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150 days of living and coding in a van

ruby-on-wheels.github.io

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Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#141

Post by ceronman »

mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

I used to use three monitors: Two 22 inches plus my 15 inches laptop monitor. It though it was a really efficient way of working, but it had a problem: Moving was a hassle. I decided to get rid of the monitors for a while to test their value and I found out it's not such a big improvement. Now I only work in my laptop screen. I have a full mobility and I love that. I don't miss my monitors at all.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#142

Post by brookside »

mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

I use the app "duet" to connect an iPad as a second monitor for the cases when a second display is really useful (like playing spot the difference with a site vs Sketch design).

This would be wonderful I'm sure with one of the newer 12.9" iPad pros.

And for 1/10 of the cost you can pick up something like a "15.6” Widescreen Flat-Panel USB 3.0-Powered Portable LED Monitor - $99"

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#144

Post by ja27 »

mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

I spend most of my coding time on just a laptop (15" MBP with 1680x1050 matte screen) and the only thing that bothers me very much is the position it puts my neck in. I try to sit lower than usual to help that.

I do use multiple desktops on macOS and a quick swipe of the trackpad to switch them is almost as good for me as multiple displays.

I do tend to use an iPad as a aux display though. Sometimes I run Duet Display to have it act like an extra display for my MBP but most of the time it's home to my distractions like Slack, email, social media, etc. But it is good for books and websites while coding.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#145

Post by tomcooks »

pdimitar wrote: post #73
classisch wrote: post #54

Hey everyone! I'm the author of that article. I just started the blog and still have a ton of things to write about. I like all the (critical) feedback. That inspires me for further blog posts. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for writing this. It made me very sad because the traveler life appeals a lot to me but I still quite like the things I have in the city, so I have always been extremely conflicted about a nomadic life (or a period). How do you deal with the toilet troubles though? Also, can you give some details on how do you avoid cold weather? My girlfriend tells me there are areas in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece where…

When i had a burnout I quit my IT job and walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela trail, it was a liberating experience and a great introduction to nomadism.

Give it a try!

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#146

Post by peteretep »

mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

Thought I would, but haven't done. Bigger screens, I just put more distracting stuff on them. As mentioned elsewhere, you can mirror a big-ass iPad on to it, and there are some large USB displays that are very portable too.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#147

Post by [deleted] »

phillc73 wrote: post #56
hycaria wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't you worry about the objectively lower education for your children there ? As much as I dislike cities, I can't imagine raising children somewhere else. Education, culture and network potential (through friends) is just not the same.

No, it's not something I worry about at all. I'd be interested to know why you think the education would be objectively lower. I'm still living in a city, just a small one. Having checked Wikipedia, it tells me the population is officially 320k. There are six Universities and the city is UNESCO listed as a Cultural Heritage site. I just don't see this location disadvantaging my child. In fact, I think it's a location…

[deleted]

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#148

Post by koevet »

mrnzc wrote: post #123
koevet wrote: post #118

Very inspiring, I wish I could try something like that for a while. Question: do you still declare your income in your home country (Germany, I assume) or have you found a different solution?

I know the OP. He is declaring his income in Germany.

That is interesting. I wish one could acquire a "nomadic" status and pay only a fraction of the income tax in the country he lives in for a given period. But that open a bigger sets of problem, like health insurance, etc.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#149

Post by peteretep »

pdimitar wrote: post #73
classisch wrote: post #54

Hey everyone! I'm the author of that article. I just started the blog and still have a ton of things to write about. I like all the (critical) feedback. That inspires me for further blog posts. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for writing this. It made me very sad because the traveler life appeals a lot to me but I still quite like the things I have in the city, so I have always been extremely conflicted about a nomadic life (or a period). How do you deal with the toilet troubles though? Also, can you give some details on how do you avoid cold weather? My girlfriend tells me there are areas in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece where…

    > I really want to try some nomadism
So do. The van part is totally optional. Go to Chiang Mai and find a coworking space and an AirBNB. If you don't like it, go home! We have a fixed base we spend 50% of the year at, but also like to go and spend 6 weeks working elsewhere.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#150

Post by tomcooks »

cvsh wrote: post #134
lowglow wrote: post #71

I tried this around SF Bay Area. Unfortunately SF isn't as van-friendly as I would have liked, and the high crime rate and high rate of break-ins left me less than desiring to stay in SF. Had a friend successfully camp out in East Bay, but got sick of it. I moved down to Redwood City but the cops basically harassed me, and treated me like a criminal. I finally would park in my van outside of Social Capital in Palo Al…

That's the first big strike against vanlife for me. In the US there's no cheap and reliable way to park and sleep without being harassed by police. The second is illness: I ate some bad chicken earlier this year and was violently ill, projectile liquid from both ends ill, for three whole days. It was miserable but bearable because I had an apartment with a bed and a bathroom. I can't imagine what it would have been l…

Should that happen to me I'd just check in at a cheap airbnb for a week until feeling better, possibly with a friend taking care of me while i complain about being sick
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