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Thread: Nomadland by J Bruder

  1. #31
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    "I feel bad for people that can never retire because eventually physically they won't be able to work.".
    This. I don't know what all of this other commentary is about.

  2. #32
    Williamsmith
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    I look at this as part of a trend driven by the sector of our society that the economic down trickle doesn’t trickle down to. These aren’t typically the historical RV crowd that might be retired and adventurous wanting to travel in relative comfort. These are the elderly that are being priced out of homes or even families with no other option but to find a used RV and be gypsies. They find jobs as shopping cart retrievers or grocery baggers and park their van, camper or rv in the WalMart parking lot until they get kicked out. They work minimum wage subliving wage jobs. They do jobs teenage kids used to do on summer break. They are not much farther up the ladder than homeless. As to their general satisfaction with what life dealt them....you’ll find very contented all the way to disillusioned. Generally, nobody cares who they are or what they are until they start parking in and milling around your neighborhood. Then suddenly it’s a problem. I just think we ought to acknowledge that it’s a journey a lot of people have been forced to make and not a vacation.

  3. #33
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    On a related note, on FB yesterday, one of my old high school friends (so she's the same age as I am) posted "Officially retired today!! Time to enjoy life!!!" My first thought was--you're going to start enjoying life NOW? At 66? Is life like having a tasteless gruel cake, and then when you're almost dead you get to have a dollop of ice cream on top?

    But her sentiment reflects the whole YMOYL theme, that until you are free of the work-earn-spend-work-earn-spend cycle, your life is not really your own to enjoy to its fullest. But her sentiment just sounds so wrong.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  4. #34
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    I live full time in my motor home in AZ. I live in RV parks down in Phoenix metro (mostly East Valley area) and when I feel like it I turn the key and move. The rent in the parks is cheaper for the RV's for that reason. A lot of the parks are a mixture of fixed older mobile homes and newer park models. Those units are pretty permanently parked, so they have to put up with whatever fees the managers and owner corporations hit them with. As I said, I can turn the key. In the summers I live in a small town at 5,000' that is cooler, highs in the 80's and 90's rather than 110 or 120. My motor home is 20 yo, but it was a top of the line back in the day and is in good shape. I paid $6K for it. Liability insurance is $60/6mo, and plates were $20/yr.

    I retired a couple of years ago (somewhat involuntarily...) at 61. I started taking SS at 62. I have a 401(k) that I use to top off my monthly income. I live like a queen for under $2K/mo. I have a paid off Mazda3 to take trips in at 35/40 mpg. I can car camp, or if I want to stay longer I can take the motor home.

    My exit strategy is evolving. I think I want to set up the motor home as a base camp, probably up in the small town. Or, maybe someplace else. Get something smaller to travel further in, either a van set up for camping or a truck with a small travel trailer. Each has its pluses and minus's. When I need to stop traveling, I hope to stay put someplace in my motor home or whatever I have at that point. When that is no longer possible I'll do that subsidized senior apartment.

    My Mom is 87yo and lives in a subsidized apartment in the small town here. The main issue I see is when the social/management issues come up, she can't turn the key and leave. That will be me at some point. I want to put that day off as far as possible.

    I have picked up a part time job, but it is going very part time as of today. I don't need the money enough to do what is necessary for most of the available positions. A lot of the folks that I know who work part time while on the road do it to have extra money, not so much to survive. It is sometimes easier to adapt to circumstances with a very inexpensive lifestyle than it is to adapt to a difficult job. Each person has to find the set point for themselves.

    I've been doing the 'nomad' thing for over 2 years, and I follow blogs and count as friends a large number of other RV'ers. Most are very happy with the choice they made to move to a house with wheels. I think the author's political agenda is shown in the part mentioned above where she says that people she runs into talk spontaneously about how happy they are, but SHE knows they are really darkly unhappy. That is her baggage and political agenda talking.

    I may have some baggage of my own about this damn book.
    Bad spellers of the world, UNTIE!
    formerly known as Paula P

  5. #35
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    One interesting thing we are finding is that some parks are saying your RV can’t be older than 15 or 20 years. Ours is a good quality 25 yo motor home with miles under 50k. Some places don’t put that in their website yet turn people around when they arrive. I learned this from forums so always inquire before we book. We have met people that love living in them. I enjoyed the book because it takes a good look at poverty and the elderly in this generation. We bought it from our friends parents who traveled in it for a year. One month is my limit but DH is messy

  6. #36
    Yppej
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    I saw this book at one of the libraries I frequent now and checked it out.

  7. #37
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yppej View Post
    I saw this book at one of the libraries I frequent now and checked it out.
    That one is on my list - please let us know how you like it.

  8. #38
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rosarugosa View Post
    That one is on my list - please let us know how you like it.
    This is the book that served as inspiration for last year’s fictional film with Francis Dormand called Nomadland. A very nice film with a melancholy tone which fit the author’s view.

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