Let's face it, building a van is stressful, to begin with, but the added effort to track, organize, and categorize expenses related to your van shouldn't be one of them.  In today's episode, I share 3 financial organization hacks that while not groundbreaking they are game-changing.   

These three simple hacks will make categorizing and tracking, in real-time, possible with little to no effort on your part.  Let me know what you think and if this worked for you too! 

If you aren't already, be sure to join the journey on the below mediums for more Van Build/Life hacks, tips and to follow along with the journey of the unbound soul and I travel the US with my doggo, Charles, in a self-built 2018 RAM Promaster! 

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Have you ever visited a place that brings an overwhelming sense of emotion? From any point of the spectrum - happy, joyful, sad, angry - but you're struggling to articulate? On my maiden (beta) voyage of #VanLife, I stop in Anniston, Alabama, where I meet "Bruce" whose brother was a member of the KKK and present for the May 14, 1961 attack on the Freedom Riders. Many of the emotions that are conjured up during this visit are challenging to articulate and much of it has to do with what Brene Brown describes as a Strong back, soft front, and wild heart.  

What does finding compassion and empathy mean when there's so much difference between two people, and how do we get to a place of healing and understanding?

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These judgments, we put so much weight on the judgments of other people that we cannot even create room in our body and soul to find joy.  What is really holding us back and how much of the decisions we make, the products that we buy, and the life we design are based on the approval and affirmations of other people? At the end of the day, are we living a life that is designed to "prove them wrong"?  Or are we designing a life that is led by intention?

When we focus our energy on showing a specific group of folks wrong, there is a whole new army of haters coming at us for something entirely different. There is no winning with this approach. Why? Usually, the people we are trying to prove something to have already forgotten and moved on. Giving them the benefit of the doubt that they still care is stealing time from ourselves.

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As I wrap up the major portions of this van build, I notice my inner dialogue repeating a common theme along the lines of: I wish I did this differently or I wish I knew x,y,z.  Often, it is cussing that I can't find my pencil and tape measure that I just had 2 seconds ago.  (Spoiler alert: it is usually in a location that I visited once but thought it was a great idea to just drop it and walk away...).

It is easy to look back on your experience and wish you knew then what you know now.  But unfortunately, that's not how life works. Building a van is hard, and if it were easy everyone would be doing it.  But doesn't that go for every new endeavor or goal in one's life? I started thinking and making a list around what I wish I knew before I started, or at least reminded of throughout the process.

In this episode, I walk through 10 things I wish I knew before starting the van build process.

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This CAVU Life, a buffalo, and a mantra. There is a lot to digest and how the heck are they all related? In this episode I breakdown the meaning of CAVU, why the buffalo is my spirit animal and the north star for my van life journey, and how this mantra of the unbound soul can connect us all.

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What happens when a global pandemic meets a personal existential crisis? Well, you leave your career, buy a van, and rebuild it for full-time van living! Thus, giving birth to This CAVU Life, a journey of the unbound soul!

This is not your typical van life podcast. Sure, I will absolutely discuss the ins and outs of van living, but it is my hope to include a diverse array of thought-provoking and provocative discussions and conversations as I travel the United States challenging the notion of societal expectations for how we are supposed to live our lives, facing the mirror of our fears, and discovering what ultimately brings us joy.

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There's truth to the saying, "the early bird catches the worm". And while the podcast doesn't officially launch until January 2, 2021, that doesn't mean you can't be the first to know when it's live! If you aren't already subscribed to the newsletter, head on over to www.thisCAVUlife.com and be sure to sign-up! This won't be your typical #VanLife podcast, and I can't wait to share this journey of the unbound soul with you!

Brene Brown once said that we need to rumble with vulnerability. Well,  vulnerability starts with resetting the realistic expectations of where we believe we should be in our lives based on the standards set by others or society.  We need to move away from transactional living and to take a risk on ourselves to discover what our purpose is in life.

Join me on 'This CAVU Life' podcast as I navigate the transition from corporate America, during a global pandemic, and begin my next chapter as a nomadic entrepreneur living that #VanLife adventure with my pup in Europe. 

Each week I will record an episode that will balance conversations with inspiring people I meet along the way; personal reflections and general lessons learned on what #VanLife really means. 

I'm going to get vulnerable, honest and raw with y'all throughout this adventure. But, you can't start the next chapter if you continue re-reading the last.