Open Road & Open Heart

“This story follows Candice's journey from a conventional life to becoming a full-time car dweller. Seeking a change, she embarked on a cross-country adventure, embracing the challenges and joys of life on the road. She recounts the initial challenges of downsizing her belongings, setting up her tent, and adjusting to life on the road. Despite these hurdles, she discovered a deep appreciation for nature, meeting new people, and exploring stunning landscapes like Yellowstone National Park.

Candice embraces the challenges of planning campsites, dealing with weather, and occasional loneliness, finding solace in the beauty of nature and the sense of self-reliance this lifestyle fosters. The story ends with her advice to others seeking a similar path, encouraging them to embrace their desires and embark on their own adventures”.

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Background

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I was born and raised in Colorado. As a kid I mostly spent time outdoors, you know, making mud pies, riding bikes, climbing trees, playing flag football, practicing volleyball in the yard, playing H-O-R-S-E at the school basketball court, planning and hosting birthday parties and spending time at whoever’s house had the most stalked fridge and pantry. Potato chips and kool-aid anyone?

After my parents were divorced, my dad attempted to take me camping as often as we could go. I remember spending quite a bit of time on Trail Ridge Road, or near Grand Lake. At that time my dad had a camper that sat in the back of the pickup bed. I loved walking around Estes Park. One of my favorite things to see was watching them make taffy from the window.

I’ve always LOVED the mountains, the way they look, the way they feel, the way it smells.

Can you describe what your experience as a car dweller has been like so far, and what led you to choose this lifestyle?

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I am a location independent full-time car dweller. After single motherhood, and corporate America and the pandemic, plus likely undiagnosed ADHD plus anxiety kicked my ass for 25 or so years, I decided to focus on me. In March 2023, I set out to explore the USA with my entire life belongings loaded tetris style in a 2019 RAV4 outfitted with a rooftop tent (aka RTT).

Trip Statistics: I have slept in weather as cold as 27 degrees (unless it got colder while I was sleeping and didn’t know it),

and as hot as something over 100, travelled over 45,000 miles in a years’ time, visited numerous state parks and 8-10 National Parks and a few other National Monuments and regional sites in about 18 states.

Why I do this? I was living in Southern California, and you all know that means high cost of living. After my youngest kid graduated from high school, I had planned to move to a more cost-effective area but had no idea where that might be.

At the time, my mental health was not too great. This was just slightly after the pandemic and the world was just not the same. I opted to move home to Colorado for a while to spend time with my parents who are in their 70’s and my grandparents who are in their 90’s. Living in rural Colorado was a difficult change from SoCal, however, it allowed me to save some money, and be with family while I reinvented my life. During the move I got rid of most everything I owned from California except some nice kitchen pans and my clothes and sentimental items.

I’d need to travel to some places to figure out where I wanted to live next. And I knew I wanted to travel, but air travel and lodging is really expensive. So I started watching YouTube videos about van life and thought, I could do this! So once I decided that was the thing, I began researching and planning out my gear. I down-sized everything I owned again, and started counting the days to my spring departure, and mapping out road travel and camping spots. (And boy was it a LONG count, 2022 to 2023 winter was a cold one!!)

A friend of mine had a rooftop tent and I had an opportunity to try it out. I actually liked it, and the appeal of it was the easy set up and being off the ground away from bugs and creatures (Well I learned not totally away, but for the most part bugs are not an issue!).

By the way…deciding where to live has not become any easier after seeing so many places!

What was your first-time car dwelling like? Did everything run smoothly?

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Once the tent was installed on the roof of my car, they showed me how to unfold it and operate it. I thought oh that’s easy, no big deal. BUT when I got home and did it on my own, I couldn’t figure it out. I wasn’t tall enough to reach it. And I thought with a ton of anxiety and disappointment, what the heck did I just do. I spent all this money and have these big ideas and it may not even be possible!!

So, a friend of mine and I went to a local trailhead so that I could practice, and he could help me figure it out. I was climbing all over my car, and standing on my car seats to figure out how the heck I was supposed to reach this and do this set-up.

Ohhhhh. I was doing it wrong, and the hard way. Just a little bit of practice, and reading the manual and yes, more online ‘How To’ videos and I got that part down.

I started staging my gear and preparing for departure. When it came time to load the car, I thought this will all fit. Ya, noooooo. It didn’t fit and I ended up leaving some things behind last minute. It’s an emotional thing to get rid of that much stuff in your life over short periods of time. Once you get used to NOT having stuff it’s more difficult to ADD to it! You do make less impulse buys, and in the case of car-dwelling, if you buy something else, you know you have to GIVE up something so that it fits! Your buying habits become way more purposeful.

