No Destination : hoyden and two dogs hit the road full-time

Thanks Hoyden for the posts.
No problems viewing this time.
Frank

Fort Walton Beach, Florida

I've been lazing away some days at a friend's "cabana" in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It's pretty ideal and I feel luxurious hanging out at this 1960's low profile little complex of eight single-story cabanas right on the beach.



I'm glad I left New Orleans when I did on Sunday, because if I'd waited one more day, I'd have been driving in, and camping in that tornado storm! Yikes! As it was, the storm came through Fort Walton Beach area complete with 87+ MPH winds and multi-hour tornado watches. I had my weather radio, flashlight, headlamp, wallet, electronics, dogs, and pillows bunkered up in the kitchen here. While it has more stuff that could fall on me than the bathroom, the kitchen is the inside room. It's a concrete brick building, so I wasn't too terribly worried, but still.... (actually, I put all that stuff in the kitchen, then watched a movie in the front room. Luckily, the Dish and internet stayed up almost the whole time, so I just kept checking the weather online.)

Stormy weather.



If there weren't people, this would be a little paradise.



The dogs certainly seem happy with it here.

Having a little trouble with my internetz connection, so I'm not going to try to add pics to that previous post. Instead I'll add them separate.

87+ mph winds do some damage



Argos was freaked out by the ocean. He kept running away from it, then after getting a little used to it, he started biting at the bubbles. But even after three days, he still isn't very comfortable with that big moving water creature.

When I first got here on Monday, I thought I'd stay for a couple of days then leave. My friend said he could be here Thursday eve, if I stayed and I realized that I have no deadline so why not. Funny how difficult that habit of feeling like time is a factor lingers.

Pugsly wonders what's in store for our near future. She would like to be cozy, warm, and fed with a lot of cuddling. It's definitely a different thing campering without knowledge of a landing place. I'm not sure that it's really sunk in yet, which seems odd since I've now been gone from Arizona for a couple of months.

Nice to hear your enjoying your time. Glad you missed the bad weather,definitely a plus. Your friend place looks very peaceful to me , at least that's how your photo 's make me feel.
West coast. Is still here we will look after it for you whilst you are on the road.
Russ

I am soooo glad I missed the bad weather. No basement in the FWC/Tacoma to hide from tornadoes!

It is very peaceful here. I'm glad that comes across in my pics. There's nothing like sitting and listening to the ocean.
A very relaxing, meditative experience.

Next big trip will hafta be Wester again! I need to get up to the PNW too! Many friends up that-a-way!

My friend whose family owns two of these cabanas rolled in last night. We're going to go fishing today! FUN!
Other than a lovely afternoon rock cod fishing up off of British Columbia coast in the mid-1990's, I haven't been fishing since going with grandma and grandpa when I was a kid!

Oh, here's a failed selfie with Argos from yesterday

Great posts. ...makes me want to fit my Tacoma with a cap and go. Maybe someday!

Hot Rod Pug!

Videos of Pugsly in her new wheelchair that my friend Brandon made for her when I was visiting in Bluffton, South Carolina last week!
A series of five or so short vids.

She can still gimp around, but this helps her go for distance and frees her up to go faster! Whee!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK6nsDgsRMcnhJKEdL3pKWlXFNl-FqUx-

Wow. What a great friend. jd

The little old pug from Pasadena (go Pugsly go!)

Pretty cool setup!

Yeah! She zooms!

hoyden said:

Hot Rod Pug!

Click to expand...

"See looks so happy!" the Lady said as we watched the series.

"Does it have a parking brake you can set?" the safety conscious one of the pair asked.

Nice to see Pugsly getting by with a little help from her friends.

Security or Freedom?


(Osceola National Forest, Florida. Hog Pen Campground, on Ocean Pond)

There is a quote that is usually attributed to Ben Franklin that most of us have heard in context of political discussion, “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither."

The other day I was driving along thinking about the prospect of getting a jobby job vs continuing on the road. I need to have income within a month or two or I'll use up my savings and I don't want to do that.


(Osceola National Forest, Florida. Hog Pen Campground, on Ocean Pond)

Staying on the road doesn't necessarily mean giving up security, but it does make it more difficult. And I am not necessarily against settling down in one location - I just haven't yet found that place that clicks with me yet. Taking a jobby job does mean giving up my freedom, if not my liberty exactly. I know that the author of that quote wasn't talking about my little life, but a greater Mill-ian idea of 'liberty' in context of one's relationship to the government, but I still think I can stretch it to apply to my situation.


(dead jellyfish, Hilton Head, SC)

My IT skill set makes for a little more difficult for remote work, as I'm no coder. Still kicking my younger self for not following that path further. I really enjoyed coding once upon a time, but it's come so amazingly far since then. Man, I sound old. Ha!

The idea of "follow your dreams" is a nice one, but it's also - like most things - a "what is most important" question. Since I'm not wealthy, do I have to choose between poor but flexible, or salaried but cubicled?


(backyard swamp, Bluffton, SC)

I set out on this no-destination journey without much of a plan, and to figure it out as I go along. I'm at the "well, I should start thinking about income" part of the journey now.

On this trip I've had so many people say to me how they wish they could live on the road like I am. It's definitely do-able, and I've plenty of full-time camper friends who are employed and making this lifestyle work.

I've never been good at answering the ever-asked "what do you want" question. However, the "what do you need" question is easier: I need a place to sleep, food to eat, clothes to wear, community and love in my life, my doggies, and gas in the truck.


(Pugsly. Bluffton, SC)

I've got a jobby job offer, but it's not ideal. That said, a job in the hand....
A friend of mine wrote after leaving a job that tore her up that she's done taking jobs out of fear, and "lesson learned for me - choose a job with my heart, not with my brain."

So the persistent question: how to make it work?

ski3pin said:

"See looks so happy!" the Lady said as we watched the series.

"Does it have a parking brake you can set?" the safety conscious one of the pair asked.

Click to expand...

Heehee!
It does not have a parking brake, so I stay close because she can get going pretty fast down even a little decline!

Thanks for keeping us all up to date.
Nice to follow you around the country.
Frank

Hmmmm....
Your musings in post #255 makes me think you have a future in the written word.
I like your style!

Walking the spiritual path with practical feet...what my dad said... is hard but if you can ...do the job with the heart...less money maybe but way better. If you have to do work you hate to get by...do it... but always search the one that makes you happy.

Glad your seeing some country!
If you can answer, THAT, question, how to make a living doing something that you like, where you like, it would be monumentally earth shaking, and make you millions!
How about part time, or overtime work? Just working the overtime gigs, one half the year, is only way I have kept it going.....