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He Lived Out of an SUV While Working as a Regional Sales Manager


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This is Edward Mjelde, and he lived out of his SUV while working as a regional sales manager.

Enjoy his amazing story that he is allowing us to re-share with you today.

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This Guy Lived Out of His SUV While Working as a Regional Sales Manager

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Images via Imgur

I started living out of my SUV after I finished a big adventure…

My name is Edward Mjelde. This is a detailed story of how I secretly lived out of a 2014 Ford Escape and traveled over 65,000 miles in nearly two years while working as a Regional Sales Manager.

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I finished walking coast to coast across the United States without rides, over 5,000 miles by foot.

I walked from Cape Henlopen, Delaware to Point Reyes, California following the southern route of the “American Discovery Trail”.

To visualize how many miles I walked, the distances is nearly equal to the distance between California and Norway as the crow flies.

…By the way, I grew up in North County San Diego, California and my bloodline is Norwegian…

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On my walk, I focused on the essentials and traveled lightweight.

My base weight was about 12 pounds.

My journey across the country took me 13 cumulative months of walking… a total of nine pairs of worn out shoes.

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The last 2-3 months of my walk I carried flashcards to prepare for my new job
During my winter break, my Dad suggested the idea that I could work for the family company.

My Dad has always been a hero and role model and my family is important to me. I liked the idea, so I started to prepare.

I had an extreme focus on keeping my gear lightweight/low bulk. Flashcards are not lightweight or low bulk, but they work for me, so I carried them…

The new job was important.

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One week after finishing my walk I took out a loan for an SUV, I planned to live out of it. Not the first time I had this idea.

I started thinking about moving into a vehicle back in 2008, when I took all the seats out of my Chevy Astro Van and put carpet down to make a mobile hangout room.

Then in 2009 for the sake of adventure and to save money I moved all my possessions to a small storage unit, bought a cot, and slept on the beach cliffs in Carlsbad, California. I had a perfect spot where nobody went and the waves would crash against the walls, always just missing me in its spray. The nights I spent on the beach were beautiful and meaningful, I fell in love.

During this time I was going through college and was a manager at a restaurant. I earned my Bachelors in Business from Cal State San Marcos (CSUSM) in 2012.

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Two weeks after my walk I was working at my family’s manufacturing company. I began on the assembly line.

The company is called AquaStar Pool Products. We are a leading pool product manufacturer in the swimming pool industry. Everything we do is done in-house: tool making, molding, assembly, warehousing, and we even own a state-of-the-art hydraulic laboratory for product testing and development.

We are proud to make our products in the United States!

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When I wasn’t working I was having fun exploring the SUV life, finding the best areas to park that I could get away with.

I lasted two and a half nights in this spot with a perfect beach view before being woken up by the police and told to move along. I started to learn what spots worked and which did not.

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Money started coming in. With income, I was able to buy a few things to keep organized, comfortable, and pay my loans.

I never like to admit it, but I was broke. I finished my walk with $3 dollars in my pocket and all I owned to my name was a set of worn out backpacking gear. Upon finishing my walk my Dad gave me a $300 dollar gift. I coasted on that till my first paycheck.

I never told my Dad how broke I was and had no intention to do so. I don’t think he ever knew how much that gift helped out.

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During the day everything would stay in my trunk, but at night I would transform my vehicle into a bedroom.
It would take me 3-5 minutes when things were orderly to get everything set up.

One minute video on how I would set up my vehicle at night:

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And I took my showers on the beach and later at gyms.

The first gym I belonged to Vertical Heaven in Ventura, CA didn’t have a shower…I ended up using the cold outside showers at the beach. Though, later I would belong to a network of climbing gym owned by TouchStone Climbing Gyms in Northern California… and they had excellent warm showers and always well kept facilities.

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As time went on I got a promotion to Regional Sales Manager.
I had an idea that this promotion could happen and I worked to make myself a candidate for it. However, during the process where I was being considered for the job it was found out that I was secretly living out of my SUV, it was questioned whether or not I was fit for the job.

The promotion hung in the air and I couldn’t be more pissed that I was being judged for my lifestyle. People knew of my past history and free nature… If I was doing well at my job, what did it matter how I lived?

I enjoyed living out of my SUV, I enjoyed the freedom it provided me. I wanted to continue living out of my SUV, I didn’t care if it even cost me one of the best promotions of my life. I stood firm in my position and my stubbornness upset people.

