Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Writing (page 4 of 11)

Monthly Expenses – November 2020

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

In November, Mark, Maya, and I lived on the road, in our camper van Zesty, and drove from Alabama to Southern Arizona (Tucson), which is reflected in our diesel cost. As usual, we managed to dump and camp for free (boondock).  One of our favorite overnight sites of all times was the spot we found in Big Fur Public Use Area in Arkansas, early in the month. We stayed as long as our water and food supply lasted. (Hover over or click on photos to read captions.)

No stipends or use of credit card miles this time, so what you see in the table underneath is what we spent. Mark fixed one of our car heaters, changed the oil, and replaced parts in the engine. To reward himself, he bought a better remote (Bluetooth) speaker. If you’ve read my travel memoir Plunge, you know how important crisp-sounding music is to my husband. 🙂

The writing category is finally going down. I owed my cover artist $50 for the paperback cover (the eBook cover package a month ago was $125), we ordered two proofs of Plunge to check for issues and mistakes, and, to self-publish my book under a different name than my own (we chose Roaming About Press as our publishing company), I needed to purchase a business license in Massachusetts for the price of $35.

You can blame our special celebrations in the desert for the alcohol expense last month. Our bubble of nomadic friends includes two other couples, Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Ape Man and Ellen and Scott, who we hung out with for Thanksgiving, the release of Plunge, and my birthday, all of which took place the end of November. We made our own margaritas; a much better and tastier deal than the ones we bought in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Not a bad expense month. Maybe we are finally back on track?

November 2020 Overview:

Camper (diesel: $150, maintenance: $229):

Groceries:

Writing (cover, proofs, license):

Household (speaker):

Alcohol:

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $19):

Dog (food):

Drinking out:

Gifts:

Laundry:

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$379

$306

$111

$109

$61

$54

$32

$24

$15

$5

$0

———

$ 1,096

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Full moonrise in the desert

Q & A with D.G. Kaye, featuring Author Liesbet Collaert and ‘Plunge’

Check out my interview with fellow memoir author and blogger Debby Gies, who is one of the most generous, caring, supportive, knowledgeable, and honest people I “virtually” know!

Source: Q & A with D.G. Kaye, featuring Author Liesbet Collaert and ‘Plunge’

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I don’t think there was much of a realization, but more of an “easing into” writing for me. It came naturally. As a child in Belgium, I enjoyed writing, which was done in cursive, in the form of letters to friends and essays at school. In fourth grade, one of our daily assignments was to create a journal. Half of the page in this notebook was filled with words, the other half with a drawing that accompanied the text. This journaling task was my favorite part of the day and I picked up the writing portion again when I was a teenager. Ever since I was fourteen, I’ve written a daily diary!

As I traveled throughout my twenties, I stated: “One day I will write a book.” But who hasn’t said that at some point in their lives? I wrote weekly travel reports to family and friends, first by hand, then via group emails. After a year-long RV journey in Mexico and Central America, I actually started drafting my first book. But, three months after that trip, we dove into the next adventure, and those plans were shelved. No time! New experiences to document!

In 2007, when we changed gears from overland travel to sailing the world, I started blogging. For eight years, I kept up my www.itsirie.com blog about our cruising journey in the Caribbean and the Pacific. During that time, I published articles in magazines and I could finally call myself a writer!

I guess, at some point, I had aspirations to be become a travel writer, but I quickly realized this would take away pleasure from writing and from traveling. It’s hard work, there’s a deadline and a format, your travels have a purpose other than enrichment or excitement. In my opinion, both should be done independently to produce the best results and find the most enjoyment and focus.

D.G. – Love your story about slowly becoming a blossoming writer. And I agree with you, writing about travels is exciting and a great way to document your life, but travel writing specifically, is another ballgame altogether.

Where do your book ideas grow from?

Continue reading

Writing Update December 2020 – “Plunge” Has Been Published!

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For December, the question is: “Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, and yours truly (Liesbet @ Roaming About)!

