Faded Jeans Living

As I GO

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There’s a big difference between preparing for something and actually doing it.

I’ve taken my van out on trips before, but this was the first time I truly lived in it—two full weeks. And like most things in life, the real learning didn’t come from planning. It came from being out there, figuring it out as I went.

Here’s what I learned.

I used ChatGPT to find dispersed camping areas—national forests and BLM land. It gave me grid coordinates, which pushed me to learn something new. I plugged them into onX and figured out how to actually navigate using the app. Downloading maps ahead of time became key, especially when I had no service.

Inside the van, I made do with what I had. An old computer desk became my table and storage space. Not perfect, but it worked—and more importantly, it showed me what I’d want to build differently down the road.

I learned how to use a Lug-a-Loo with a bag. Not glamorous, but necessary. Same with figuring out where to fill my 3-gallon water tank and where to reliably find trash cans. These aren’t things you think much about—until you have to.

All my systems got tested in real conditions: heater, canopy, inverter, refrigerator, butane and electric stoves, fan, plugs. Everything worked—and that builds confidence you just can’t get any other way.

I got familiar with the basics of living simply. Laundromats. Body wipes. Keeping things clean enough. I figured out how to clean dishes without a sink and realized pretty quickly I needed a better system for my pots, pans, plates, and silverware—throwing everything into one box didn’t work when what I needed was always at the bottom. I also learned what needed to be within arm’s reach and what could stay buried under the bed because I barely used it.

As I got familiar with the unfamiliar, a new rhythm formed. Alice, my dog, and I started adjusting accordingly.

Nothing about it was perfect. But that wasn’t the point.

The real takeaway is this: you can plan all you want—and you should—but at some point, you have to act.

That’s where the learning happens.

That’s where the growth happens.

Stepping outside your comfort zone isn’t just a nice idea. It’s the price of admission if you actually want to change, improve, understand something new… or just add some color to your life.

And after two weeks out there, I can tell you this:

Do what you can to prepare.

Then GO!

-Dwight & Alice