The best part of living on the road is the freedom to work from anywhere. The worst part of working on the road is that you have to work from anywhere! Right now I am actually living and working out of a friend’s house, so I have the best of all worlds - wifi, van, bed, shower, kitchen, office space and everything I need to stay organized and more focused. I’ve started several ebooks on HOW to be mobile AND productive. And it’s been quite interesting!

The van, with it’s temperamental wiring (rain, moisture, dampness makes it cranky) is sitting out the next two weeks until it’s time to head to Michigan and another writing project. I spend my time between the Emergency Room and recovering from a month on prednisone for chronic and serious hives. Always fun to wake up and see I can still breathe… except for the 2 a.m. wake-up this morning…not fun. Sigh. But I’m hoping it’s almost over!

The challenge in two weeks will be to focus on the two things that mean the most to me - my clients, and the writing I do to make this trip possible, and secondly, the documentation of amazing people (some homeless, some not, but all remarkable) for my book and to raise awareness of the homeless and the stigma we put on people for losing everything they own for whatever reason.

So I’m focusing on expanding my client base and adding some ebooks I’m writing, to the site. I’m currently writing for several online websites, Elance and several private clients. I also write for magazines and journals from time to time, and I do some consulting, stock photography and portraits. Never a dull day! And you guys don’t think so either - I’ve been hearing from a lot of you about how I can live AND work in a van.

So, this is to sort of answer some questions about my “mobile office.” It’s pretty simple. I sleep in pajamas in a full-size bed on a platform in the van. In the morning I change into sweat pants and the bed becomes my office couch. It’s VERY comfortable - I simply stretch out, prop up and type from a reclining position. The laptop rests on a padded lapboard or on my counter top along with whatever soda I’m drinking, or snack I’m eating on the side. I’m in the process of designing and creating a swivel table that swings into place and holds the laptop at an angle. It’ll make it easier on my shoulders and less likely to be where things spill. A large window and the windshield give me perfect light. At night, or when it’s raining I use LED lights - available at any Home Depot.

I have an inverter that keeps the laptop and cellphone charged. The weather is PERFECT…in the 70’s and mild. The dog sleeps in the front seat or at my feet. The cooler isn’t so heat challenged. And, there’s always wifi somewhere.

Since I’m staying with a friend for the next few months (and looking for an office rental to base out of), I have wifi, power, shower, office space AND the van when I get homesick.

Being a mobile office is a lot easier than you’d think. An inverter - cost $50 to $100 for at least a 120 watt system. I got mine at Best Buy, but look around. Radio Shack has some better prices and more selection.

When it’s hot I find shade, open the doors and use a battery powered, solar charged fan. When it’s cold, I have a propane stove (Buddy) that is rated safe for interior use - and I leave the windows open (not cracked) to ensure fresh air. It costs about $1-$2 a day to heat the van to 75 degrees. I cook on either an alcohol chafing pot or a propane, two-burner stove. A one-cup water heater, like you use for heating water for tea, plugs into the dashboard and heats water for hot chocolate, tea or soup in about 3-5 minutes. If you like camping, you’ll enjoy living in a van. If you don’t, you won’t! Truck stops have a variety of 12-volt appliances - from microwaves to stoves and coffeepots to televisions…so if you want luxury, you can find it, and pretty cheaply too! Look at The Flying J Truck Stops for the best deals and gadgets! Showers? YMCA, health clubs and truck stops. Laundry is easy. There are laundromats everywhere!

A cell phone, I use Virgin Mobile - $50 a month for UNLIMITED anytime calls and no roaming charges. Not bad. For another $10 you get unlimited texting. The customer service varies - nothing to brag about, but the price is right. I wish they offered GPS and navigation, but that’s on the list for the next phone. I can stay in touch with it and that’s what counts. Skype is awesome, but my Apple MacBook is not. The sound and mic has never functioned, and I’m on my third hard drive, third battery and third power cord on a 3-year old computer.

Customer service at Apple is friendly, but totally impotent and the last “fix” I had at the genius bar left my CD drive broken. Much as I hate to do it, my next computer will be a PC. More than 30 calls to Apple on the ultimate protection plan and I still couldn’t get a laptop that worked. Even the external hard-drive they gave me after my second internal one failed, never worked. Are you listening now APPLE?

Ummm…..Can’t beat Bed, Bath & Beyond for great kitchen and cookware for the van. They TOTALLY rock! IKEA has my vote for kitchen utensils and gadgets too. My next mattress will come from IKEA. Auto maintenance is Auto Zone…

I love my FLIP camera, but hate the audio. The audio only works if you shout into the camera at a distance of 5 inches. Video with no sound is no fun. Waiting for FLIP to install an external jack…although I have heard of another camera with an external jack, about the same price range as an upper level FLIP ($200-$250). My Canon EOS 20D never leaves my side. Great camera! And that’s about it.

Wal-Mart has anything I need in a pinch. But I also shop The Container Store, Target, Home Depot and Lowes, and The Pottery Barn when I can afford it. There’s not a lot of room in a 78-square foot home/office/vehicle, so I look for compact and miniature items. The book I’m working on now has a wide selection of cool tools, gadgets and solutions to saving space and utilizing space. I think you’ll like it! And I hope that answers a few of the questions. Stay tuned for the book! Out in Oct.!! And keep those questions coming!