My answer to the question

Talk about a coincidence…

In the beginning of this year, I wondered: “Are there times of the year that writers are more productive than other months? Why would that be?” I emailed Alex, the founder of the IWSG, suggesting he’d pose this question to the group. He replied that it would be the perfect December prompt. So, now I get to – have to, really – answer my own question! 😊

If I’d live in a house or settled environment, I expect winter would be my most productive writing month as it’s colder out and I wouldn’t feel guilty sitting behind the computer all day. But, as you might now, my husband, Mark, our dog, Maya, and I are nomads (and have been for over a decade), so no “settlement” for us. This means I only manage to write whenever it fits the schedule, the situation, the location, and, mostly, the logistics (internet, electricity, no dramas). Which – if you’ve read any of my previous IWSG blogs – is darn sporadic. I write when I can; when I’m not driving, hiking with Maya, sightseeing, working, running errands, fixing the van, catching up on diaries or my inbox, or sleeping…

Our favorite free campsite this year, in Arkansas

Cold and rainy days would be perfect to write, but they cause other issues with all of us cooped up in a 19ft van. By the way, I keep track of our current location in the right column of this blog.

My book progress

After a long road to completion (five years!), my travel memoir Plunge has been published. I announced that feat here, a few days ago.

Continue reading

Plunge Release & Happy Birthday to Me

Today is the day. It’s the moment I have been anticipating for a few years. I decided to pick a special date for this special occasion: my 45th birthday.

Mark and I did it! We finalized the work on my travel memoir, Plunge, and it is now available on Amazon as an eBook and paperback. Wider distribution will follow in December.

Plunge blurb:

Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.

Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.

Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.

Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?

To read early impressions of Plunge, have a look here. These 5-star reviews for my writing and my story delight me!

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Plunge, check out this universal link or go to one of the specific Amazon sites for your country:

To buy Plunge in the US, click here.

To buy Plunge in Canada, click here

To buy Plunge in the UK, click here.

To buy Plunge in Germany, click here

To buy Plunge in Australia, click here (I don’t see the paperback yet, but hope that will appear soon).

To buy Plunge in Belgium and the Netherlands, click here (only the eBook is available on this site; for the paperback, please go to the German website). 

Thank you for purchasing Plunge and spreading the word.

Happy reading!

My sincere appreciation goes to all of you, my readers and blog followers. You have encouraged me along the way; your enthusiasm and support led to this special day!

Here is where I am celebrating my birthday and the launch of my debut travel memoir in the company of a small bubble of friends…

Plunge on Pre-order & A Special Dedication

Today, November 15th, 2020, would have been my dear oma‘s 100th birthday. Mark and I planned a trip to Belgium to celebrate that special event. Covid or not, we’d do the effort and make the commitment. Unfortunately, she passed away in the spring of 2017, at age 97. I wrote about my relationship with her here and posted a Dutch poem about her here.

Oma and Liesbet in 2014

I think about my oma a lot. She played an important role in my life – when I was a toddler, a teenager, and, especially, an adult. I often said she was my best friend and savored every chance I had to visit her when in Belgium. My travel memoir, Plunge, is dedicated to her (and one other person). While she wouldn’t have been able to read the book – she didn’t speak English – she would have been immensely proud of her “favorite” grandchild!

It was my intention to launch Plunge today, but that timing was too tight. If Mark, Maya, and I would have remained in “our room above the garage” in Newburyport, Massachusetts, it might have been possible. Working full-time from the road is tricky. But… the next best thing to commemorate my dear oma on the day she would have become a centenarian is by putting Plunge (the eBook anyway; it wasn’t possible for the paperback) on pre-sale.

Yes!!! The digital version of my book is ready for pre-order on Amazon as of today, for the special price of US$4.99. This will go up to US$5.99 on the date of the actual release, which is set for November 28th. On that day – if Amazon cooperates 😊 – both the eBook and the paperback of Plunge will be available. Leaving reviews are possible on Amazon starting that day and on Goodreads any time.

Plunge available for eReaders

Thank you, everyone, for following my journey – on the blog and in the book – and for sharing in the excitement!

