Doing “The Work” From the Road
5 Ways To Remain Politically Active While Traveling
“It’s really important to embrace the joy of travel,” says Cait Chew of @RVwithrandc. Cait and her fiancé, Russ, have been living in their RV since June of 2019. “But also, we’re citizens of this country. That’s important, too.”
In a year marked by crisis after crisis, from an ongoing pandemic to a national reckoning with racism to the devastation of multiple natural disasters fueled by climate change, we are all being called upon to show up, to fight for change and for those who are being hurt by the way things are.
It can be tempting to disconnect from everything that’s happening in the world — to embrace the fresh air and peaceful solitude that inspired so many of us to ditch our desk jobs for life on the road.
But staying involved with the issues and communities that need our support is important — especially now. It might be harder to show up for protests or volunteer when you’re not in one place for long, but staying connected to the world outside our rigs can go a long way to improving our own lives and the lives of others.
Here are some ways you can stay connected and involved with important issues while living on the road.
Diversify your feed and spread the word
Activism was a big part of Christina Hadly’s life in San Francisco. When she moved into her converted school bus and hit the road, suddenly she wasn’t around to attend marches and rallies in the city she once called home. But she’s since found that online activism is a powerful tool, too.
“There’s so much incredible activism content on Instagram,” says Hadley. “People are putting in lots of time to educate us about things we weren’t taught in school.”
An important step in educating ourselves and staying on top of important issues is diversifying the content we consume on social media.
Diversify Vanlife, a new Instagram account created by Naomi of @irietoaurora and Jayme of @gnomad_home, is creating space to counteract the white-dominated stream of vanlife images that gain the most traction. They’re using the platform to uplift BIPOC folk and other underrepresented groups to showcase more diversity in “vanlife” and the need for more equal representation.
Other popular vanlife and outdoors accounts that are creating and sharing resources around racial, social, and environmental justice (all of which overlap, but that’s another conversation) include @intersectionalenvironmentalist, @doesthiscountasvanlife, @melaninbasecamp, @summerseeking, @unlikelyhikers, @hownottotravellikeabasicbitch, @naturechola, and many more.
Once your feed is full of informative resources from diverse voices (and if you’re not BIPOC, then paying BIPOC creators of those resources whenever possible), you can then use social media to elevate important conversations and spread the word.
Christina points out the value of “online clout.”
“I try to share some of the things I’ve learned on my own activism and education journey — whether that’s creating a long Instagram story series about the history of policing, or simply re-sharing content I resonate with.”
While she’s making less money now and can’t afford to donate as much as she did when she worked an office job, she has more online reach to share issues that need attention.
Build community and get to work
When the protests started in response to the murder of George Floyd, Cait noticed many fellow nomads went quiet on social media or kept posting about their travels and avoided the difficult conversations going on.
“People tend to live in this travel bubble,” she says. “But it inspired me to do a little more. So I started reaching out to people.”
Back in June, Cait started a non-black affinity group for regular Zoom calls to discuss issues of racism and inequality within the RV and #vanlife spheres. Recently, a subset of that group shifted their focus to the upcoming elections and launched Nomadic Activists, an Instagram-based movement providing resources to help nomads cast their ballots.
The conversations we have on social media can be productive, but often they feel limited by character counts and the distractions of the latest trending news. Meeting face-to-face, even through screens with platforms like Zoom or Google Hangouts, is a great way to continue the conversations we start on social media and take actions beyond the reshare.
One benefit to social distancing measures is the abundance of online opportunities to get involved with different organizations, issues, and efforts without being in any specific location.
Interested in doing something about the climate crisis? Check out climate activism groups, like local branches of 350.org or Stop the Money Pipeline, where dedicated communities of activists already exist. These two groups and others like them have spent much of this year shifting to online activism. So if you’re unsure of how to make a difference when you’re on the road, many organizations have that figured out for you. Simply check their websites and look for volunteer trainings or online events. You’ll quickly find out where your help is needed most.
Research before you go
If you want to change the world, it helps to learn about it first. You naturally get to know a place when you live there long-term. But when you’re frequently traveling through new places, you’ll need to make a more conscious effort.
Denise Meeker is a wellness blogger who’s preparing to hit the road full-time in her van. An important step in travel planning for Denise is learning about her next destination before she arrives.
“When we travel we have an impact on places — for better or for worse,” says Denise. “We can choose to use that power for good by finding ways to educate ourselves and engage with locals in the area.”
You can start your education of new places by going way back to learn about the original inhabitants of that land. Native Land is a helpful research tool; the Indigenous-led website hosts a searchable map on which you can see which people lived there first, for any place across the globe. Knowing the history of colonization in the United States is an important step towards understanding all kinds of other issues facing this country.
Of course, locals are a great source of information on what’s happening and how you can have a positive impact on a new place. Since it’s riskier to meet up with new people in new places these days, you can learn from the locals by following them on social media, reading the local news, and of course, wearing a mask when you do find opportunities for in-person interactions.
Hit the ground with friends
Meeting up with friends is such a necessary joy when you’re living on the road. This year, most organized vanlife meetups were canceled, and getting together with anyone became a lot more complicated. But, with proper precautions, it’s still possible to enjoy quality time with friends in person while doing important social work.
Cait organizes an annual Friendsgiving celebration to gather with fellow nomads and enjoy a big family feast. Last year, she rallied those friends to also volunteer with a local project.
Prior to meeting her crew in Savannah, Georgia, Cait contacted United Way of Georgia and asked them if there were any projects they could help with for a two-week period. “They gave me a list of ideas, and we all worked on a playground beautification project.”
When you’re just passing through a place, or staying temporarily, volunteering can be intimidating. But getting your friends involved and connecting with people who know what’s needed in the community can make in-person work a lot more accessible and effective.
Make it Sustainable
Listen: It’s hard out there. There are so many things going on in the world that are sad, scary, and frustrating. And when you combine all of that with the challenges of living on the road, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and simply tune out.
But anyone who’s been involved with activism since before this mess of a year — especially anyone who’s from a marginalized community — will tell you, a lot of what seems really urgent right now has been going on for a long time. And effective involvement means committing for the long-haul.
When we’re in it for the long-haul, it’s important to find a balance between work and our own well-being.
“Honestly, sometimes I feel like I’m getting tossed around by the wind,” says Christina of the many different issues that she wanted to focus on this year. “When I was working outside on the farm in constant wildfire smoke, I was focused on farmworker health and rights. The week after RBG died, it was educating people about the positive impacts of the ACA. Now, with the election looming, I’m more focused on voter turnout.”
Christina finds it helpful to incorporate her participation in current issues with the lifestyle she’s already established.
“Instead of adding yet another thing to my to-do list, which would probably create burnout, I want to meet myself where I am,” she says. “For example, I’m a huge reader and always have been. Staying connected to causes, for me, means constantly reading books written by and including [people with] perspectives different than my own.”
Lucky for us, nomadic living presents plenty of opportunities to rest and recharge.
“When I took an overnight trip to view the changing aspen trees this weekend, I found myself in a huge no-cell service zone,” says Christina. “I was constantly getting out of the bus to take pictures and walk around in glorious autumn sunshine.”
These kinds of detours are invigorating, and they give us the energy we need to devote ourselves to important work when we plug back in.
This piece was written for Kift by Britany Robinson — a Portland, Oregon-based writer covering the connections between people, places, and the environment. Britany’s work has been featured in CNN Travel, Outside Magazine, Lonely Planet, Curbed and The Dyrt. She’s also the creator of One More Question, a newsletter of inspiration and resources for freelance writers.