Alright, so the car is loaded, I can manage the tent, so off I go. With excitement and a bit of trepidation. I had not camped since I was a kid and here, I was making this my full-time life. What if I hate it? What if I can’t manage it? Too late now, I’m committed, and we’ll see how it goes when I get there.

It turns out, that I love it. I thrive in it (well except in the heat or wind - two conditions that are pet peeves of mine!).

Since then, the challenges are always there, but the thing is, I’ve become more self-reliant. I have the self-esteem to know now that whatever I face, I can usually figure it out, or find a resource to help me. Each campsite has a new and or different set of challenges. No two camp experiences are the same. You have to be resilient to live this life.

Some other challenges:

● Getting your road travel timing down to make it to camp with daylight

● Losing GPS signal or your map is not accurate to the road, or it’s not a road that’s on a map and signage is not great; or a road that should be publicly accessible has been gated off!

● FINDING the dang campsites that are available, and that meet my needs (they needed to be flat!)

● Weather, oh lord does weather ever present a challenge

● Food spoilage, and getting food quantities and portions just right

● Bugs

● Safety

● Dating and socializing when you live a nomad life

● Physical exhaustion or illness and no one else there to take care of you

● Budgeting - this lifestyle is pretty inconsistent in terms of expenses

What were the highlights of your road trips and off-beaten path adventures? Can you share any memorable stories or experiences?

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My top trips were camping and ATV riding with my dad in Western Colorado. And a short but sweet camping trip to Montana with my kiddo, who took very good care of me after I suffered severe heat stroke and we had to totally derail and adjust our plans (it ended up being a better plan and experience!).

Everywhere I go people stop to ask about my gear. My tent draws attention because they are still somewhat uncommon. My favorite part is meeting people and comparing travel lifestyles and stages of life, and tips and tricks! Once people hear what I’m doing they are surprised but also very supportive and wish me well. The women usually say, “I couldn’t do what you do!” and the men usually say, “Stay safe and get a gun”.

I would have to say my absolute favorite was an impromptu trip to Yellowstone. I slept in my car along the roadside because at that time roads had been damaged by flooding and closed (another lesson I learned to check for construction/road closures ahead of time) and therefore the camping spots I intended to go to were not accessible, but I ran out of daylight and options, and hotels in the area were sky high or sold out. Because I was paranoid sleeping in my car (that some creep would get me or the cops would issue me a ticket!), I decided to just get moving early in the morning as I wasn’t really sleeping that well anyway! Sunrise in Yellowstone is a sight to behold. It’s a magical, move your spirit and being moment. Words do not describe it, but it’s the closest thing to heaven that I can imagine.

Another amazing trip was to Southern Utah for the 2023 eclipse. It happened to be near Halloween and I just happened to find a town that did a car show, a Halloween street festival and the eclipse events all at the same place.

Each place I’ve visited has something special about it if you are open to seeing and sensing it. It doesn’t have to be mega magical like Yellowstone for it to be enjoyable.

When the animals teach you lessons:

One time I got lazy and didn’t secure my trash. I do have a pretty animal proof trash bag that I hang up on my ladder, but it won’t stop them all. I got woken up in the middle of the night because I felt my car kind of shaking, and then I heard noises. I couldn’t tell if this was an animal or human intruder! So, you can imagine my flight or fight responses were on high alert. I was trying to see out my window what I was dealing with, but I couldn’t see. And I didn’t want to open the zipper on the door until I kinda knew what I was dealing with. I tried to make noises to scare off whatever it was, nothing worked. Eventually I saw that it was raccoons trying to get into my trash. Boy those things are difficult to scare off. They don’t budge or get nervous easily. I finally got them to scurry away, and after the trash clean up and settling my nerves back down it was a 2-hour ordeal! Needless to say, my discipline with trash will not fail again!

Have you encountered any challenges or difficulties while living as a car dweller? How did you overcome them?

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My biggest challenges are time spent planning and searching for campsites, weather, and loneliness.

In terms of time spent on campsites, I think this was just a learning curve and now that I’ve done it so much I kinda know the best tools to use, what to look for, how to look for them and what I need versus what I can live without. It was hours and hours a day at first. It was exhausting. I try to be more open-minded to the routes, that there may not be the perfect route with the perfect campsites, and a little deviation might be a good thing!

Weather will always need to be considered, however, I’m a bit of a goldilocks and have a small temperature range that I’m comfortable in. One time, it was windy (let’s say average of 20-40 mph winds) for 4-5 days in a row. I grew more and more frustrated and agitated, and eventually got so overstimulated that I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t function. I’m learning my limits and learning when to say enough is enough and cut my losses and roll on. I have, however, implemented some systems for myself to be better informed about weather patterns, and a safety plan so to speak if I do need to exit due to severe weather.

