Tag Archives: reality

photography, travel, writing

N O M A D // no 7

We only have so many summers so get out there and live.”

The towering rocks of Sedona were glowing red when the sun rose over the Verde River. The meandering rivers and endless red rock faces are what Jef (@jefalope) lives for. He’s the quintessential climber dirtbag / river rat, and a man of few words. He’s a leading guide for multi day backpacking in the Grand Canyon. He’s also a rafting guide for rivers all over the southwest, and in the off season, he picks up odd jobs from friends.

“Guiding life takes me all over the country for work. My free time is spent heading to climb between seasonal work.”

Jef lives in his 50 square foot ’92 Ford Micro Schooly. For the uninitiated, that’s a converted short bus. He’s been living in it for nearly two years.

He told me the story of how this home on wheels came to be… and I’m paraphrasing here.

“It was when the Super Bowl came to Arizona. Bud Light made this party bus, so it had wrap around couches and a stripper pole in the middle. And of course Bud Light branding all over the exterior. They didn’t need it anymore after the game, I guess, and they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

  

I haven’t really had any hardships. Yet. You live in the elements every day. It just becomes natural.  I guess saying good by to new friends along the way is the hardest part, but you usually see them at the next crag.”

He tells me that he loves the freedom this lifestyle provides, and how it’s made him better at all the activities he loves. “As a guide you travel a lot. If you want to be a strong climber, you have to climb. Being mobile I can be at the crag for multiple days.”

His schooly has small mementoes and trinkets strewn throughout, but he singles out two feathers that were given to him.

“The Turkey feather is from my friend who’s mother just passed. The eagle is from Garrett, who mentored my into professional guiding. I couldn’t have done it with out him.”

  

I ask him if there’s anything he misses about the “traditional” lifestyle, he simply replies,

“No not really. I have a way better view now.”

And when asked how long he plans to do this, he simply states,

“I hope as long as possible. I have everything I need.”

Ellen and I hit the road full-time in June of 2016. We are on a mission to inspire and educate everyone on the importance of getting outside. Check out my workshops and my prints, made #ontheroad in my mobile print studio. The revenue will help propel us further on this great adventure. Enrich yourself and others… and feel great about it too as you’re helping to ensure our public lands are cherished and to keep the wild spirit of the American Dream alive. Our goal is to visit all 59 National Parks in 3-5 years. LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE

Want to learn photography and enjoy a guided experience? Check out my exciting, NEW workshop dates:
 
BIG BEND// WILDFLOWERS + STARS
PHOTO 101 // LEARN TO SHOOT LIKE A PRO // SELECT CITIES // USA
GRAND TETON // FALL COLOR // LANDSCAPES + WILDLIFE
 
I’m excited to announce my “The Photographic Guide to Our National Parks” series of eBooks:
 
Rocky Mountain National Park
Grand Teton National Park
 
If you are interested in purchasing a “print from the road”, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:
 
Andrew Slaton // prints from the road
 
If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:
 
Tandem Stills + Motion // Andrew R. Slaton
  
For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com
 
Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!
 
All images and content © ARS Media, LLC 2019
 
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photography, travel, writing

N O M A D // no 6

I love this life, and although I may not have money every day, I know that everything will work out, and as long as my daughter and I are healthy and happy, that’s all that really matters!”

Shanti Roadrunner (@shanti_theroadrunner) is one of the most unique people I’ve ever met. And as far as this NOMAD project goes, she’s the most authentic and perhaps holds claim to a blood relation to the ancient Romani people (the original gypsies).

I met her in Sedona, and when asked, “Why a nomad,” she responded, “I’ve been a nomad my entire life, with the exception of living in a house for about 5 yrs altogether on and off. I think it’s just in my blood, I can’t help it! My ancestors and relatives are all gypsies, so, it’s kinda just a normal thing for us. Plus, in my opinion, it’s the freest we can be in this society!”

She struck me as a proud, hard working mother, whose main concern is cultivating a lifestyle of freedom and wilderness for herself and her daughter. She and Robyn live in her 1987 Toyota dolphin camper, all in all about 50 square feet. She said this camper was gifted to her somewhat recently. Before that, the pair lived in her van… She’s very glad to now have a stove and shower.