In time, things would cool down, my lifestyle was accepted and was never further discussed. Later, after several successful projects I received the promotion… however, it was given to me with skepticism and a heavy eye was placed on my development and sales performance.

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I was now in charge of a seven state sales territory!

Most of my time was spent in Northern California between Sacramento and San Francisco. In California and Nevada I was only in charge of the northern parts of the states.

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Clean cut and ready to represent my family’s company.

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There was a small celebration and I was set off on my own in Sacramento.

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Sacramento became my home base.

For the first few months, I worked hard and spent a lot of my free time with friends.

For two months I paid for access to a living room, a couch to sleep on (when I was in town), and an anytime access place to work. I continued to store nearly all my belongings in my vehicle.

Once when I had a better grasp of my job I left and quickly became fond of spending my time and nights outside again.

I started getting ideas for places to sleep…

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As a Sales Manager my car was often packed with product displays and literature. Sleeping outside was sometimes a must.

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To open up the possibilities I bought a hammock. On the first night with it I slept under a bridge several stories up.

I had never done anything like this before, it was exhilarating!

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The view from the hammock at night.

I posted this picture on Facebook, a few days later I got a call from my boss, the National Sales Manager, asking what I was doing. He said he had gotten a call from one of our customers saying that I had posts on my facebook of me camping out during the weekday.

I told my boss the truth, I was doing this all on my own time and he believed me and understood. Really awesome boss to have.

But… he told me it is important to consider my image in all forms of contact, business and personal.

….Wanting to succeed at my job and release some of the negative pressure I was receiving since the discovery of my lifestyle…..

I started to be quiet.

When anyone would ask where I lived… I DO NOT LIKE THIS…. but…I started telling white lies. I also became far more quiet about my living situation with those during work and in my personal life.

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Regardless of the way I lived, I made sure it didn’t effect my work. I was always pushing hard for the company.

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I was getting better at it too…. I learned how to save room on my sales trips by using strict planning.

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And by minimizing my use of hotels, I was able to save the company a lot of money and was more convenient for me.

There is nothing like traveling and feeling like you are still at home. There was nowhere to rush back to, I could roam free with my hustle.

It allowed me to be closer to where I had to be at in the morning and to travel long miles without having to find a hotel.

The best part was it also gave me a fun task to explore the new areas I traveled through to find interesting places to sleep and explore. What else are you going to do living out of a car?

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Even though I would check into hotels occasionally…

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I started to make my bonus and used it to upgrade the place. I got a new backpack, climbing shoes, and a computer…

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I upgraded my igloo cooler to a Yeti and even did an Ikea project in the back of my car…

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To get rid of the old plastic drawer I had used for months and replaced it with a locking drawer.

This plastic drawer worked well, but the biggest problem I had with it was its modular design. The joints would often come unhinged and the weight of the items stored were not well supported. I had solutions to these problems, but thought it was a move towards greater utility and class to welcome in the locking drawer.

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In time my setup became like a modern home, everything included, except a bathroom.
By the way, the bathrooms I used were public. I often peed in bushes.

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In Sacramento, I found a railroad bridge that I would spend many of might nights under.

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Not many people ventured down the train track to where I was and perhaps homeless avoided it because of the loud trains.

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The noise didn’t bother me though, I loved it.

I learned to enjoy the sounds of passing trains on my walk across the country.

With the hammock attached to the bridge’s supporting structure I was also able to feel the vibrations when trains passed, it would rock and massage me to sleep. It was great.

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I had a lot of good nights sleeping under the bridge, there was something enchanting about the area.

After many nights of sleeping in a hammock it’s nice to spend a night on the floor. I always tried to vary it up.

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I started to go there just to hanging out and relax…

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My favorite thing, was that just a little down the rail, I could hang my hammock up over the river and have a perfect view.

If you compared my story to Aladdin, the river would be my palace view… you could even see the city of Sacramento clearly at the end of the river.

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I’d wake up to fishermen, paddle boarders, canoes and kayakers coming underneath me, most people would never see me up there.

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I loved the graffiti… too bad I never caught anyone doing it.

*Glow was added to accent hammock.

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I began to refer to this place as my second home.

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I was often traveling for work….

Most of my time was spent traveling and most of my travel happened because of my job. I would often be somewhere different every weekend.

Might as well make the best of it!

