I’ve been thinking about this day for weeks, even months now. When I made the decision I wanted to start the next chapter of my life. I was ready to go within minutes. Once I made up my mind, there was no stopping me. But there was something. Something big. Something did stop me. Because I didn’t know how to start.
Often times, when it comes to creativity, such as a YouTube video, writing a piece of music, or a new project, I can visualize what it will look like, what it will sound like, and all of the elements I need to make it happen. However, the one thing I find most difficult is how to get it rolling. I can see the future YouTube videos I want to make, I can visualize the style that I want, the music, the pacing, the characters. But, I can’t, for some reason, visualize how to start. I can’t seem to get just right episode 1. And that’s why I’ve postponed this blog for so long. I don’t know how to start.
Should I start with an introduction about myself? Should I take a page out of Aaron Sorkin’s playbook and start as if you were on episode 12, but really it’s episode 1, and let the audience play “catch-up?” How do I get the momentum to just get going?
On Christmas Eve, I was binge-watching one of my favorite YouTubers, Keep Your Daydream. They said something that just got me going. They say “Start small. Start now.” And that’s so true. I have always said perfection is the enemy of progress. I wanted my first blog, my first video, my first everything to just be, well, perfect. The first one sets the standard, right? It shows I’m a professional. It says “look at this quality”, and “I know what I’m doing.” But in reality, the first one should be rough. It should be a bit amateur. Because the only way you get better at something is by doing it. Over and over and over if necessary. You are never perfect the first time out. And what’s fun about that, or scary depending on how you look at it, is in one year, two years or longer, you can look back at this and think, “Damn, I really didn’t know what I was doing”, but you have to start somewhere. Start small. Start Now. Thanks KYD.
But where do I start my story?
I guess for me, my story is going to start in August 2020. After being locked down because of COVID for months on end, I decided to move forward on something I’ve been wanting to do for over a year. I bought myself a little Class B Camper Van. It was a 2020 Coachmen Beyond 22D, and was loaded with everything I needed for camping and getaways. And, with LA County being locked down, it was a great vehicle to head to San Diego with, Arizona, Nevada, or just to Orange County where things were open.
I love this camper van. I ended up going everywhere, camping at campgrounds, stealth camping in parking lots, neighborhoods, rest stops, pretty much everywhere for over 4 months. I started with a simple overnighter. Then one night became two. Then two became four. Next thing I knew, I was gone more than I was home, and I became hooked on the lifestyle. I loved being able to just go where ever, explore small towns, big cities, on my own schedule, without having to worry about hotel rooms and those additional expenses. I could work, cook, shower, sleep, watch TV, and do everything in the van that I would normally do at home, so why be at home? And that’s when it happened.
I decided I wanted to go full time. But to do that, I would need a bigger rig. Not just for me, but my two cats Isabella (Izzy) and Camden (Camo).
I don’t know how they are going to react to life on the road, I guess we will find out together. I think Camden will do fine, Izzy, on the other hand, has always been more skittish and shy around people and new surroundings, so we will see what happens. People have asked me if I plan to get them little harnesses and leases to take them on walks and stuff. The answer to that is, “I don’t know”, even though the answer will probably be yes.
So, now I have the travel bug. I’ve made the decision it’s time for me to move onto what is next. The next question is, what rig do I get?