Hello Steemians, This Is Me

Hello Steemians my name is Orval, but you may call me @notconvinced.

I have been a member since August, 2017, but have just started using the platform a few weeks ago. Steemit is a huge place. There is so much to learn.

I was born and raised in Michigan, living there until I was 34 years old, only traveling out of the state thrice. The 2008 recession actually started in Michigan and was sparked by 9/11. Through the recession, Michigan had the second highest unemployment in the country. I was laid off from my job and had trouble finding new employment, so I decided to leave the state in 2009 for New Mexico.

Since, I have traveled the country living in ten different states and traveling to many more. Today my homebase is in Omaha, NE.
(An original photo of Omaha,NE as viewed from the NW shore of Levi Carter Lake)

This decision sparked a deep period of inner reflection, which continues to this day with no end in sight. I went from fighting my natural character in an attempt for stability and success as defined by society, to a completely random, nomadic commitment-o-phobe who just wants to be, without needing a place to be. I identify most closely with Anarcho-Primitivism.

I live minimally in an 18' camper, traveling around donating my time and skills helping those trying to build more sustainable lives. The last three years I have spent 2-3 months of my summers doing this.
(I am on the left. A Cob Cottage I helped to build, keeping me in Coal Creek Canyon, CO for the summer and fall of 2015)

I am a Jack of All Trades and have built with cob, built chicken coops and greenhouses out of 100% scavenged materials, installed solar, wind and battery systems and have rebuilt so many different types of structures I have lost count. I live 80% off grid when home, but 100% off grid while traveling.

I make a living scavenging and recycling, reusing and donating mostly metals and electronics, but usually acquire most of my building and project materials this way as well.
(scavenged items waiting to be separated and recycled)

I take issue with the fact that I am still somewhat dependent upon the system and want to ween myself further. To do this I have decided to stop driving automobiles, since buying fuel forces me to be a consumer, pay yet another tax and this drops the requirement to be licensed and purchase insurance. I have actually driven without either of the latter for the majority of my adult life.

I decided in February 2017 that I was going to build an electric bicycle and custom camper to travel the country living as close to moneyless as possible and off the land. The bike is finished, a few of the batteries have been purchased and built by me and I have acquired the materials to build the camper through scavenging. The camper will be complete with >200 watts of solar panels.
![0101181552a.jpg] ()( The electric bicycle I built and a portion of the scavenged dry goods, which will help to nourish me on my trip)

My plans are to primitive and stealth camp, mostly along waterways and cleaning up the messes my species tend to leave behind. I will be scavenging to make the little bit of money I will need to sustain myself along with foraging and hunting small game to lessen the need for money. I also have about a years worth of dehydrated food, coffee and drink mixes. I will be boxing it up into two week portions, having my people mail me the boxes as needed.

The idea is to put to use and test all of the skills I have been researching and learning. It's also my way to divest myself from a system which severely limits me and all other life on earth. This will help make minimal living a deeper way of life for me. Full independence is the goal to increase my personal sovereignty, while being of benefit to the earth and its inhabitants. Maybe I can inspire others by showing them how I am gaining my freedom.
The lead acid batteries, which are too heavy and the li-ion battery pack I built

Along the way, I'll not only be helping to clean up the environment, but volunteering at random places around the country and to help other financially challenged like-minded people to help them build independent sustainable lives through www.workaway.info and other media sights I regularly use, like Minds and Steemit.

In offering my time, preference is given to homesteader's, off gridders, animal rescue nonprofits and homeless shelters.

My skill range is quite diverse and includes auto mechanic, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, natural building, survival, bushcraft, organization and management, research, installation of most anything, novice engineering, design and anything else that is put on my plate. I refuse to pay for services, when I can quite easily figure it out for myself.
(woodstove I build for my camper from a medical autoclave, legs from a bed frame and scrap stainless steal for the pot stand)

I still have a long way to go to be ready for such a journey. After frying $130 in li-ion batteries, I've decided to purchase them. With a perceived need of 8 at a cost of >$200 a piece, the need for a professional camera and new laptop, a minimum of $3000 more dollars is needed with a goal of having a $5000 slush fund in case something goes very wrong or my bike and/or camper fail. I hope my crypto investments pull me through. I will also have a backpack with all the essentials to hit the road with two feet and a heartbeat, if so needed. My best friend and dog Nietzsche will be at my side and will have needs to be provided by me as well, so he'll be eating a lot of fresh squirrel, rabbit and fish. He is 8 1/2 years old and has been at my side, literally, since he was 12 weeks old.

The camera is to be used for recording the whole adventure. I would like to provide tutorials on everything I do, learn, plan to learn and accomplish. This will be a blog, vlog, how-to guide, inspiration(I hope), diary, experiment and the psychological effects of such a life will be put out there for the world to see. I hope to fund my life through living it, rather than being a wage slave.

This is me and my plans in a nutshell. I hope this all sounds interesting to you enough to follow and support me through my efforts. I have quite a few projects to bring to you before my adventure starts like my camper build, I am building a breakdown backpacking Woodstove from scavenged industrial stainless steal coffee makers, some more past adventure's to share and a few winter adventures to come as well.

All my content you see is my attempt to practice content creation for the adventure and you can already see my growth in this area by my content here.

I just recently was bitten by the photography bug and have produced a few really good photo shots, which has lead to my decision to purchase a high end Canon camera. I am still deciding on which one to buy, with the purchase happening in the next couple of weeks.

I will be blogging about my progress as things fall into place for this and sharing with you the preparation involved. There are so many ways my goals can fail that I am trying my best to have good back up plans, so that doesn't happen.

I plan on hitting the road sometime during the last week of March. Everything will be planned except the path I decide to travel. This is going to be mostly random and I don't plan on announcing my first destination until I leave.

Thank you for giving me your time and please make the time to get outside, record your adventures for others to enjoy and help keep our areas clean by practicing leave-no-trace principles.

@NotConvinced

#MyIntroduction #Volunteering #Life
#Independence #Freedom #Inspiration
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