I’ve also added gear to assist with tolerating weather conditions or getting information. I now have a weather radio in case of loss of cell signal and/or internet access, I familiarized myself with weather.gov and it’s various maps and dashboards, I have an awning for shade and wind blocking and try to be familiar with multiple routes to exit either by car or by foot should it become necessary. I’ve also tried to educate myself about how to keep myself cool while in a black tent in crazy hot temps - ice packs on the body work wonders.

Loneliness is a common problem in the van life community, some of us handle it better than others. I personally found that I have to have a delicate balance of social time and alone time. Too much of either side and I turn into an unhappy camper. If I’m at a developed campground, it’s somewhat easy to be social. Lots of people stop by or you can usually strike up a conversation with a neighbouring camper. Sometimes that’s enough, sometimes it’s not.

Or if I’m in a more primitive camping spot for a while I make sure to build in time in a town or city for some social interaction (local bar/restaurant, group tour etc.). I’m also purposeful when I am in town getting supplies to talk to people I come in contact with such as the cashiers or people at the grocery store, the rangers etc. I also try to have live phone or video calls with my friends and family instead of totally relying on texts. If people aren’t around, movement is best, but sometimes it’s just a fact of life to experience loneliness when you are living this lifestyle. Weather can affect the degree to which this happens as well.

What outdoor activities do you enjoy, and how has it complemented your camping experiences?

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I took up hiking when I lived in Southern California as a way to be social while not spending money and calories always doing bars and restaurants. My job has me sitting a lot, so I needed some motivation to get out and move my body and doing it with a friend seemed like a great way to go about it. And it encourages my friends to get in some movement too!

I haven’t quite nailed down the hiking desires with the rooftop tent lifestyle. Once you have your camp set up, it’s not so easy to leave the campsite with this set-up (one of the down sides!). However, I’m finding there are some campgrounds or camping spots that have hiking trails within a walkable distance so I try for those as much as possible. If not, it’s more of a mild walk around the camping area kind of deal. I’m up to about 6 miles a day, with a goal of at least 10 miles a day walking/hiking whether on a trail or not.

You mentioned an interest in outdoor sports like mountain biking, kayaking, and canoeing. What draws you to these activities, and have you had the opportunity to explore them yet?

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The most surprising thing living this lifestyle is that I’ve found that I do actually have an interest and desire in doing many more activities than I actually ever paid attention to before. I used to say things like “I don’t like water”, but when a neighbouring camper invited me to borrow his kayak he didn’t need that day and my whole body lit up like a little kid about to go to the amusement park, I started giving it a second look! So while I haven’t tried much of these things yet, I do have plans to try more things I’ve never done such as white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing (in Bryce Canyon anyone?!).

A friend and I travelled to Costa Rica and one of our main activities was going to be hiking waterfalls. I thought, I don’t know about this but sure, I’ll try it. I ended up LOVING it! Well besides a water spider bite that caused an allergic reaction (another learning, go to the pharmacy before you freak out and feel like the ER is the only solution!).

Can you share your experience with parasailing and snorkelling?

I tried parasailing in Cabo. It looked so fun to be floating above the ocean, and perhaps a little terrifying I thought to myself. Parasailing itself was actually not that scary once we did it. It’s a nice scenic float in the sky with a birds eye view. I thought it would be MUCH higher honestly.

Scuba driving was problematic for me. I do not like things on my face, but my friend made me a deal that if I tried snorkeling with her, she’d do parasailing with me. Okay. So I get the gear on and we’re waiting our turn to take the plunge into the ocean. I put the mask over my eyes and nose and I’m panicked. So I take it off and take a deep breath and try again. Well, we’re here and I’m not NOT getting in the water. Alright, pushing past the fear and doing it anyways! Mask on, and I jump! I lost my flipper and water went into the mask. Thankfully they required us to have floaties.

I get to the surface, get the mask off my face so I can breathe, ask for another flipper. I decided mask and underwater was going to take more practice, so I ended up just toodling around above the water looking down. My kids will tell you and my friends will tell you they wouldn’t in a million years imagine me swimming in the ocean with fishies. In California I wouldn’t even put my feet in the water hardly at all. So it was a big step forward for me, and I loved it! I think with some practice or a different type of mask I’d be able to go under water. So, I’ll try it again some time!

What you think you might be afraid of might not bother you at all and what you think you might not like you might love! Just do the thing!!

Have you ever faced any safety concerns or risks during your outdoor activities? How do you prioritise safety while pursuing your adventurous lifestyle?

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Traveling as a solo female has its share of concerns. Generally, I feel safe. However, I do not do as much dispersed or primitive camping as I would like, and so this lifestyle has not really saved me money in that regard because I’m paying for campgrounds more often than not. (I’m slowly adding gear to be able to be self-sufficient in the wild and will also get training for self-defence soon).

