Creating Community on the Road

A Smile and a Parking Spot

We hear a few muffled words emanating from the car behind us, sounding something close to a frustrated, "You Can't Park There!"  She's just getting warmed up, and she hasn't even rolled down the window -- this ought to be good.  I prepare for a local tongue lashing involving a lot of "You people!" and something disparaging about respecting private property -- even though we're just trying to get out of her way.  

Ginning up a big smile, she confirms our suspicions by repeating herself, only this time much more demurely.  I can see the tired frustration in her eyes, this is not the first, nor the last time, she'd had to do this.  I lean out to where her fluffy Pomeranian practically licks my nose and say, "Hi there!  We're not going to park here, we just need to get turned around and figure out where we can; we just want to go out for a paddle."  Our collective smiles, and eagerness to stay positive steers the situation away from an angry confrontation. 

Within a few minutes of friendly banter, she's mocking herself and we toss in a jab to our own hubris; it's the Sunday of Labor Day weekend AND the first sunny day in a week, who would think they'd find a place to park at one of the only beachfronts in town? She leans over and suggests, "Why don't you just park in my driveway? It's right over there."  

Not only did she welcome our rig for our three day paddle, she invited us in to shower and have breakfast upon our return.  A smile doesn't cost anything, and it might just land you a parking spot, a very cool new friend, and a deeper connection to the places you visit on your journeys.  

Finding community on the road is a real concern for anyone considering a wandering nomadic lifestyle.  If you aren't in one place for a very long time, how can you make any lasting connections?  For folks fearful of the loss of friends, and community, the sense of isolation can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  We've discovered that if you stay open and practice a few strategies, you can find connections and create new communities wherever you go. 

Engage your Neighbors

We grabbed the very last campsite at one of the more popular campgrounds along the Colorado River near Moab, UT.  It wouldn't have been our first choice, the gravel parking area was shared with the next camper.  But the picnic table was down a little shaded path and felt secluded along the river bank -- how can you be picky when it's the last one?  

Our neighbors had plates from the Yukon Territories in northern Canada.  I approached the gentleman of the small family and after introductions mentioned that we'd be driving to Alaska in the summer.  Within a few minutes he invited us to visit them at their home because we'd be driving right by their house.  Roads might be scarce in the Yukon, but generosity is certainly not. 

We took them up on the invite and were able to use their house "near" Whitehorse, as a place to leave our camper while we took a side trip to Haines, Juneau and Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.  Bringing Hamlet on the Alaskan Ferry would have been expensive, challenging and there was no place to park it when we went out for our paddle adventure in the National Park.  We also visited them on each of our ways and have already made plans to meet up sometime in the southwest again for a camping, climbing, and hiking adventure.  

While camping in Denali National Park we choose a campsite next to some tent campers, because they were less likely to run a generator, and if you know us, you know our level of hatred toward these loud devices, but also because they just looked friendly.  After a few conversations and loaning out a lifejacket so he could paddle his pack raft out on the river, we were invited to leave our rig parked at their house in Anchorage while we flew east for our gig at the Hershey RV Show. We didn't even ask, he just offered it up as we discussed our travel plans throughout the rest of the summer and fall.

We hadn't even really researched trailer parking areas near the airport, we just figured something would eventually work out, and it did.  We also have new friends in Anchorage to go along with a one-off parking space.  

Join an Event with Other Campers

While we typically let our connections come together organically, making friends with the folks camping next to us, we have recently started looking at camping, boondocking, overlanding gatherings as a way to connect with other folks who love the road life like we do. 

While in Alaska this summer we went to the "Rendezvous in the Range," hosted by RVing to Alaska, also a great travel resource for planning your trip to this amazing state.  Over the 5 days we were there, we met new friends, learned so much about how others travel, picked up some great recommendations for where to go and what to do, went on some great hikes, and simply had an amazing time.  Check out our short video from the 2022 Rendezvous the for some highlights.    

Since there were about 75 rigs at the event, we continued to see familiar faces throughout our Alaskan travels.  One night about 3 weeks later, we pulled into a small state recreation area for the night and ended up parking right next to some of the most fun people at the Rendezvous.  We had dinner, celebrated one of their birthdays with a painting party, and just had a ton of fun reconnecting in a much smaller venue.  They invited us to join their expedition to the Arctic Circle along the Dalton Highway in the Yukon, but our travels led us in another direction so we agreed to stay in touch with hope to meet up sometime down the road.  Oh, and as a result of this friendship we have another parking space in downtown L.A. -- for nomads like us, parking is the coin of the realm!

There are so many camping events all over the country, for all types of campers, vintages, 5th-wheels, vans, toy-haulers -- seriously, if you can think of a way to camp there's going to be an in-person event celebrating it. 

Here's just a few to get you started:

• Escapees & Xscapers - These partner organizations have been helping folks connect on the road since the 70's.  An inexpensive annual membership gets you access to their resources and invited to one of their many events held around the country.  
• The Rubber Tramp Rendezvous & Women's Rubber Tramp Rendezvous - this annual event held in January in the little town of Quartzite AZ, celebrates all things roadlife -- organized by the Home On Wheels Alliance. 
• Boondockers Welcome - With a low annual membership fee you get access to other RVers and road trippers who have opened up their property for you to camp on for up to 5 days.  What a great way to make friends while you travel! 
• Skooliepalooza - This event which celebrates those folks who've flipped a school bus into a home, typically follows the RTR by a few days and has also taken place in the western desert of AZ.
• Vintage Camper Rallies - Rallies happen all over the U.S. at various times of year.

Stay Connected

One of the reasons we embarked upon our nomadic lifestyle was to unplug and find our own sense of peace and quiet away from the hustle of the world, but staying connected via social media, text, or phone offers a way to support the bonds forged during an event, or while camping, or just by asking a few questions about someone's solar set up.  

Volunteer & Work-Trade

A fantastic way to meet like-minded travelers is to do volunteer work and/or work-trade with an organization or issue you are passionate about.  There are a myriad of ways to get connected, especially if you bring your own home on wheels.  From campground hosting to volunteering at national and state parks to building homes with a Habitat for Humanity group to working on family-owned, organic farms, you'll meet fun people from all over the world.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our time volunteering with various organizations, and there are several resources available to discover these type of opportunities!

Visit Friends & Family

While not everyone is going to understand your reasons for choosing the nomadic way of life, your family might start to come around once they realize that they might get to see you more often. 

Our families are scattered to nearly every corner of the country, from southern California to North Carolina, from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Michigan.  While we were living in a traditional home and working the two career grind, we managed to squeeze in family visits during short holiday travel binges that left us exhausted and craving our home bed.  Since leaving that way of life behind, we've seen more of our parents, siblings, and managed to connect in more meaningful ways while helping them with house upkeep and maintenance issues.  

Whenever a friend announces a new move to a new home, we always say, "We hope there's good parking for Hamlet!"  Our connection of friends from college, grad school, previous work, and even former students link together a wide network of people stretching from coast to coast, in nearly every type of home, zip code, and income bracket.  And since we always come with our own bedroom, we aim to be the easiest houseguests ever.  We might just make you dinner!  

When you have a home that rolls, you have to take a more opportunistic approach to establishing community, and you're in the driving seat so help make it happen.  You need to find ways to give back while also receiving what is offered with gratitude and an open heart.  We often find ourselves receiving things we need, like parking or a place to shower, and trying to enrich the lives of our friends, both old and new with stories from the road and a bottle of wine or a gourmet meal.  It's an amazing exchange that makes us all richer!  If our accounts could be measured in friendship, we'd be the wealthiest couple in the whole world.