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Wherever the sales life lead me I found the coolest places around to spend my weekend.
When you spend every weekend exploring, you can see a lot of places…

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My favorite spots to stop for the weekend quickly became hot springs…

Spencer Hot Springs, Nevada
Winter

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I would often visit springs on my route during different times of the year to observe how they would change during the seasons

Kirkham Hot Springs, Idaho

CORRECTION: Bottom date should read “September ‎27, ‎2015”

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Spencer Hot Spring, Nevada
Summer

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Deep Creek Hot Spring, California

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Little Hot Creek- Mamaoth Lakes, California

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Kosh Hot springs, California

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Hunt Hot Springs, CA

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I’d like to cool off and admire waterfalls and watering holes…
Lake Tahoe, California

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Tumalo Falls- Bend Oregon

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Alamere Falls- Point Reyes, California

One of the few tidal falls on the west coast.

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Horsetail Falls- Desolation Wilderness, CA

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Somewhere off a long backcountry dirt road, Oregon

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In the winter I would enjoy the snow…
Sawtooth Lake, ID

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Yosemite Valley, California

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El Capitan- Yosemite, California
The coldest night in my hammock so far… Welcoming in the sun!

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I would go exploring the differences in cities…
Portland, Oregon

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State Capital, Boise, Idaho

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And check out the abandoned places….
Ojia, California

I find a particularly attractive beauty in-between the line of what man has made and what nature has shaped.

Lime, Oregon

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Abandoned Motel- Highway 93, Oregon

Keeping my step as I cross a bed of upright nails…

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Scary Farm- Camarillo, California

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I would make stops at all sorts of cool places of interest…
SkinWalker (Sherman) Ranch- Ballard, Utah
Do you see the camera watching me…

Interesting one to look up on Wiki…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinwalker_Ranch

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Bishops Castle, Colorado
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Castle

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Echo Drive-In- Roosevelt, Utah

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Cheveron 31 E Oil Plant- Maricopa, California

Surprising no “No Trespassing” signs or anything…. Twenty minutes after exploring I was discovered and quickly escorted out.

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Shoe Tree- Middle Gate, Nevada
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/shoe-tree-of-middlegate

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Manitou Incline- Manitou Springs, Colorado
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitou_Incline

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South Tufa- Mono Lake, California
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_Lake

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Bonneville Speedway- Wendover, Utah
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_Speedway

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On those rare days where I was lazy, I’d just relax in a parking lot.
Resident Evil 5, back grocery store parking lot

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Some nights I’d venture away from the car for good views….
Cascade Open Space Preserve- FairFax, California

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And then some nights I would get so tired of driving I would just park the car and sleep where I landed….
Somewhere, Oregon

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Off the side of the road- Somewhere, Utah

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Rest stop, Utah

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Livermore, California

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And when I was in the city I would find places to park on slow and dead end roads…
Berkeley, California

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And in large parking lots behind stores.

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Hammocks though, quickly became my favorite way to sleep…
San Francisco, California

One weekend I gave myself a single task… to seek out the best place to sleep with a view of San Francisco… this is where I wound up at.

I was always dreaming of different places and ways to rig it up…
Kennewick, Washington

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Sometimes I would go to sleep and wake up in stunning places…

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Sometimes i just slept in random places where I expected few people would go…
San Jose, California

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Eureka, Nevada

This town lets travelers sleep in their park.

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I always had fun…
Redwood City, California

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And had comfortable nights.
Lake Tahoe, California

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If I wasn’t ready for bed, I’d stay up and read or study…

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Sit back and unwind….

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But eventually morning would come and I would have to take on the day.
Sacramento, California

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Mornings always started with a good breakfast…
Morning chicken sriracha quesadilla before the climbing gym.

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Sometimes when it was rainy or cold, I would even cook inside my car.
Don’t worry, I was very very careful.

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But I would also eat out a lot too… My favorite dish to order out is Pad Thai drenched in Panang Curry sauce…
FORGIVE ME FOR TAKING PICTURES OF MY FOOD

I would order this plate all over the country. I was determined to record my experience at each different Thai restaurant and understand the many different ways the dish can be prepared.

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The majority of my daily exercises was from practicing my balance on the slackline…
Pipe Works- Sacramento, California

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And rock-climbing at the gym….
Which would often be my place to shower.

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You’d be surprised by the people I would meet while doing these actives…
On a trip to Puerto Rico

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Some might think that this lifestyle would be pretty lonely….