I do have a safety plan that I’ve written out and will be refining it to include weather safety and evacuation protocols. For those thinking about traveling solo, just go for it. Trust your gut, and if something makes your nerves uneasy, move along to the next spot or place. I generally try to stop in or call a ranger station to get their feel about the places I’m considering camping, and if they seem reluctant at all I know I probably shouldn’t camp in that area alone. I also always carry mace, and my car keyfob. I can always hit the panic button. That may or may not do anything with no one around, but it’s just an idea that some people may not have considered that everyone will have access to.

I also share my travel routes, approximate timings with trusted loved ones, and they have instructions what to do if they don’t hear from me. I did travel with a satellite GPS for a bit, but the device was outdated, and it didn’t work as well as I had hoped. So, for now, I’m typically in an area that has some cell service, so I use a phone app to share my GPS location with family. I also tend to let someone know when I’ll be hiking and what trail I intend to go on. I would also recommend you have some level of first aid and potentially event trauma first aid knowledge and carry a tourniquet.

A lot of people suggest personal protection dogs or carrying guns. I have a hard enough time just taking care of myself and dogs and their training is expensive. A dog is not for me right now, but I may consider it in the future to have a well-trained dog. Guns also require an investment and education, as well as knowledge of the legalities of crossing states (or countries) with different concealed carry laws.

One time I was camping and a couple was arguing very loudly, and other noises coming from there that were concerning (like things being hit or thrown around). I figured if I heard someone coming, I’d just get in my car and lock myself in, or go find a ranger. Eventually, someone called the cops and about 4 cops with lights and sirens came and within a short time it was resolved. That incident alone was enough to convince me a gun (and training!) was likely in my future.

Have you ever encountered any unexpected or unique encounters with people or wildlife during your travels? How did you handle those situations?

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I’ve been lucky thus far that I haven’t had any dangerous situations with people or animals. I did have an animal (deer or mouse maybe) eat my shoestrings! (Yet another learning to not leave stuff out at night!). If people give me the heebie-geebies I do try to keep a close eye though.

I did get swarmed by mosquitoes once. I literally counted about 30 bites on one leg. It was after that I learned I was allergic to mosquito saliva and now carry an epi pen!

How has your passion for outdoor activities and nature influenced your overall outlook on life?

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Being in nature has been an amazing contribution to my mental, emotional and physical well-being. It’s the best decision I could have made for myself. Nature has such a calming affect on my mind mostly, but having to rely solely on yourself for long periods of time to care for yourself, and overcome issues it has a positive effect on self-esteem and self-confidence.

You learn how things (and people) are so interconnected and interwoven together and creates a sense of awe and gratitude. When you are submersed in the miracles of our surroundings, it makes you a kinder, more peaceful person I believe. At least it has for me. And I think it helps us keep things in perspective.

Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations regarding your outdoor adventures and lifestyle as a car dweller

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I still have about 15 states to complete all 50 US states. Some I’d like to go back to. I’m planning to visit all of the National Parks, and some National Monuments.

I’d love to continue meeting people with similar lifestyles.

A 4WD vehicle is in my future for sure so that I can get to more places, and have a bit more space. Sponsorships or product ambassadorships would be amazing too!

Continuing the lifestyle, teaching others from my experience, and even inspiring or helping others with their mental and emotional well-being through my stories.

Adding in some international travel or living abroad is also a goal of mine.

Do you have any tips from your experience when it comes to camping or any of your outdoor activities that you wish people knew more about? Maybe even just something interesting you learnt that not many people know of.

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Tips and tools:

● Offline/ Paper Maps:Atlas maps that include recreational activities for planning, then when you get to the specific area stop at the local ranger, forest service or BLM office to get more detailed area maps.

● Apps: OnX, iOverlander, Google Maps and the USFS and BLM Campgrounds app are my favorites. I use other apps for hiking like Alltrails. Many state parks have apps to find and book campgrounds, and of course the National Parks apps.

● There are various online forums for solo camping, van life, dispersed/primative camping that you can get insights and opinions from those more experienced

● You don’t need to have a lot of special tools, gadgets, toys etc. Just get the basics, use what you have and go outside! You won’t actually know what you want/need/desire to have until you are out in the wild anyways, so until you are doing it you are merely GUESSING.

Do you have words of wisdom for others out there?

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If you have a nagging desire for a different life, take the leap. Don’t worry about what others think, don’t worry about the how or why. Ask, “How can I?” and “Why Not”. Plan it, talk to people doing it, and go for it.

See how you can define your strategic life and take the leap, in the gifts Candice has for you at the end of this article.

To continue following our explorer Candice’s journey or simply want to reach out and say Hi, you can connect with Candice on the following accounts:

Instagram: @RoadTripRav_USA

A gift from Explorer Candice:

How to Achieve the Life you Want without Obstacles Stopping You

A 5 part video series: https://candice.likes.fans/StrategicLife

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