To pre-order Plunge in the US: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Canada: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in the UK: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Germany: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Australia: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Belgium and the Netherlands: click here.

Monthly Expenses – October 2020

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

In October, Mark, Maya, and I lived in our room above the garage for the first two weeks and back on the road, in our camper van Zesty, the  rest of the month. The expense report is a tad messy, because of stipends and reimbursements of Mark’s employer, the US Census. These are incorporated in our expenses (*), which is the reason why the dining out category shows $0 (Mark received a stipend of $70 a day while “on location” for ten days in September;  he didn’t need it all, so we’re still using some of that money now) and why the camper category is lower than it should be (Mark received a per mile reimbursement that was more generous than what his fuel cost during his two-month Census job). I did not attribute the $60 we used in credit card points (instead of cash). Confused yet?

As you can see, I’m still spending a lot of money on my writing career. I owed my copy-editor another $528, we bought a pack of ISBN-numbers (these are exorbitantly-priced identification numbers) for current and future books (I needed three for Plunge – paperback, Kindle, ePub),  I paid my cover artist for the eBook cover, and we needed to buy the title font of my memoir, so we could utilize it inside the book. One day, I should calculate how many books I actually have to sell to get all these investments back! 🙂 Camping still remained free.

Groceries and alcohol are a bit high, which has to do with us visiting a few sets of friends in October. Same reason for the gift items. And then there is the clothes category. Here’s that story…

The three of us had just left in our camper, destination Annapolis, Maryland. A couple of hours north of town,  we stopped to eat lunch in Zesty. We don’t usually wear our shoes inside, so Mark had left his outside. After our meal, he needed to call a friend. There was a lot of noise, because someone decided to drag race his dilapidated car in front of the gas station we were parked at. I shut the door to keep the ruckus out as Mark talked. Two hours later, we arrived at the home of our Annapolis friend. Before Mark got out of the car, he asked: “Where are my shoes?”

His go-to brand has been discontinued, so for the next ten days he researched and eventually bought another pair of shoes, slightly used. We had them shipped to the post office in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and, since they were not brand new, he obtained them for half price. After two weeks of only wearing flip flops in fall, he was delighted to own a pair of hiking shoes again!

October 2020 Overview:

Writing (editor, cover artist, and publication prep):

Groceries:

Dog (food, Whistle data plan, groomer):

Camper* (diesel, registration, license, heater):

Clothing (shoes Mark):

Alcohol:

Gifts:

Health & Fitness (vitamins Mark):

Utilities (phone):

Medical (drugs):

Computer (domain hosting):

Household (cloth shelving):

Entertainment (brochure NP):

Dining out*:

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$963

$372

$142

$121

$82

$72

$58

$51

$35

$21

$18

$13

$1

$0

$0

———

$ 1,949

To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Writing Update November 2020 – The Final Push to Publication

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For November, the question is: “Why do you write what you write?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, L.G Keltner, Tyrean Martinson, and Rachna Chhabria.

My answer to the question

Why do I write what I write? The easiest and “best” answer is: because I enjoy it. But there are nuances to this answer, as I constantly write. Pretty much as long as I’m not exploring or sleeping, I write – diaries for myself to look back at in the future and to potentially refer to; my blog to keep family and friends abreast of our adventures; articles to share fascinating destinations and experiences with readers and to make money; emails to stay in touch with loved ones; blog comments to show support and interest in the lifestyle and work of others; comment replies because I appreciate conversations with readers and learning more about them; and my book to follow a passion, inspire, encourage people to think outside the box, and feel a sense of accomplishment.

My book progress

In case you don’t know yet, my husband, dog, and I are back on the road indefinitely. We left our “home base” in Massachusetts about three weeks ago and took our camper van south through a few states and then west through some more. We are currently in Arkansas. I always keep track of our current location in the right column of this blog, if you’re curious about our whereabouts.