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But I traveled with an open heart and found beautiful people who understood me….
San Rafael, California

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Who wanted to explore….
Spencer Hot Springs, Nevada

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See my favorite places….
Bishops Castle, Colarado

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Unwind…
Drive-ins, Sacramento

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Hang…
It was always nice to have company over at home

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…Who would join me at the ends of the earth.
Devils Punch Bowl, Nevada

Gotta to get corny with it…

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I found love.
I was very lucky and deeply appreciative.

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Sure there were challanges….

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And tough times…
Fell off wrong on the climbing wall and strained my ankle….

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And I wasn’t always that lucky…
Broken window- Dog Patch, San Francisco

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Sometimes I was really unlucky…
Where did the deer come from!?

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But I always tried to make it work, whatever it took, just like everyone else…

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Patched window using a clear acrylic board. Had to wait to when I had a pause in my schedule to bring it to the shop.

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Rental Car…I lived out of this car for over a week while my vehicle was in the body shop…

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Sometimes the best solutions were the unconventional ones…

For example, when no shower could be found by the end of the day, I would take my showers outside with my pump shower… often finding somewhere for privacy… this night using the covering of an empty dumpster stall.

I am always exploring with my options.

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There was a strong duality between my work and personal life…. That I never came to terms with…

On a flight across the country for a Trade Show.

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At the end of 2015, my region showed the highest growth in our company. I felt I was on my way to becoming a great Sales Manager.

Me and my Dad. Best guy I know.

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But in my personal life I had evolved into a total street rat…

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And no one knew about this dichotomy… I started to feel like a phony and misunderstood.
Las Vegas, Nevada

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I hated being someone who suddenly became about playing the part and looking good rather than saying and being what was honest.

Glass of milk before bed, Sacramento

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I wondered if a job like this was right for me…
Second Home, California

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Or if my choice to live out of my SUV was driven by my urge to return to the wild…
Highest Mountain in the Rockies
Mount Elbert, CO
(Taken on my walk across the country)

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Should I plug into my career as a sales manager…. did I find value and meaning in doing so?

Yes and no… these were tough questions… Twenty-Seven years old and the last prime years of my youth right in front of me… Good paying job that I value and am doing well in that requires my total devotion and dedication….

this-guy-lived-out-of-his-suv-while-working-as-a-regional-sales-manager-119

I thought about it for a long time, and then I pulled the trigger… and took a chance….
Las Vegas Skyline, Nevada

this-guy-lived-out-of-his-suv-while-working-as-a-regional-sales-manager-120

I quit the best and highest paying job I ever had…
Getting poured on while walking the beach in San Francisco

this-guy-lived-out-of-his-suv-while-working-as-a-regional-sales-manager-121

and finally felt at peace internally, I instantly knew I made the right decision.
KirkHam Hot Springs, Idaho

this-guy-lived-out-of-his-suv-while-working-as-a-regional-sales-manager-122

I love AquaStar and didn’t want to leave, but the only position available was on the assembly line… sooo I took it.

And the extreme pay cut that went with it… *sigh*….

this-guy-lived-out-of-his-suv-while-working-as-a-regional-sales-manager-123

As time went on, I found my way to becoming head of Technical Support and even get to assist in our laboratory.

I love science!

this-guy-lived-out-of-his-suv-while-working-as-a-regional-sales-manager-124

And now I am even planning another long adventure for 2017! Couldn’t be happier.
Pacific Crest Trail- Tahoe, California
(Taken on my walk across the country)

this-guy-lived-out-of-his-suv-while-working-as-a-regional-sales-manager-125

Images via Imgur

Be Positive.
This is the end of my story.

Let me leave you with a picture of this happy guy I found walking in Colorado.

He claimed to have walked all around the US, wearing the same pair of cloths for years, repairing it with scraps and pieces of material he would find.
He was out sharing the message to be positive, be true to yourself, and chase your dreams.

Stay Wild!

Resources: 

Our big thanks to Edward for letting us share his story! 

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Natalie C. McKee

Natalie C. McKee is a contributor for Tiny House Talk and the Tiny House Newsletter. She's a wife, and mama of three little kids. She and her family are homesteaders with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and quail on their happy little acre.

Latest posts by Natalie C. McKee (see all)

{ 52 comments… add one }
  • jm
    November 10, 2016, 3:12 pm

    Sure. Why not. Interesting story. Values change throughout life…

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:12 am

      That they do! — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Sondra
    November 10, 2016, 3:27 pm

    Thank you, best post/story ever !

