I just got back from Texas. None of my customers knew I was traveling. As we flew along the Interstate, I readily answered e-mail, or took phone calls. I didn’t blog, but that was mainly cause when I wasn’t working I wanted to look at scenery or chat with my fellow travelers.
What really made this possible was my father-in-law came along and did most of the driving. Oh… and amazing 3G wireless technology helped too. (-:
Out west public transportation just won’t work. But I can envision comfortable, information highway enabled jitneys moving people about so they can remain in the knowledge game. And for some higher value knowledge workers, I could easily justify a driver just so they can keep working.
I just bought a 2009 E350 Ford Van with 12 captains seats in the back. It was a commercial shuttle. I’m turning it into a Nelson “info highway” travel van where we can comfortably make some regional trips we have planned, while still being “information” enabled. We will be making trips to Washington State, Texas, Arizona, California, Idaho and New Mexico – that is just through August.
I’ll leave 6 seats in back, adjusting their location for legroom. Each will have a power port off a 600 watt inverter hooked directly to the battery. A laptop rack bolted to the seat bottom will hold a laptop for computing and media. A small fridge will keep us refreshed (and my medicine properly chilled). And, naturally there will be WiFi in the van and a Wilson electronic cell phone antennae giving us 20 mile cell range. The back will be storage on a sliding rack and a pop up bunk bed for when my son and I travel to shooting matches. Should be a good rig. It isn’t an RV, but we learned last year that RV travel is cool, but not that comfortable for the passengers. This will be an RV for two heartier travelers, and a comfortable way to get from hotel to hotel for a larger group.
I’ll post pictures of the final project in a month or so after we’ve finished kitting it out.
March 29th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
If “heartier” means tents then take some seats out or use a small utility trailer and small generator, you won’t be sorry!
March 30th, 2010 at 7:47 am
definitely in the vehicle. We are taking out 1/2 the seats, at least.
March 30th, 2010 at 7:48 am
The rest of the country thanks you for your generosity in discretionary consumer spending when your natural conservative instincts tell you to save against the consequences of the coming financial debacle. You’ve been reading about the Paradox of Thrift?
March 30th, 2010 at 7:59 am
I save as normal. In my view, saving may be stupid though. If you have cash assets the government intends to steal them through monetary deflation.
I measure spending more over what I want to accomplish. My kids are young once, this enables me to do cool stuff with them. I’m fortunate to not need to make the choice, but I’d work an extra year to cover the cost of enjoying their childhood to the max.
Priorities. Driven by me, not by my “leaders”.
March 30th, 2010 at 8:00 am
oh… and I got a STEAL on the van.
March 30th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
So, if I need advice on any area of living frugally I’ll ask Clark Howard, not some old guy set in his ways. Need sleeping bags, I have two if you want them.
March 31st, 2010 at 3:55 am
we have bags, but if you aren’t using them, go ahead and bring them on next visit. We will find a use for them.