For me personally, this lifestyle allows me to raise my daughter myself, which is the most important thing to me! I don’t want to send her to daycare and work a 9-5 job. This lifestyle doesn’t require rent…or at least not as nearly as insane as house rent! It requires gas and propane, but yeah… A lot more feasible! I get to take her to my job which is everything to me.”

  

When asked what she does for work, she replied, “I do some crafting, I make water bottle holders (crochet) but I also do housekeeping gigs for Airbnb’s.”

I asked her a question that Ellen and I get all the time… do you ever plan to settle down?

“Really, no future plans of settling down! Although I wouldn’t mind getting some land if I ever save up enough money. The hardest thing (about life on the road) is probably the law, always trying to get rid of us! It’s unfair! And frustrating.”

She then told me a story of camping in a well known park in Sedona with her sister a while back. They’d been there for about a week when law enforcement showed up. She apologized and let the officer know that they were not aware that they couldn’t camp there. Regardless, he wrote her a ticket. When she asked if there are any signs that say “no camping”, he said, “yes.” But when she asked if he could show it to them, he said “no.”

I looked all around the park for any signs and saw none.

 

She carries few possessions. But one that caught my eye was a replica of Frodo’s blade, Sting, from Lord of The Rings. I find that every nomad carries at least one thing with them that doesn’t really have any utilitarian value. But it usually carries some emotional significance.

“Ok so Sting… my sister and I were huge, and I mean, huge, Lord of The Ring fans. Those are the only movies we would watch and everything in our life had to somehow relate to LOTR! We had many more swords and memorabilia, but we had to let a lot of it go. I couldn’t bring myself to leave Sting. It was the first sword I owned and I loved it too much to leave behind, plus it’s super cool to have a sword…” Shanti and her sister remain close. Her sister and father both live on the road as well.

Shanti also carries a banjo.

“I had an era of my nomadic life where it was just me and my pack. I was traveling across the country with my boyfriend at the time… he was a folksy bluegrass musician. We went down to New Orleans for a while, and he played on the streets to make money. I didn’t know how to play anything. But as soon as I could I bought my first banjo and it went everywhere with me, even if I don’t know how to play. It’s a comfort knowing it’s there to fiddle around with when I’m feeling inspired, and some day, I would like to play like a pro!”

“Being a nomad isn’t as hard as it seems! And as for myself, I own everything I’ve got in my rig! No debt! Not a lot of money, but i make it day by day. We don’t need a house, an endless hot shower or 3 crazy huge meals a day to be happy or comfortable,” she mused.

Living this lifestyle also puts a whole new perspective on how dependent we are on so many things, and really, how lazy humanity has become. It’s good to get out and connect to the wilderness, and really, our true and original state! Humans are tribal… we need community, we need to connect! We aren’t meant to be set in front of a tv in our lazy John, sending our kids to strangers so we can go to work to make money and never see them, all in order to feel secure.”

Ellen and I hit the road full-time in June of 2016. We are on a mission to inspire and educate everyone on the importance of getting outside. Check out my workshops and my prints, made #ontheroad in my mobile print studio. The revenue will help propel us further on this great adventure. Enrich yourself and others… and feel great about it too as you’re helping to ensure our public lands are cherished and to keep the wild spirit of the American Dream alive. Our goal is to visit all 59 National Parks in 3-5 years. LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE

Want to learn photography and enjoy a guided experience? Check out my exciting, NEW workshop dates:

 
BIG BEND// WILDFLOWERS + STARS
PHOTO 101 // LEARN TO SHOOT LIKE A PRO // SELECT CITIES // USA
GRAND TETON // FALL COLOR // LANDSCAPES + WILDLIFE
 
I’m excited to announce my “The Photographic Guide to Our National Parks” series of eBooks:
 
Rocky Mountain National Park
Grand Teton National Park
 
If you are interested in purchasing a “print from the road”, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:
 
Andrew Slaton // prints from the road

 
If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:
 
Tandem Stills + Motion // Andrew R. Slaton
  
For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com
 
Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!
 
