Hi, How Are You?

I've been thinking about this episode for a while, and since it's coming up soon, I decided some reflection is good after a few years.   Today is my thousandth day of sobriety. Does that mean that I wrote and recorded this episode in advance? Yes. Yes, it does.

well, here we are. nearly 5 months on the road, and this season, it feels different.   last year, i was blissfully unaware of how much money i was spending without replenishing for around the first 4 months. then the last 2 months became so stressful that i couldn't wait to get home.   this season, i left about 2 months earlier, and by month 3, i was already feeling that paycheck-to-paycheck dread that had me moving money out of my investments and racking up credit card debt to try to get out of.

If you've ever wanted to live in your van, but you've thought, "How in the hell can I make money on the road?" then this episode is for you.

so it's been a while since i've been motivated to put something together for you all.    i've spent most of my free time trying to build my business and teaching myself something new almost every day.   it's caused a bit of burnout from time to time, so i have to remember to put the work away and give myself a break. 

so i'm not gonna lie, craig - i'm past the point of empty right now.  i'm exhausted mentally.  every day, 7 days a week from before sun up to past sunset, i am at my computer working. there are so many gears going at once, and i have to constantly switch them up that i feel like i'm not being efficient with my time. even right now, as i record this, and probably even while i'm listening to it back in editing, i'll be thinking, "there are other things that i need to be doing right now." but the truth is, i'm realizing that this little project that you're listening to has always been more about putting my intentions out into the world and using that to hold myself accountable. 

happy february everybody. i did the thing i said i was gonna do. i fired myself. i'll be honest, this is the only time i've ever left a job without having "another job" lined up.  not to say i don't have big plans, but this is the only time i've ever planned to not get a traditional job again. but blue, have you lost your damn mind? is this some kind of mid life crisis where you desperately cling to delusions of no responsibilities no working make hippie amanda something something? yes! and no! i don't know yet!

if it sounds like i recorded this episode while buried underground, it's because i did. spooky.

so i think i quit my job. and i don't have another job lined up.  follow along as i contemplate throwing myself into a den of lions in this episode of "what the fuck have you done, blue?"

this is a van life episode. i'm gonna answer a few of the weird questions i get when people find out i live in my great white shark. some of my favorites are: "what do you like, do in here?" "doesn't it get hot?" "how do you poop?" and my favorite assumption - "sooo i guess you don't shower?"

i think on a previous episode, i spoke about how i'm always pushing several balls forward, very slowly, but it's happening. some balls roll forward for days and weeks, months even, while some balls get left behind. i'll glance over my shoulder at those couple of sad balls, but instead of abandoning them like i probably should, i give them a couple of nudges forward, hoping that will be enough to give them a purposeful life.   but it's fruitless. sometimes it's for naught. did i use that correctly?

i was going to make this episode about PRIORITIES, but while thinking about these priorities, i realized that i've neglected to check up on all of you.   it's been a while since someone has asked me how i am. and considering the title of this podcast, i'm not really sure the last time i've asked how you all are doing, not just on the surface, in a superficial way.

this episode is a van episode - we gotta talk about how fucking hot it gets in your van during the summer.    i've been living in my van now for over 500 days, and the humidity and heat in southern texas will kill you if you let it.

i edited this in a very noisy room by mostly sight. hope it doesn't sound like trash.   does anybody else suffer from sudden, immense pangs of guilt from decisions that you made with your own best interests in mind? like, all you're doing is doing something for yourself, not anything crazy or illegal, you're just making a mildly selfish decision. we all do this.   but then i do it, and i hear that voice in the back of my head talkin mess. 

i just want this gosh dang quarantine to be over with already.

financial independence... is it a mindset or for real for real? we're talking about MONEY, my favorite topic because maybe if i talk about it enough, some will finally appear.

stop thinking every single thing through. let me lay out for you the basic essentials you need to get started with van dwelling full-time. hint: it’s less than you think.

i think it's time for us to get off social media. you are a brand online. and if you're not the brand, you are the product.

how's it goin, vandwellers?   probably not so well. gyms are closed. most state parks, closed.   libraries, bars, closed.   lots of people are unable to work. everyone is practicing social distancing. which i find fascinating because i've been practicing social distancing since 3rd grade and i'm happy to see everyone else finally catching on...

are you spending money on a storage unit full of stuff you don't use? well, stop it. you're being silly. instagram @tripvanstinkle / @blueaesthetics

we're coming up on some important dates, and i wanna spend a little time flexin on you guys. instagram @tripvanstinkle / @blueaesthetics sponsored by ramblinvanradio.com all day e'er day

recorded this while i was sick af. the things you sacrifice for a little asian persuasion...   no pigeons. or scrubs. whatever you guys call it these days. recognize one when you see them, and learn to say no.

everything is temporary.   that job that you don’t like.  the car you’re driving. the apartment you’re renting. the bad day you’re having.   your favorite jacket eventually ends up in the donation pile. you crack your favorite pipe.    your friends die. dog runs away.   it’s all temporary, for better or for worse. 

