Hi, I am posting this hoping to receive any kind of advice.
I have been living in a van on and off with my partner, she has epilepsy and was planning on using her disability income to support the van life while I was the primary driver. I was able to get my drivers license replacement in CA by just paying a small fee since I had a clean driving record. We got it with no license plates, had trouble registering in NV, CA an OR so it still doesnt have plates. Maintaining insurance has not been consistent.
A couple months into living in it in Southern California, we got a citation for being parked without license plates. That ended up getting my license suspended. The bail got paid so I didnt end up with a warrant but I still have to pay CA $750 to get my license reinstated. As soon as my license was suspended, there goes trying to register. We’d since then been living mostly in this van without insurance, registration, or a valid drivers license. Sometimes I feel like trying to live in a van has complicated my life and having to drive "illegally" gives me lots of anxiety.
We couldnt pay the fine or settle down in SoCal to take care of it, so we went travelling thinking we could handle it down the line somewhere. We ended up in Oregon, and my partner fell into some alcohol problems with people we were staying with. Twice this year, she was indoors while I was in the van, and both times I got the inclination to take the van and my stuff somewhere else to try and continue on my own. I was heartbroken and lonely, I just wanted to get out of living in the van.
Before I left for the 2nd road trip, I got a ticket in Oregon for driving without insurance and on a suspended license. Then while driving down to NM, I got pulled over outside of Susanville CA for driving too slow (I found out later my speedometer is 5 mph under the actual) and he took my license along with giving me another citation. I was panicking my whole way down to NM, I almost turned around and now I wish I had. I was going to NM to visit someone I knew from years ago, now I wish I never contacted them at all because they turned out to be dabbling in meth and threw me out of the house while high, accusing me of stealing things (which I didnt).
Both road trips to continue my life on my own didnt work out. Now I'm in New Mexico and I feel like I want to get back with my partner again and stay with her in a shelter in Oregon so I can appear in person for the ticket from up there. I am willing to give it another try with her, we'd been together for 9 years and I feel like theres a part of me missing now that shes not around. She lost her place to stay while I was down here and I had to connect her with someone I couch surfed with in Oregon. Since then I just deeply regret leaving and not being there for her to help her get around with the van and have her by my side.
The upside to staying where ive been at currently in NM is that a guy that lives here has been getting my van ready to get me back to Oregon. He is irritating as fuck and I cant wait to get away from him. He told me I should write a letter to the local Moose Lodge asking for help with funds to travel with. Their meeting was on Tuesday, its now Thursday and I haven’t heard back. The anticipation is killing me, I would fly a sign for gas money to get back there just so I didnt have to be around these people anymore. I am thankful for the work thats been done on my van but my heart is really aching to get back with my partner in Oregon.
Here’s an image of the route Im planning on taking. 40 W out of New Mexico, get to the 95 out of Vegas and take that into Oregon, cut through Mt. Hood then the 26 W to where my partner is couch surfing at in Oregon. I have had interactions with authorities in CA on both road trips through there so I just feel it would be best to avoid it altogether. I have considered selling the van and just taking a bus back to Oregon, but this van has been the only vehicle I've ever had and it could serve my partner and I well if I can get it back to her. Also I brought most all my belongings with me to NM so I would have to get rid of lots of things to be able to ride the bus and I think I'd rather try driving and preserving my belonging + van.
I’m asking for any advice about traveling along this route. Is it friendly towards flying a sign if I have to (hoping I dont, please help me Moose Lodge)? Is there much of a chance of getting stopped by authorities? Do you think I’ll make it with the van intact? any tips on driving without registration / insurance / license?
Thanks for reading and for your input. My heart is telling me I will make it back once I get going, I’d like to get there before the 28th of November to reunite with my partner for Thanksgiving...I am hoping beyond hope that this is what happens. I love her and wish I never left.
I have been living in a van on and off with my partner, she has epilepsy and was planning on using her disability income to support the van life while I was the primary driver. I was able to get my drivers license replacement in CA by just paying a small fee since I had a clean driving record. We got it with no license plates, had trouble registering in NV, CA an OR so it still doesnt have plates. Maintaining insurance has not been consistent.
A couple months into living in it in Southern California, we got a citation for being parked without license plates. That ended up getting my license suspended. The bail got paid so I didnt end up with a warrant but I still have to pay CA $750 to get my license reinstated. As soon as my license was suspended, there goes trying to register. We’d since then been living mostly in this van without insurance, registration, or a valid drivers license. Sometimes I feel like trying to live in a van has complicated my life and having to drive "illegally" gives me lots of anxiety.
We couldnt pay the fine or settle down in SoCal to take care of it, so we went travelling thinking we could handle it down the line somewhere. We ended up in Oregon, and my partner fell into some alcohol problems with people we were staying with. Twice this year, she was indoors while I was in the van, and both times I got the inclination to take the van and my stuff somewhere else to try and continue on my own. I was heartbroken and lonely, I just wanted to get out of living in the van.
Before I left for the 2nd road trip, I got a ticket in Oregon for driving without insurance and on a suspended license. Then while driving down to NM, I got pulled over outside of Susanville CA for driving too slow (I found out later my speedometer is 5 mph under the actual) and he took my license along with giving me another citation. I was panicking my whole way down to NM, I almost turned around and now I wish I had. I was going to NM to visit someone I knew from years ago, now I wish I never contacted them at all because they turned out to be dabbling in meth and threw me out of the house while high, accusing me of stealing things (which I didnt).
Both road trips to continue my life on my own didnt work out. Now I'm in New Mexico and I feel like I want to get back with my partner again and stay with her in a shelter in Oregon so I can appear in person for the ticket from up there. I am willing to give it another try with her, we'd been together for 9 years and I feel like theres a part of me missing now that shes not around. She lost her place to stay while I was down here and I had to connect her with someone I couch surfed with in Oregon. Since then I just deeply regret leaving and not being there for her to help her get around with the van and have her by my side.
The upside to staying where ive been at currently in NM is that a guy that lives here has been getting my van ready to get me back to Oregon. He is irritating as fuck and I cant wait to get away from him. He told me I should write a letter to the local Moose Lodge asking for help with funds to travel with. Their meeting was on Tuesday, its now Thursday and I haven’t heard back. The anticipation is killing me, I would fly a sign for gas money to get back there just so I didnt have to be around these people anymore. I am thankful for the work thats been done on my van but my heart is really aching to get back with my partner in Oregon.
Here’s an image of the route Im planning on taking. 40 W out of New Mexico, get to the 95 out of Vegas and take that into Oregon, cut through Mt. Hood then the 26 W to where my partner is couch surfing at in Oregon. I have had interactions with authorities in CA on both road trips through there so I just feel it would be best to avoid it altogether. I have considered selling the van and just taking a bus back to Oregon, but this van has been the only vehicle I've ever had and it could serve my partner and I well if I can get it back to her. Also I brought most all my belongings with me to NM so I would have to get rid of lots of things to be able to ride the bus and I think I'd rather try driving and preserving my belonging + van.
I’m asking for any advice about traveling along this route. Is it friendly towards flying a sign if I have to (hoping I dont, please help me Moose Lodge)? Is there much of a chance of getting stopped by authorities? Do you think I’ll make it with the van intact? any tips on driving without registration / insurance / license?
Thanks for reading and for your input. My heart is telling me I will make it back once I get going, I’d like to get there before the 28th of November to reunite with my partner for Thanksgiving...I am hoping beyond hope that this is what happens. I love her and wish I never left.