All images and content © ARS Media, LLC 2019

 

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photography, portraits, travel

N O M A D // no 5

We have more options than we think to live the life we desire!”

Starr (@appreciateandlove) oozes joy. That is the first thing Ellen and I noticed when we met up with her in Telluride, CO just days before she was to embark on her maiden voyage in “Rodger”, her newly acquired 160 sq ft 2008 Coachman Freelander.

She has now been on the road a little over two weeks with her 4 cats, Essence (the senior, the Queen), Jacob William, Princess Mia, and Petunia (“Tootie”).

“I embarked on my maiden journey for this off-season and to see how it goes! I have stationary home in Florida for the winter seasons if I so choose, an option for a home base. Keeping Roamin’ Rodger on site, docked for edits and organization for future galavants!  I have a couple of ideas for cat-related structures I would like to install. And to paint everything pink is another goal. Currently feeling out how the cats are doing / what’s fiscally reasonable moving forward. Planning on traveling around Florida in Rodger on my off days to visit loved ones and see things I’ve never seen before!”

I love the wild enlivened freedom of being able to take your home with you wherever you want. To have everything you need right with you, like the biggest backpack ever! To see my loved ones in their space, while I am in mine. Conveniently providing a balance of independence and freedom, with the comforts and sentiment of home. To root down when I feel like it, or to boldly adventure into the sunset at the drop of a hat (and a releasing of the emergency brake!)”

Starr lost her mom recently, so she has decorated her new mobile home with a few mementoes that keep her memory ever-present.
“My sweet and sassy mom loved quilts and this blue quilt was one she frequently used. Using it feels like a hug from her. And I’m trying really, really hard to keep her plant alive! I love having life in my home, a breath of fresh air and a sentimental connection. Also got the plant pot at a thrift store, another beloved pastime we shared. I love my mom!”

  

When asked if she’ll miss anything about the “stationary” life, she responded, “Yes, the sturdy ground beneath me to be just as careless and quickly moving as I want to be, dancing around without shaking a whole vehicle, etc! Also ease of access to facilities like laundry, recycling, a large sink. The general feeling of longevity of a stationary home strikes me as something I’ll miss. Seems to be a safety in being sturdier or rooted down. The space inside. I bump my head a lot!”

So then… why a nomad?
“I want to balance my desire to be near the ones that I love with the desire for freedom and to discover new places. Having my sweet cat fam with me makes anywhere I am seem like home, and when I can be nearby my loved ones but still have my own independent space it increases my comfort and the longevity of these adventures.
I tend to work seasonally in the hospitality / food service industry, so being in my RV for the season in one place for a couple of months and then traveling in the interim is a fluid and workable setup!”

I am touched by the camaraderie I see in people living the nomadic lifestyle. I respect the courage of those who seek to follow their passions, even if not ‘conventional.’ I want to be open to the possibility of being able to do exactly what I want, while being fiscally responsible still. By letting my own light shine encourage others to shine as well! And I see that with the nomadic community. We have more options than we think to live the life we desire!”

Ellen and I hit the road full-time in June of 2016. We are on a mission to inspire and educate everyone on the importance of getting outside. Check out my workshops and my prints, made #ontheroad in my mobile print studio. The revenue will help propel us further on this great adventure. Enrich yourself and others… and feel great about it too as you’re helping to ensure our public lands are cherished and to keep the wild spirit of the American Dream alive. Our goal is to visit all 59 National Parks in 3-5 years. LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE

Want to learn photography and enjoy a guided experience? Check out my exciting, NEW workshop dates:
 
BIG BEND// LANDSCAPE + THE ART OF SEEING
PHOTO 101 // LEARN TO SHOOT LIKE A PRO // SELECT CITIES // USA
EVERGLADES // WINTER // LANDSCAPES + WILDLIFE
 
I’m excited to announce my “The Photographic Guide to Our National Parks” series of eBooks:
 
Rocky Mountain National Park
Grand Teton National Park
 
If you are interested in purchasing a “print from the road”, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:
 
Andrew Slaton // prints from the road
 
If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:
 
Tandem Stills + Motion // Andrew R. Slaton
  
For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com
 
Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!
 
All images and content © ARS Media, LLC 2018
 
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