As expected, it has been incredibly difficult – insane, really – to keep up progress towards the forthcoming publication of my travel memoir, Plunge. Besides the driving (often on windy, secondary roads), research for fuel and free camping, exercising the dog, running our usual errands (dump station, gas station, laundromat, grocery stores, fixing stuff that breaks, picking up packages,…), emails, blogs, volunteer work for others (a translation for a family member; proofreading for a friend), and my normal jobs, there was/is still heaps to do on my book. I usually work at night and go to bed exhausted, especially after long driving days or short excursions. The chaos surrounding the US election, the approach of the pandemic, and the sudden passing of my aunt haven’t helped my emotional state.

Continue reading

Cover Reveal of “Plunge”, My First Travel Memoir

Writing Update October 2020 – Progress and Insights!

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing.

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the awesome co-hosts are Jemima Pett, Beth Camp, Beverly Stowe McClure, and Gwen Gardner.

Book progress

Wow. September passed in the blink of an eye. And, wow, what a busy month! I’m finally making good progress on my road to publication. But let me tell you, trying to self-publish your book in a satisfying, professional manner – eBook and paperback – requires heaps of concentration, dedication, time, stress, and the necessary frustration. The learning curve is steep, every decision is important (and there are many), every attempt at research sends you down a rat hole, and everything takes forever.

My title and subtitle

At least a year ago, I settled on the main title for my book: Plunge. Yet, I kept changing and reconsidering the subtitle, placing voting polls on a couple of writer-focused Facebook groups, bugging friends about it, throwing a few options at you, my Roaming About readers. At last, because I really had to (a cover-in-progress ought to have the correct subtitle!), I settled on one. I sure hope I don’t change my mind again. Ladies and gentlemen, the official title of my upcoming travel memoir is Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary.

Continue reading

Monthly Expenses – September 2020

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

During the entire month of September, Mark, Maya, and I lived in our “room above the garage” in Newburyport, MA – no side-trips in Zesty. Mark had a job with the US Census bureau in August and September and I’m 100% focused on my upcoming travel memoir. He made good money at $27.50 an hour, especially when working overtime for1.5x that amount. During his week-long stint on Cape Cod, putting in 12-hour days, he sometimes made $500 a day! I generated zero income working on my memoir… Instead, I spent a bunch more on it and will keep doing so this month.

Sign for the parked car when Mark performed his Census job

My editor would have been the most expensive category last month (and for four months in a row), if it wasn’t for us buying tires. Zesty made it through the annual Massachusetts inspection with flying colors, but a new set of tires was recommended and – as a matter of fact – we had been planning to replace them before heading west. Mark’s careful research and patience paid off. We managed to upgrade our tires to all-terrain and bigger ones for less than $600. Not only will we be better equipped for dirt roads this winter, but our clearance is an inch or two higher; just what we needed!

For my father-in-law’s 90th birthday, Mark, his brother, our sister-in-law, and I organized a socially distanced outdoor party, where the four of us cooked and provided food and drinks. Sixteen family members were present and we were grateful for the sunny weather and space on the patio of my in-laws. The second expense in the gift category went to a non-fiction book written by a friend.

Another perk of Mark’s temporary relocation to the Cape was a daily food stipend of $70, which he never used up. So, we managed to get a few take-out meals and even an outdoor restaurant dinner that didn’t cost us anything! Also, with the last of our credit card points being allocated to food, we actually spent $400 less than this report shows. But, Maya’s fish oil cost almost as much as a 28-pound bag of dog food last month!

At $1,800, September was an above average month in which we spent much more than usual, but for good reasons! 🙂

September 2020 Overview:

Camper (inspection: $36; tires: $558):

Writing (editor):

Groceries:

Gifts (party: $107; eBook: $25):

Dining out:

Computer (domain hosting):

Utilities (phone):

Dog (fish oil):

Alcohol:

Household (brake pads bike):

Transport (train ride from dentist):

Health & Fitness (meds):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$594

$528

$342

$132

$56

$36

$35

$30

$24

$12

$4

$4

$0

———

$ 1,797

To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Older posts Newer posts

© 2024 Roaming About

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