Nobody is the same. Even when someone looks the same, it is still like they say in Thailand "Same Same, But Different". Although many of us are labelled and even put into a box. But what if you are different? Not part of the mainstream? What if people say you are not successful or even call you a loser? Better deal with it, life will never be perfect. It's not a bad thing to take a different direction.
A short look back
Since I was a kid, I am used to be a nomad. Travel from town to town. Never building up serious local friendships, never being the popular kid at school. Always trying to prove myself and sometimes I think failing was maybe my best skill. There was no money to join the other kids at sports or school trips. For years there was no money at all. When we once lived at a trailer park in a cold winter with a huge amount of snow, it was getting more and more clear to me. A normal house, a normal life, with a nice group of friends...forget it. I was an outsider, a weirdo and also loved by teachers because I was smart and getting good grades. Girls gave the shy boy attention, but I was of course...too shy to react on it. Around that time no one talked about feelings or was even interested in the way you feel. I got bullied a lot, lies were spread, no one picked me for sports at school and even friendships were difficult. No one explained me how to deal with this or how to deal with life. My dad died when I was young, and the situation at home was not the easiest. I will not complain about it and don't want to be a victim. Things just happened the way they did and it created a character. For decades I heard many words and one popped up more often: LOSER
How I could not avoid being a loser
When I hear this word, my first though is the song of Beck "Loser". In fact the whole generation X from that time were called losers. The lost generation. So I have nothing to complain about, it is just a fact that I am part of the loser-generation. When I grew up as a teen, even adults and some family members thought I was lost. But is it wrong to be lost? Is it good to be settled and successful? Is there one main goal we all should reach? I don't think so. I've been experiencing all parts of life. From living in poorness and experiencing street life to having succes and money. Being loved and hated. Feeling strong and being depressed. I lost a lot and also had a bit of succes. It is all part of an intense and pretty exciting life. I became a person full of sarcasm and stupid jokes. Saying things that are not the most tactical. It's my personality. I take life seriously, but with a dark and funny twist. I can hang out with all kinds of people, be totally on my own, work together and also live fully independent. I like to be loved, but I also love my freedom. This is why I live the life of a nomad these days.
On the run or a dream?
I worked my ass off a lot. I learned and studied to become successful. I started my own business when I was 20. I took huge risks and tried many things I'd never done before. I started Karate in my teen ages to stop running away from conflicts and started to fight back. I started with Tinder to get rid of my shy behavior with women. I started saying that I was able to fix the job even when I had no experience, I realized I was a good talker when I believed in something. I faced several periods of losing it all and coming back. So, I can not say I am still running away of things. I experienced a list of burnouts and changed the way I live. But I will never give up. I just live a bit more easy these days. The last few office jobs were not the best experience, that's why I decided to chose for myself. Owning an old house got me stuck. I realized I was stuck on a busy and noisy spot, doing something I don't really like. After paying all taxes and bills, I hardly had anything left to enjoy life. The only fun parts where the drinks in the city, a festival or the life at the beach. During my earlier travels around the world, it got quite clear what makes me happy. Meeting new people, exploring, living outdoors, adventure and most of all the freedom. Not knowing where I would sleep the next day, not worrying about what to cook tonight and no daily alarm clock and traffic jams. I've done it for a while now: work and save money for a certain period. After that, travel somewhere on the world and enjoy what life has to offer. There is a word for it: FIRO (Financially Independent, Retire Often). Why work all your life and wait for your retirement when you are around 70? Around that age most of us are not the fittest and healthiest anymore. Or even alive. Every time I have this gap in my so called career, I feel so full of energy. It's like starting from scratch. At the moment I am trying a different lifestyle, smaller project based jobs in between. And I love the moment when the project is finished :)
Impossible is nothing
You might think, impossible for me. That's just a kind of fear. I had periods in my life when I had nothing, just huge debts. Periods when I was seriously ill or depressed. Times that I had to take care of someone. But as soon as I saw an opportunity, I took it. It means hard work sometimes, giving yourself for 200%. I confronted myself, took huge risks and learned from every little thing. Seeing a positive thing in everything that happens. For others I can still look like a loser, but I learned how to enjoy life and just get around. Do I have the perfect life now? No, and living in a van is also not the dreamlife. I can sumup a list of things that I've experienced during the last few years, that makes you wanna drive off a cliff. But I would like you to keep reading all these interesting stories here. You c an read more about my experiences in other posts. At the moment I just take things as they are. I am not repairing things constantly. I will earn some money when I need it or when I find something fun. I see people having issues with their property due to extreme weather or not happy with their neighbors. So, what is better than just starting your engine, and search for your next spot? Of course, having several luxury homes with hot showers, jacuzzi's and having a private plane...but hey, you need topics left for dreaming.
Ping ping
How do you finance this loserlife? It depends what your standards are. I live in a very small van (2 x 5 meters on the outside). I have no hot shower, no toilet, no hot water, no heater, no fan. I camp for free 99,9% of the time. Diesel I always take at the cheapest pumps (there are apps for that), water I get at clean fountains or when I stop at a friends place. Toilet stops are reduced to visits at local cafes or restaurant, petrol stops and public toilets. My friends are not happy with my toilet gifts, Showers I take outdoor at the beach or I randomly got offered a shower from friends or complete strangers. I do ask them why they offer, do I really smell that bad? Laundry I do in a bucket, or again this random way of meeting people or at the laundry service. Food I cook inside the van or eat outdoors when the price is okay. Another option is to look skinny in the face, people are soon starting to feed you.
And there are still monthly bills to pay. In The Netherlands health insurance is a huge bill. But also things that must be paid. Road tax for a van and a car. Car insurance. Renting a 20ft container for my belongings. Allrisk insurance for the van. Road assistance. A few other insurances. Mobile and some paid apps. Every month I have to pay at least 650 euro's for bills. I work from time to time and gain a bit of profit from crypto. Yes, crypto. 3 years ago I sold my house. Instead of spending the profit in a new house that is overpriced, I decided to invest in stocks and crypto. So far I can survive, living in a basic van and keep focussed on the cost of living.
So why don't you ... ?
Yes, I am happy to be called a loser. I know that it means that I am part of a lost generation. A person that likes to get lost in adventures and ends up at the most stunning places. No plan, hardly any stress and enjoying the beautiful sides of life. It can be hard, but is the successful career life any better? If I listen and read mainstream media, the end of the world is near. Wars everywhere, hate and violence, no money & no food, my country will be a nice dive location in the near future... The world is full of fear and lies, I experienced that all my life. I like to live in reality and be free. People say I am on the run or lost...
Yes, I AM FREE & I LOVE IT
The other cool thing with living in the van? Also here you don't need to stay on the main road, with the right skills you can go off-road and soak the adventures of life