3 month mauiversary.

we've had an adventure thus far!
3 Months in....
We've had a house for 5 weeks.
lived in the van for almost 6 (gosh do I miss it)
beached it for almost 2 weeks.
And wouldn't trade it for the world.
Getting woken up by sprinklers while on the beach, police knocking on the windows, van breaking down, livin with a random lady and her son babysitting for free rent, having to pee in a bottle, knowing all the clean public bathrooms, walking miles to work, eating the freshest fruit...
Ahhh. Its a good life.

3 years ago.

I posted on a blog....
Im giving up paradise but only for now.
I know I can make it.
I know I can survive.
And that's enough comfort for me.
I know I belong here.
Just not for good yet.
Maui baby ill be back for you.


Funny how things work. Im back, brought along my best friend/lover and there are no plans to live anywhere else anytime soon, or not so soon. We are so happy, so lucky and so blessed to be where we are. And to have the minds we do to think outside the box amd live a fun life, while most people are not happy with their situations but keep chasing those benjamins that are only gonna get them things.

this life is a good one.
createlove.

it hasnt been long.

Living in a house is nice.
But i miss my vannnn.

We got an estimate from the shop to fix her up. More than we expected so well see what happens.

what to do when your house breaks down on a world famous golf course.

Laugh. Because its 9 at night and stressing or getting upset isn't going to help anything, there's nothing you can do till morning.
So when the security guard comes up just let him know, "the van just broke down, our friends coming to tow it when he gets off work" and that you dont know exactly what time that will be. When the next security guard comes and wakes you up at 4 in the morning tell him the same thing and your really sorry. (That security guard was pre warned we were there and only came by to let us know the yard crew was coming in and they might be loud, pretty thoughtful.)

...So in the morning we called some shops, a tow truck and some prices for towing. So, we went to the beach for a couple hours to figure out our options and what we were gonna do on top of working on my tan and ian getting a skim sesh in.

The tow truck came and the rather large man 'duffy' got in the van to steer and made me push him! I'm  thinkin alright I better be getting some money off for this. And of course didn't. On our ride back to the shop Duffy was telling me about his life in vehicles. Apparently he lived in a 66 window bus with as many as 30 people in it traveling Europe selling jewelry they made. Interesting stuff.

the shop took a look at the van and let us know the temperature sensor had burned up and our motor overheated. Major bummer. Head gasket blown. Major money and time. And possibly something with the cylinders, but he won't know till we agree to do the head gasket. Its all kind of up in the air and were still waiting on a estimate for the headgasket.

The last couple nights have been spent on the beach. (last night we woke up too sprinklers soaking us, twice, in two different spots. and someone musta thought we needed a drink cuz we woke up to two beers by ians head. hahaha.) Down sizing to 50 pounds of luggage was hard, harder to downsize into the van, now i have my backpack full of necessities. Well see what happens, but for now a hold on life in a van :(

Hopefully its a quicker and cheaper fix than were thinking. Fingers crossed.

creatlove..

our reality.

Our reality is different than yours, please dont be alarmed.  

we wake up and go to sleep on our own beach with amazing mountains behind us every day. Instead of staring at a white boring ceiling.

I've been getting amazing feed back from everyone so happy were following our dreams and living freely, but when are you going to do what you want? When will you start following your dreams? whats holding you back from now? Because we only have now. 

costs and saving in a van.

Saving money is a huge reason for vandwelling. Heres a list of the different expenses of each. When we were looking for either a bedroom and our own bathroom in a shared house for around 700-800 or our own ohana for no more than 900, including everything. Rent in a van is 0. Costs for conventional housing ....
Rent.
PO box.
Cell phone.
Cable.
Internet.
Garbage.
Water.
Sewage.
Electric.
Natural gas.
Laundry.
Groceries.
Auto insurance.
Gas.
Auto maintence.
Entertainment.
Anything else you want to add? Yard service, homeowners insurance? Those are kinda optional. But you might have some of those included for a higher rent.

Van living...
Auto insurance.
Gas.
Auto maintence.
PO box.
Cell phone.
Laundry.
Groceries.
Entertainment.

Say we save everything we'd normally pay for rent, average 850 that's just 425 each. In a year wed have just about 11,000 cash in our banks. Just a waiting  for us to buy tickets around the world and go! Or put down on a piece of property and camp, while slowly upgrading to an off grid life style, just kidding thats some years down the road.

Its a sacrifice, and who knows if we'll make it a year, or 3. Its definitely worth everything sacrifice, every appreciation, everytime we brush our teeth with bottles of water and everything we've given up and learned.

I was trying to post this last night, but another blog was unfolding, stay tuned for our night at the Kaanapali Golf Course.

createlove.

we are not alone.

Apparently were not the only crazy painted van around! We saw this one when we went to the other side of the island.

Happy labor day.

We both have the day off today. The charging of the phones at Starbucks is almost complete and we will spend the rest of the day soakin up the sun, snorkeling with turtles and enjoying this beautiful life.

Dear everyone, come visit puhleassseeee, you can stay in our tent;)

createlove.

lack of appreciation.

I never appreciated a lot of things in my life enough, so here's to thoes things (that I can think of right now with a, surprise surprise, almost dead phone):

• My family being close both loving and in distance instead of an ocean away like now. 
• My own bathroom, or even a shared bathroom at that. 
• My outlook on this fun amazingly beautiful life we are given, if we take advantage of it. 
• My up-bringing, we weren't rich, and not poor but we got by and my parents always did everything they could for each of us. 
• The ocean, not that i dont appreciate it but not enough as it deserves. 
• The hard times in my life, it all just made me that much stronger. 
• My friends that are always there no matter how many states are between us. 
• Electricity, living simple is hard with the every day technology that I am lucky to have. 
• Ian. He is my best friend and lover, i couldnt imagine living in a van or spending my time with anyone other than him. 
• Both of our families being supportive of our crazy decisions to up and move so quickly and living in a van.
• The sun for shining, the clean air I breath in. 
• My dollar store scarves I now wear as skirts. 
• Life, happiness, an open mind, a drive to do anything and everything I can in this short but hopefully long life.

More to come.

createlove.

goodmorning officer.

A knock on the window, a bright light and a stern voice saying "police" was our 4am wake up call 2 mornings ago. Apparently where one of our 'sleeping spots' is is on Maui county land. But isn't all this land Maui county? Anyways, after we gave the officer our ids and he ran our insurance and registration he says ma'am step out of the vehicle. Me? Why me?! My boyfriends right here, I'm still waking up, I have no clue what's going on, bra-less and I can't find my glasses anywhere. Shaking and worried (I hate cops) I walk back to his car where he insists on shining his bright ass flashlight in my face. "This is an arrest-able offense, you know," he said. No, I thought in my head I still dont know what's going on. Your inhabiting maui county land, you could be arrested. My brain was too slow, all I could think was "f*** being arrested and going to jail with the crazy locals because were parked on the side of the road!"

He took down all my info and just told us to leave. Thankfully, no ticket and no jail.

I blame it on Ian, he gets too hot in the van at night with all our curtains up, so the only night i decide to leave them open the cop sticks his head through. The curtains are now staying closed so we can act like were not home when the next cop comes knockin.

(family and taco truck, i miss you)

createlove.