eyyy look at you guys still alive, still listening to the sound of my voice.   somehow I am still alive, likely by the harsh grace of some select few family members.   let's talk about money. it's the only thing i'm in control of right now.

as 2019 shuts the fuck down, i wanna close with some words from uncle snoop.

sometimes you need an inconspicuous place to lay your head safely for the night. find out how to navigate through major cities by hiding in plain sight. hey, did that rhyme?

ever wake up disoriented after a poor night’s sleep? think you’re gonna get away with it? think again, my sleep-drunk friend.

did you know a full van build could be a petri dish for mold and rust, or even worse, a traveling fire hazard? let's talk about why i decided to keep my van build simple and how a modular build can save you tons of money (and headaches) in the future.

instagram @tripvanstinkle hihowareyou.us/subscribe it's a new season, but i'm calling it episode 29 so i don't have to change the way i name my show notes URL. welcome back. it's the same ol' bullshit, except in a van.   s02e01

coming soon - the latest iteration of hi, how are you: van edition? this is a marriage of two of my creative forces, my audio journal as you all know it, and my latest quest to becoming a digital nomad. will i make it? will i fall on my face and relapse again? all this and more, as i do it all out of my van. just please don't abandon me. 

we out this.

what do you do when distant biological family comes back from the dead and threatens to cling on?

the art of falling off the face of the earth.

i'm still here joaquin phoenix.

new year, new you, and a dozen more cliches we're sick of repeating. special thanks to a sundae drive and superrobotparty for use of their tracks. what's in the cards for you in 2019? let's do a little pre-flection to start the year off right. links: https://www.facebook.com/superrobotparty/ "Digital Feeling" off their album "mechanical heart digital soul" https://www.facebook.com/asundaedrive/ "Hall of Fame" off their album Versailles

thank you to ephraim, who let me use his song "neptune drive" this episode. just a reminder to stay consistent and BE GOOD while you have to deal with the awkwardness of bad family blood and petty drama you've been avoiding this whole year. it's gonna be okay.

special thanks to heck nugget and jonah the runner for lending me some original music and repping houston once again. ---- 7 weeks... can you keep up? this week in "reddit is actually useful" - blue tells you about the x effect method and how visualizing your progress encourages you to keep your streak going. she also touches on the eisenhower matrix and how to better prioritize your time and tasks.

this week's episode is brought to you by superrobotparty and low horizon, both local bands from houston who were gracious enough to allow me to use their music on my podcast. https://superrobotparty.bandcamp.com/ "One Thousand" https://lowhorizon.bandcamp.com/ "Funeral"

in memory of when i had motivation. blue talks about falling off the alcohol wagon and the importance of having accountability. links: hihowareyou.us/mindovermood

S.M.A.R.T. (sing to the tune of "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge) goals set clarity and focus to help you accomplish more instead of just wishing you had.

together we sit down and determine we've been putting in 100% or if we've been slackin'. if you're me, you might be slackin'. say "slackin'" again. slack. in. get Charlamagne tha God's audiobook "Black Privilege" here. if you're new to audible, you can get a 30-day trial with 2 free books

blue falls into a hole again and talks about where she stands on depression and how to get out of it. 

You're not gonna like this, but turns out caffeine is really bad for you. Listen to blue sell you on the merits of l-theanine, one of the most popular and effective nootropics on the market, and the best dosage to take in conjunction with coffee.

blue is candid about her drinking problem and gives you some low brow advice on how to stop making an ass of yourself in front of your friends.

we're on spotify now. subscribe. welcome back welcome back welcome back. back to life, back to reality. a reintroduction to my audience (i wrote this summary while drunk).

a super short one before i disappear for a little while. just a reminder that even though every day can't be perfect, time means that all of this is only temporary. if this was meant to be easy, we'd all be doing it wrong.

fast forward to the 3 minute mark if you don't wanna hear me talk about hurricane harvey, or shaming racists.   the benefits of audiobooks, how to get them on the cheap (or free!).   blue also talks about where to get a college education online for free ninety nine.

to shia labeouf, who inspired this episode. and how nike inspired a cliché but the most real slogan ever. are you lazy like me? be truthful with yourself. if so, i got news for you - you're just gonna have to not. you're gonna have to learn that nothing will get you moving if you're not telling yourself to just do it.

what do some old roman philosophers (seneca, epictetus, i'm looking at you guys) have to do with pushing your way through and out of depression? oh, i don't know, probably EVERYTHING. show notes @ hihowareyou.US

the silent breakdown in the room upstairs. a few weeks back during an out-of-town trip, i had an epiphany - that no matter how much i wanted it, i can never be someone i'm not. more suicide, more social isolation, more realizations.

stuck in a 9-5 you're not crazy about? listen to this on your way to work. "hate" is such a strong word, isn't it? blue bullshits through ten minutes of lecturing you on why you shouldn't give up on that dead end job just yet.  (all of this is applicable to career professionals as well, if you can relate).

blue encourages you (in a hostile way) to try mindful meditation and download the app "headspace" what is mindful meditation? oh, i don't know, probably the best thing ever? what doesn't sound fun about sitting comfortably without any distractions for 10, 20 minutes a day? download headspace here.