I work overnights right now in an apartment but will be switching to the minivan come this fall and winter then will head up to the Dakotas or Nebraska or Montania for the summer then will take off to the Gulf Coast for Jan & Feb and half of march (I want to stay during Nov & Dec. since it's retail busy season and I work retail. Might need to get a motel room through parts of Dec if there are cold blasts idk..)
Typically I wake up around 8PM. Have breakfast. 2-3 eggs, 3 turkey links, 2 slices of bread I cook on top of the pan. (I have now switched to using the turkey links as holders to hold the toast above the eggs so the eggs cook and I can make "kinda toast" all in one dish) then I will have jam on top of my bread/toastish I don't want to waste fule burning my bread to make toast... Then I make coffee in my coffee maker. My coffee maker runs on 650 watts and I have a (two actually) bluette power station that has a 700watt inverter built in that can make my coffee via 12v. This power station is going to be connected to a 100w pannel on the roof (tested it this weekend for the eclipse and it already works wonderfully! the other 300 watts goes into the main system 200ah battery that will power my fridge and freezer) As for my breakfast I have used butaine with a butaine stove, however I am leaning towards switching to the green propaine bottles. (yes the bigger reusable canisters would be cheaper but I have a minivan, limited space so long as I live without things like toast on daily cooking the negatives are not as noticeable..
Then Lunch.. In the past I have meal prepped. twice a week I cooked rice, raw chicken, and broccoli. I have a rice cooker that works on my bluette power station and if I use it daily for one meal I should be fine. Although I have been looking to get back into having salads for lunch which would be no cooking however I would like to have some type of cooked meat. I have been trying some frozen cooked options I love the frozen meatballs, frozen chicken and they don't seem that bad sodium wise.. however I have been thinking more and more about cooking at the park 2 times a week.
Typically I go to the gym 4 days a week M T H F Which means I can then cook W and SU while having SA still be a rest day. I don't like to "cook" in the minivan however short bursts like breakfast that takes 7min to cook or less is fine. Also pasta is simple too and maybe cooking up frozen veggies although I like putting that in with rice or using my rice cooker for that likely that would be my dinner. which would drain the battery for bed time then when im sleeping the battery would be charging (ie I go to bed around 2pm) As for the W and SU cooking at the park. Just simply want to cook a bunch of meat that I can store in my fridge or freezer and enjoy it during the week with my meals. Weather provided and motivation to cook provided. Could resort to frozen precooked foods as well but I want to not always eat that hense the plan to start cooking at the park. Yes, those green bottles would be doing the heavy lifting ie higher costs but overall health would be improved so worth it?...
Side note I been getting about 22mpg down from 26-28 with my new solar, they sit halfway over the front driver door because I wanted them slid forward so the back hatch door can open fully. Plus im more of a in town driver with ocasional freeway driving for long seasonal trips so not that big of deal in the big picture..
Also food items like greek yogurt with jam (same jam I use for breakfast) and oatmeal are becoming good snacks I like plus the all bran is good source of fiber. Oh and I been working on improving my healthy with green juice however I just use my magic bullet blender! frozen berries and fruit blended with fresh greens like kale & greens & celery make a fantastic drink don't forget the ginger and lemon!!!! Again the magic bullet runs on the bluette and with blend times of 2-3 min the power draw is very tiny so is the blenders size!
I feel like my diet is VERY well planned out. Just a bit worried how I can fit it all into the minivan with smaller fridge size but I have 6 months to start getting my portions nailed down. Oh almost forgot I drink almond milk with my coffee no creamer! And for snacks I like apples, organges, and bananas.. I have a sweet tooth that I have to try keeping in check hense the abundance of fruit to keep me away from the sweets!
That's my diet that I worked so hard on designing and being able to fit that into a minivan (still in theory mode but been trying to test it out as best I can)
When it comes to daily schedule I wake up, have breakfast, coffee I journal about self reflection on what I want to accomplish and where I want to be going in the future and that has helped me so much. Really helps to clear my thoughts and to help get me pointed in the right direction and more focused.
Then I get ready. In the past during van life when I worked overnights shortly I did washup in the minivan and just drive to work from there after. Then after work I went to the gym to workout 4 days a week and on my rest day I would just shower at the gym. Typically I went to 2-3 different gyms. This time I will be having two gym brand memberships and planet fitness will be one of them this time so that's exciting given they can accomidate more volume in number of people showering so I don't feel as guilty for using them so frequently..
Then after the gym I would just head to my park of choice. I would chill out in the driver seat for a bit. Idk, weird habbit I've developed is I need a good bit to get comfortable in a space before I do anything. I LOVE going to the park in the mornings when it's quiet chilly, and underused it is so wonderful when it's nearly empty such a magical period in time!! Then after Ido what I need to do ie cook or eat I can go for a walk on W. or just relax from my workout at the gym and then sleep usually noon to 8pm
I never had issues with sleeping in the park since I'm just "napping" did get the knock once but he just wanted to make sure I knew the rules but the park was still open and I had explained im just napping before work and that I would be long gone by park close which was 10 or 11 being I worked at 10 I would leave by 9:30 9:45 anyways.
Plus since I be in a colder state I want to take Jan Feb and part of March off from my retail job and head to Texas along the coast ( yes, I've done Quartsite before also great place so maybe there after a few winters too.) Would love to experience the gulf during the cold season when it's not croweded and just live there and enjoy life in mostly empty parks!!
I think I have a solid plan, part of which I have already lived much of it being I done van life while working overnights a bit but didn't have nearly as much solar or even a inverter that could power devices like coffee ( I did the cold brew method which was ok) If anyone has any suggestions or tips or tricks I am all ears or if you see holes in my ideas and concepts please do help me see them so I can work to improve my plan even better.
I eventually want to cut down to 32 hours a week working. However for now I want to stay at 40 so I can better take those 2.5 months off to travel Although I would like to see about getting a temp job down there as well via some temp agency cause I like to stay active likely more of a part time job so I can better relax and enjoy being down there.
Im in my late 30's so still got lots of time and things to do in life but I'm so excited to get out of this expensive rental box and start living life again. Maybe my plan will help others too. I never really seen much content as to how to eat healthy while living in a minivan. Sure my diet may not be super healthy but it's far better than typical I think at least. Plus it's easy and yes, my gender is male and im not very good with running a kitchen but im trying to learn while being realistic.
If anyone else does the whole working overnights while maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle please let me know how you do it as well and what your typical route looks like! As well as the heavy hitters in your diet to keep you healthy.
