, she approached me as I sat in the morning sun enjoying a fresh cup of coffee. One thing I learned early when I began camping all around this country is that most nomadic travelers are very friendly people. She was no exception. She appeared to be 50ish and very friendly. She introduced herself as Pat from North Carolina and that she planned to camp here for a week or so and just relax after the long drive from the east coast. She said she was heading out for a short hike and wanted to stop and say hello. We made some small talk before she left on her hike.

A couple of hours later Pat was returning to her van and stopped to remark about the beauty of the desert and her hike. By this time, I’m having another cup of coffee and I invited her to join me. Pat was a very outgoing person and I could immediately tell, loved to talk.

I asked her how she got into the nomadic lifestyle and she began by telling me that one day she was fighting traffic to get to her job as a consultant in the tech business and just decided then and there that was it, she was not going to fight traffic and that job any longer. She was going to make a change in her life.

Her husband had divorced her some years back, leaving her to raise their son alone. She got him through college and since he’s now on his own, that made her change that much easier. She still works in the tech industry as a consultant, but does it on her terms and remotely.

Pat told me that she is a big movie fan and loved movies and documentaries about scenic places, travel, RV’ing, etc. She begain thinking about traveling and going to these places that she once dreamed about. So, she began to live her dream by buying a van.

The Build-Out Has Begun

She had some friends help her convert it into a tiny home on wheels. She “broke it in” by making short trips into the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. Once she conquered her fears of being a solo female nomad, she headed west. She said she was out in the Colorado Rockies during the summer and now that winter is here, headed south to the desert. This is so typical of nomads and the desert currently is dotted with vans, trailers, motorhomes and the like. She continued by telling me that even though she feels she is now a seasoned traveler, she’s very cautious when traveling alone. She’s never had any bad things happen but she stays around others when traveling, such as Walmart parking lots, Flying J’s, well-lighted rest areas along the freeways, etc. when boondocking, such as in the desert, she never goes totally alone off-grid. She says she will always look for other like travelers or nomads and park near-by as she did here yesterday.

Pat offers this advice for any would be single traveler.

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself (especially females).
• When boondocking, try to park close to others without getting in their space.
• If going off-grid, insure your gas tank if topped off and all batteries are charged.
• Try to stay in an area with a cell signal in case of some emergency.
• If you camp in an area and it just doesn’t feel right, trust your gut and move, do not stay there.

If you are a solo female traveler (nomad) or are considering it, I think Pat offers some excellent advice.

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Until next time…