vanlife hiatus in 2026

note: I will make updates on the hiatus page

It doesn’t have to mean forever, but I rented an apartment outside El Paso, TX on Dec 10th. There were many factors that fed into this decision.

what the van is/was for

Full-timing in the van was largely an economic matter: pay off all debt, fund tax-deferred saving for retirement, rebuild credit, etc. All this was accomplished ahead of schedule, including being able to retire several years early. The math showed I could live on savings and 401k¹ until early Social Security when things would get less tight. A few years later a small TxDOT pension would kick in and I could start to travel at will instead of survival snowbirding.²

It would also buy me some much-needed solitude. This had the direct effect of lowering my anxiety and several indirect effects including the ability to introspect and work on my personal issues.

factors that influenced my decision

• most importantly, the increase in my V.A. rating earlier this made it possible at all.
• I need to some things I’ve been putting off because they were complicated to schedule as a nomad
  • VA healthcare - more regular checks, at least two spinal surgeries, etc. The scheduling is so slow that if you get a referral in winter it could be heating up in late spring by the time of the actual appointment.
  • the van needs some work that will be easier with it emptied out
  • I want to rework the living area
  • and I need to go through everything I own and get rid of what’s unnecessary
  • dental in Cd. Juarez
• my VA counselors are doing a great job of helping me re-acclimate to society. I’m still a wallflower but I don’t feel like I’m having a stroke if someone makes small talk.
• the small house and chunk of land in my father’s estate made me think about what I would have done with it if it were left to me instead of his designated heir.

Edited to add: to give you an idea of VA timelines I met with my GP on Dec 19th, got the phone call to schedule MRI on the 22nd, and first available MRI appointment is in early February. I am not complaining about the excellent (and free-to-me) healthcare I get at the VA; I am illustrating why I need to be in one place for a while. Non-emergency care moves at a glacial pace and I think it’s a fair trade-off.

making it happen

I started sniffing around ELP for studios or other small, inexpensive spaces. All the first ones were no-goes because Muffin is (or appears to be) part pit bull. Rental agents stiff-armed us. I get it.

Eventually I found a place out in the country (on a literal farm road between pecan groves) that didn’t care what kind of doggo Muffin was. The landlord even waived the $250 pet fee that was mentioned on the listing.

The place is big old house that was subdivided into apartments. Not going to win any beauty contests or impress wimmenfolk but it it meets my needs at a fair price. A small fenced yard for Muffin, a gas range (yay!), a washer/dryer³, a rooftop antenna with coax to the living room. The gas station a 1/4mi up the road has the best prices I’ve seen anywhere in ELP. Now if I can just find some good menudo…

what I didn’t need

Since I was full-timing in the van I had all the necessities with me. I just moved it in. There was even a bed frame onsite so I used that.

bought a couple things

I stopped at a thrift and bought a $20 microwave and $20 26” LCD monitor. My old eyes were struggling with the 12” laptop screen.

updates will go here

I’m exhausted and probably leaving out lots of stuff. Will make another run at it after some sleep. This nightcap⁴ is pushing me over the edge into sleepytown.

1. actually 457 but same idea. ↩

2. by this I mean watching every penny and carefully planning each move to stay in relatively mild weather for the least expense. ↩

3. the dryer is electric so I will set up a clothesline instead. ↩

4. first pull from the first bottle of Bulleit Rye I’ve bought in years. Finally dropped to $25! And poured it over an ice sphere; found the spherical mold at a thrift earlier in the year for $0.50. The universe may be whispering in my ear. ↩