ROVA Ten: December/January 2018/2019

People are wary of change. It means reassessing what you know to be true, it means throwing yourself outside of familiarity, and it means expending both mental and physical energy to come to terms with a new reality. Winter is perhaps the most bracing time of change for us. People dread this particular transition between seasons; being cold is no fun, the days can feel too short, and sunlight is sorely missed. But change is inevitable, regardless of how much you resist it, and this edition of ROVA is about both the change of seasons and changes of circumstances. And change can be so good. If you lived the same way all the time, you’d tire of it pretty dang quickly. For me, winter is a time of magic and…

Ching Fu’s article about social media ruining boondocking (Adventure Nine) raised some great points. We often find other people’s trash when we’re seeking out spots that are supposed to be off the beaten path. It’s annoying, yes, but it’s also a huge environmental concern. Thanks for shining a light on the problem. – Lianne R Love, love, love “Three Days in the Desert” in the August/September issue. Katy Severson’s writing just sparkled. Let’s see more from her. – Fred M I travel in a beat-up old Class C with my wife, and I just wanted to let you know that we have every edition of ROVA—even the first one! I’ve really enjoyed seeing the way the magazine has grown since it started, and I can’t wait to read more. –…

My kids are on to me. They have figured out that the book or magazine that appears on their car seat before an adventure is not from “the Book Fairy”—I was discovered loading reading material into the car on a recent trip. I included a copy of ROVA that I’d bought for my wife, knowing that it would appeal to her and I’d get to read it after. The trip went well, and everyone enjoyed their reading material; when we got home, I finally got to crack ROVA open. So many articles appealed to me. You have done a great job of capturing a lifestyle and inspiring some of us who aren’t quite there yet to get with the program. Keep going.…

Songs of love and contentedness The new Phosphorescent album speaks of what Matthew Houck has gained in the five years since his last record—a new home, a wife, a child… happiness. It’s an album of comfort and sweetness, with a lingering taste of the weirdness that we’ve come to love. Fun track “New Birth in New England” has a catchy beat, a singalong melody and a modern sensibility that still references the best music of yesteryear—Paul Simon and the Eagles come to mind. Play it loud, sing, dance. phosphorescentmusic.com Blades of glory There’s nothing more winter than gliding around an ice rink, the scherp, scherp, scherp sound of your skates accompanying your graceful strides. Or, if you’re like me, maybe you lumber around the rink like Frankenstein before skinning the…

Meaghan and Matt We’ve always loved traveling, exploring the outdoors, and living a minimalist lifestyle. We feel our best when we’re exploring new places and gaining new experiences. Full-time RVing allows us to do all of this! Earlier this year, we decided to go for it, and we haven’t looked back! Instagram: @nomadicturtles Denice Sue-Ann I chose the van life for simply more freedom. I noticed when I had an actual house that I felt “stuck” in life. Having my little home on wheels allows me to be near nature as much as I want. It also allows me to figure out who I am and who I want to be, seeing all the beautiful places on earth I’ve never been before. Instagram: @denicesueann Jeff and Courtney Working our way…

“Conversion vans for sale.” Once I typed those four words into Craigslist from a coffee shop outside Portland, Oregon, there was really no going back. I didn’t want to admit it then, of course. Even though I felt the telltale tightening in my chest brought on by stress, and the tiredness burning behind my eyelids from too many restless nights, I told myself the obvious lie that I was just curious about what camper vans were going for these days. Field research. What I couldn’t say yet was that, just like the massive crack across the windshield of the camper we shared, my well-intentioned partner and I had let too many things go for too long, unaddressed, without giving proper care to them. And just like that, with a few…