Working from an RV

Trent will be your driver for today's post.  Susanne and I both earn a living online.  This post is about how I get my work done from an RV.

The key is an unlimited data plan ($45/month) with Verizon in a Jetpack.  The Jetpack pulls in the Verizon service and produces a WiFI signal we can use for work and play (Netflix). We use way too much data to just tether to a normal cell phone data plan. We don't park the RV anywhere without a Verizon signal.



I don't have a specific place I work in the RV.  However, I probably work from our kitchen/livingroom table the majority of the time. I tend to work here if Sam and Susanne are out on an adventure, sleeping, or in their own spaces. This location is good but I have to give it up if they are homeschooling, eating, or if Sam or Susanne are working on their businesses. I also just like to switch up my work locations to keep things interesting and to change my sitting/typing position during the day.




Sometimes I have to do audio recordings for work. For this task I to go to the mobile recording studio (i.e., the car). The acoustics of the car are surprisingly good; the windows allow me to look out while also keeping the tweets of the natives from being picked up by my microphone.




I've also recently started using the passenger's seat in the RV. This is turning out of be a fairly ideal location because it's an otherwise unused space, it's not in anyone's way, and it's comfortable. I've also started working outside a bit more at the provide tables. One major downside to both is they tend to get hot by the afternoon. Outside in Texas gets hot in August (shocker) and the front of the cab isn't tied into the RV AC system. So I have to remember to move from both spaces before I overheat. I'm looking forward to cooler weather because these two spaces will be great more of the time.








Sometime I also just need to get out, give Sam and Susanne more space, or get a little more separation from home and work when I have a big task and really need to concentrate. I thought for times like these I would end at places like Panera or Starbucks but instead I have just been going to the community buildings at campgrounds. They are surprisingly underused and often really quiet. A bonus is that sometimes the WiFi there is good enough that I can leave the Jetpack at home for Susanne and Sam to use.

I get most of this work done using my 15 inch Macbook pro, my mouse, and a good cheap pair of headphones for audio work/music. Have questions about getting work done in an RV? Leave a comment or email us at: nomadicmcdowells@gmail.com

Reflecting on the First Week of Homeschooling

Susanne is the driver for this post.

Sam started fourth grade on Wednesday, August 3. This was entirely his decision: I'd initially planned on beginning somewhere around August 15, though I hadn't nailed down dates or made any definite plans (to say that I'm not the most organized person you'll ever meet is an understatement). But Sam was ready to get started, and so we did.

One of the great things about homeschooling is that I can tailor my teaching approach to his specific needs, interests, and preferences. For example, Sam is someone who loves routines but who also needs some room to let his creativity take charge. When we sat down together to develop a schedule, this is what we came up with:

Every day will include practice in reading, writing, grammar, and math as well as physical education (and by "physical education," I mean running around outside or taking a walk). We'll spend anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes on each of these subjects depending on how we're feeling and how much time Sam needs on a particular topic. 

I feel strongly about the reading/writing/reflection activity that will start each day. This activity will give Sam a chance to ease into his lessons, read about a variety of topics (on Thursday it was cyanobacteria; on Friday it was Harry Potter), use his writing skills, and practice his handwriting. It will give me a chance to get creative with prompts and find ways to help him synthesize information from previous days.

To build some flexibility into the schedule, we divided the days not into Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/etc., but days where we spend a significant amount of time on history (A days), business (B days), arts and crafts (C days), and science (D days). This past Thursday was a D day: Sam wanted to learn more about bacteria and early life on Earth. On Friday he wanted to study marketing and advertising strategies that he can apply to his online business, so that was a B day. At this point, I'm going to let him pick what he wants to focus on. If that means doing science three days in a row, that's fine with me. I'll just track what we do on a daily basis so that we can balance it out with other topics later on down the road.

Because we're on the road and visiting so many interesting places, field trips will be an important part of the curriculum. We celebrated the first day of school with a field trip to various sites in San Angelo: the playground, the library, a sandwich shop, and the San Angelo Nature Center, where Sam got to meet and pet a snake named Bubbles, an opossum named Marie, and several other animals native to this area.

All in all, the first week (well, half week) went really well, and I'm excited to see what next week will bring. Spending more time with Sam and watching him get excited about what he's learning is definitely a major benefit to becoming a homeschooling (roadschooling) family.

Homeschool planning (or lack thereof)

Susanne is your driver for this post.

One thing I'm (supposed to be) doing right now is making homeschool/roadschool plans for Sam's fourth grade year. I have a general idea of what I want him to do, especially with respect to math, reading, and writing; however, I know that all of this will be much more effective if we ask our very independent learner what HE wants to do, and how.

So this morning I asked Sam to compose a list of ten activities, topics, etc. he wants to do or cover in roadschool starting this fall. Here's the list:

1. Read history books more thoroughly. [He's almost done with Book 4 of Story of the World and wants to explore certain topics in greater detail.]

2. Do activities about the subjects we learn about.

3. Go on fun field trips to museums. [He loves museums.]

4. Go to places based on what we read.

5. Learn how to use Excel. 

6. Learn how to market a business.

7. Art classes - for YOU! Ha! [Thanks, Sammo!]

8. Learn how to use line graphs.

9. Learn how to divide to make a percentage.

10. Learn how to use pie graphs.

If anyone has resources/suggestions based on Sam's list, please reply and let us know!

Sam's New Online Store: Nomadic Arts

Sam is your driver for this post.

I have opened a new online shop with some of my bird art on t-shirts, mugs, pillows, and much more! It is very successful; I have already made $21 in earnings! I might have a blog about it soon. (Note: My new blog series is on hold for now due to me not being able to get pictures.) Click here to go to my store.

A note from Sam's parents: Nomadic Arts was entirely thought up and developed by Sam. The bird artwork, originally in watercolor, is painted by Sam. We asked him to develop a business plan before we helped him set up his online store. Any and all profits from the store will go to him, and he can choose what to do with his earnings. (We're helping him with some of the technical stuff, but we just want to get paid in hugs.) We hope that this will allow him to pursue his interests and develop computer, marketing, writing, art, financial planning, and entrepreneurial skills.