THE NOMADIC LIFESTYLE IS WAITING FOR YOU
Welcome to the Traveling Homestead Project! My name is Heron (they/them/theirs) and I am so excited you are here! THP is a queer-run initiative that explores the nomadic movement as a sustainable way of living for young people. The project explores the intersections of self-sufficient living and travel. We also work to inspire and assist young people from every corner of the continent to take control of their futures and manifest their dreams.
Don’t think vanlife is for you? Well. . . it is.
Let me ask you a few questions:
- Do you hate paying rent?
- Does owning your own place sound awesome? But don’t think you can make that happen?
- Do you dream of traveling full or part-time? But the idea overwhelms you?
- If you could manifest more creative agency in your life, would you?
- Are you looking for ways to cut costs and live more sustainably/minimalistic?
- Do you want to separate yourself from capitalism? And reconnect to your culture?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then congrats, you are suitable to join the rising nomadic generation.
And here’s how:
MY MISSION
To make nomadic and sustainable living an easy and accessible option
The #vanlife movement, as it is, seems inaccessible for most people. The faces of the movement don’t often resemble the faces in underrepresented communities, van conversion videos often depict expensive, extravagant renovations, and the movement is largely gate kept by white, middle to upper class, cis, and straight people.
But that is actively changing. In the past few years, there has been a surge of young nomads from all backgrounds joining the movement. Both Diversify Vanlife and Vanlife Pride are two examples of communities working to bring more people to the table. THP is not only working to bring more BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people to the movement but to bring more people from working-class backgrounds, too.
Addressing the roadblocks
All of those things that are preventing you from manifesting your desires–economic hardships, systematic oppression, mental health, stigma, etc.–are very real and very valid. Therefore, it is critical that we address those issues in this space. I’m not here to sell you unrealistic expectations and to profit off of naiveté. I’m here because I believe everyone deserves to live the life they want to and I’m here to help you make that possible.
THE FOUNDER OF TRAVELING HOMESTEAD PROJECT
I am a queer, trans non-binary writer, gardener, herbalist, and overlander. I was a first-generation college student and graduated from College of the Atlantic, Maine. My degree is in Human Ecology and my studies focused on food systems–agriculture, food justice, nutrition, and anthropology. You can say I love food!
My Story
I grew up in the woods of Maine. From as early as I can remember, my family would take my little sister and me hiking, fishing, four-wheeling, and camping.
Adventuring all over the world became a big dream of mine early. However, like many, there were too many external factors preventing me from making that dream come true and I couldn’t see how it would be possible.
After 2020 left me unemployed and living in my car, I used what financial privilege I had to make the most of living on the road. I have since made this lifestyle comfortable and permanent, and Traveling Homestead Project has come to birth.
Now, I want to help others transition to living the nomadic life, too–hopefully, with fewer road bumps.
THE CONTENT
If our mission is to make nomadic or sustainable living easy and accessible, then our solution is to take homesteading on the road. We discuss ways to save money with this lifestyle, address major roadblocks and setbacks, and build your confidence in the world.
Nomadic living and homesteading. . . Isn’t that a contradiction?
Short answer, not really.
First of all, let’s define both. Nomadic living can be defined as not having a permanent settlement, ie. home in a building, and traveling full or part-time. Homesteading can be defined as self-sufficient living and is usually characterized by growing one’s own food, harvesting one’s own energy (solar energy, firewood, etc.), and making one’s own material goods (clothes, dishes, etc.). More often than not, homesteaders have plots of land on which they homestead, which is why you may think the two lifestyles are contradictory. However, by definition, they don’t have to be.
What does this look like, exactly?
Many vanlifers live pretty sustainably already. Maybe by using solar panels, collecting water from natural sources, using composting toilets, or so on (all things that THP explores!). However, I take things a step further and show you how you can grow your own food, make your own medicines, craft, etc. All on a budget and in what little space you may have.
Why combine the two in the first place?
One: to save money. THP is all about making this lifestyle accessible, and that means helping you save money and travel cheaply. This is the primary reason I’ve made so much of the project’s content homestead-focused. Because doing things yourself when you can really helps you save so much!
Two: to decrease dependencies on capitalism. Let’s face it: capitalism just isn’t working. So part of THP’s content aims to help you minimize the money given to corporations exploiting the earth and working people.
Three: to support the communities we travel through. Homesteading is much more than self-sufficiency, it’s sustainability. And if we are going to create sustainable systems outside of capitalism, it has to include fortifying our communities. That means buying locally produced food, Black, Indigenous, and queer-made products, and from local small businesses when we can.
So what kind of content can you expect from Traveling Homestead Project?
- Creative crafting and food production projects
- Healthy recipes for cooking with limited space and equipment
- Self-care tips (the root of doing anything sustainably) for nomadic living
- The Landback Movement, environmental justice, and ecotourism
- Home medicine-making tutorials
- Local and seasonal buying guides
- (Realistic) van build videos and instructions
- Info about social issues, how they impact the community, and how to address them
- Travel inspiration
- . . . And so much more!
