(no subject)

[seraphflight]

 I've found myself fascinated by various "cottagecore" videos on YouTube. How accurate a description of the video makers lives these are is anyone's guess. I strongly suspect an element of fantasy and half-truths behind the slick presentations. These people must have an extraordinary amount of time on their hands to plan, stage, film then edit their videos. Certainly they've more money behind them than they imply. They must have, in order to afford the professional filming gear, never mind their country cottages which they happily renovated using a few thousand pounds worth of DIY tools.

One of these YouTubers goes into ecstasies each time she goes outside, and she rapturously says "Wow!" each time she sees a star or a bit of sky. Then there's the seemingly mandatory scene of coffee-grinding - in almost every video. The man I assumed was her brother, as they look so alike, turns out to be her boyfriend. I thought they were a bit too touchy-feely for siblings.

Another has a pet rabbit which hops all over the surface which she's cooking on. Having had pet rabbits in the past, I know how often they leave little pellets behind. There's no way Bugs is hopping around on my food preparation surface, thank you.

Then there's a man who has been living in a converted ambulance for a couple of years, travelling around as he wishes. Don't ask me how he's paying for diesel, vehicle repair or food, etc. He has no trouble from other people, he says. And no wonder, as the dog he travels with is the size of a werewolf.

But I've been enjoying these vids. It is pure escapism, and where's the harm in that? 

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I've found myself fascinated by various "cottagecore" videos on YouTube. How accurate a description of the video makers lives these are is anyone's guess. I strongly suspect an element of fantasy and half-truths behind the slick presentations. These people must have an extraordinary amount of time on their hands to plan, stage, film then edit their videos. Certainly they've more money behind them than they imply. They must have, in order to afford the professional filming gear, never mind their country cottages which they happily renovated using a few thousand pounds worth of DIY tools.<<

You'd be surprised what you can make with cheap video equipment nowadays. Renovation can be expensive, but isn't always if you're not too picky and know your way around a salvage yard. There's also the alternative building movement if you want to start from scratch.

>>One of these YouTubers goes into ecstasies each time she goes outside, and she rapturously says "Wow!" each time she sees a star or a bit of sky. <<

For someone who grew up in a city, that's a valid response. In college I brought friends out to the country and they all stood around the car staring at the night sky going, "Wow, look at all the stars!" They were from Chicago. They had literally never seen what's probably about a category 4 (on a scale of 5) dark sky. I let them stare. Some things are worth staring at until your soul is full.

>>Another has a pet rabbit which hops all over the surface which she's cooking on. Having had pet rabbits in the past, I know how often they leave little pellets behind. There's no way Bugs is hopping around on my food preparation surface, thank you.<<

Terrible idea. There are also now warnings not to kiss chickens. Apparently that's necessary. 0_o

>> Then there's a man who has been living in a converted ambulance for a couple of years, travelling around as he wishes. Don't ask me how he's paying for diesel, vehicle repair or food, etc. He has no trouble from other people, he says. And no wonder, as the dog he travels with is the size of a werewolf.<<

Not new, hippies did that a lot. Likely sources include odd jobbing or barter. *ponder* Unless he's one of the guys with a diesel engine adapted for used fry oil. Yes, that's a thing. Vehicle repair, he may well be doing that himself. It used to be a lot more feasible but is still possible, and it's actually easier the older the vehicle is.

Re: Thoughts

[seraphflight]

The van-life thing has become a little more common in Britain now, though it's still very much a minority way of life, usually begun out of desperation. Some choose it, true. You're probably right about how they earn an income. It must be a tough way of life, with little or no security.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> The van-life thing has become a little more common in Britain now, though it's still very much a minority way of life, usually begun out of desperation. Some choose it, true.<<

It's becoming popular again in America too. The desperate people are rarely featured. The ones who get attention are doing it for fun. Some of the vans are unmodified, many have simple modifications, a few are downright elaborate.

America doesn't have any grounds to complain, because there's such a shortage of housing due to bad social policies, and many young people are too poor to afford a house. So vanlife can be a prudent and frugal choice.

>> You're probably right about how they earn an income. <<

Some jobs require travel, like being a travel writer. Some merely benefit from it, like being a nature artist. And then there are all the generally portable ones, like being a consultant. There are people making a great living at some of these careers.

https://www.unravellingtravelling.com/single-post/2018/10/31/working-around-the-world-28-awesome-jobs-you-need-to-do

https://diyguru.org/automotive/20-awesome-diy-travel-jobs-that-you-can-do-and-live-your-dream-of-world-tour/

>> It must be a tough way of life, with little or no security.<<

That depends on a lot of variables, including but not limited to:

Does your country hate traveling people with no fixed address? Some do, others don't care. Much of Europe is vicious to them. America is marginally less awful. Much of the less-developed world is used to nomads.

Can you get a home base, e.g. a storage unit or a P.O. Box? This will avoid many pragmatic and bureaucratic hassles.

Do you have a decent vehicle that runs okay most of the time? If not, that's nerve-wracking.

Do you have a job, barter skills, or other ways of obtaining resources? See above options.

Can you make friends easily? Humans benefit from a social network. Here in America, there's a loose community of retired people who live in recreational vehicles (bigger than a van) so they can travel, and they make friends and keep in touch with each other.

Are you flexible in the face of unexpected challenges? If not, you'll be miserable on the road. But if you get bored easily, vanlife may delight you.

Does consumer culture drive you nuts? You may be happier with the simple living of vanlife. But if you want All The Things, this is not the life for you.


The pros and cons make for some interesting reading.

https://www.courtandnate.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-van-life

https://bearfoottheory.com/is-full-time-van-life-for-me/


And don't forget that there's very little peace or security left in modern life of any kind. If living in a van means you can live within your means, it may be a saner choice than paying 75% of your income for rent, which is pretty common in America now.

For what it's worth, we had an RV when I was younger. We went on two summer vacations that were more than a month long. It was awesome. While I wouldn't want to give up all my stuff -- my house is basically lined with books -- I'd have no problem with extended traveling. And I'm a wordsmith, so it wouldn't be an issue professionally.