    • Kurt
      November 10, 2016, 5:30 pm

      Agreed!

      • Natalie
        November 11, 2016, 4:13 am

        Thank you! Glad you liked it 🙂 — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Rob
    November 10, 2016, 3:31 pm

    very interesting story. So much of the Tiny house talk is posts of different houses and their critique.
    I like how this story is actually about what you can do when you are “free” of a house and the day-to-day living you can do. interestingly he decided it wasn’t for him and took a day-to-day job. I wonder how many people who get a Tiny House end up selling it and moving back into a conventional home with all its conveniences?

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:15 am

      I think he went back to a normal job because he wanted to live his car-lifestyle without needing to hide it. Not because he was tired of living tiny. But I might have misunderstood! — Tiny House Talk Team

      • Angela
        December 2, 2016, 1:39 pm

        I think you are absolutely right, although if I were he I would have insisted on my right to live as I wished without it affecting my job. But I’m me and we are all different. Like Spock says, IDIC. I am impressed at all the traveling he did and his resourcefulness. It also takes a certain amount of healthy humility to take a lesser job to live the life you want to with honesty. Likeable guy.

  • November 10, 2016, 3:59 pm

    Loved this post – illustrates a dictum that I’ve sworn to never forget (after living in Central America devoid of the problems of the overdeveloped world ) – “there are many ways to live a life”. Your free spirit is contagious. I hope this next leg of your life journey is being a fabulous one. Thanks for all the pics and prose. Gracias!

  • Amy
    November 10, 2016, 4:28 pm

    I can relate. As I lay in my bed in my 48 sq foot handmade gypsy wagon, I wonder what my coworkers would think if they knew. I have so much that they don’t have, though. To each his own.

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:15 am

      I think it’s awesome that you are living in your own portable home 🙂 — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Diane
    November 10, 2016, 4:37 pm

    What great tales you will be able to share with your children and grand children one of these days. I enjoyed every minute of your life.

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:16 am

      It’s a great story! — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Susanne
    November 10, 2016, 7:12 pm

    Amazing story. Females could never do that unless done at huge risk; too dangerous , unless traveling with a guy or two who could actually protect them.
    Don’t understand why he left the Regional Sales job to go to the Assemnly line-the first allowed him to travel all over in the first place… The assembly line job would tie him to that location day after day…

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:17 am

      I think because he could live out of his car and adventure without needing to hide it. — Tiny House Talk Team

  • INVSBLTY
    November 10, 2016, 11:49 pm

    Thanks for the great story, Edward! There will be more good things coming to you in this life! I enjoy your enthusiasm!

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:17 am

      Me too 🙂 — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Marsha Cowan
    November 11, 2016, 12:04 am

    Fascinating story. I am amazed by your stamina and physique. I am sure you saved lots of money on laundry as you seldom had to wash a shirt. Lol! Not sure the yeti au natural picture should have been included…yikes! Overall, you are an amazing young man, and your family seems to be, too, to support you in your adventures. I admire you for being such a hard worker and making your own way, and I am glad that you found someone who totally digs you as you are. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors. Take care!

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:18 am

      Yes! He is quite amazing. — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Louise
    November 11, 2016, 12:10 am

    Interesting story, so nice that he was able to have this journey that he will never forget. I knew a fellow that was discharged in California from the army and bought a horse, shipped his possessions home and traveled back to his home in Ohio on the horse, took him a couple months, but he loved it. It also was an endeavor that not many would even consider. Good luck on your 2017 adventure. Be safe & enjoy . . . .

    • Natalie
      November 11, 2016, 4:19 am

      Wow that’s so interesting, Louise! — Tiny House Talk Team

  • November 11, 2016, 6:57 am

    Loved this story, and the guy, his spirit, his freedom, his will to live the way he wants. I found this so inspiring. Thanks for sharing it!

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:41 am

      Our pleasure 🙂 — Tiny House on Wheels

  • Jill Heller
    November 11, 2016, 9:52 am

    I absolutely loved this story of this young mans journey thus far!! Ohhh to be young again and to do things over I certainly would, Thank you for sharing!!

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:41 am

      Of course 🙂 — Tiny House on Wheels

  • Sean Ballard
    November 11, 2016, 1:06 pm

    I’m so moved by this journey. Has given me a GREAT deal of courage. Courage that is necessary for listening to, and being honest with my instincts. Courage that is necessary for enacting my own values unto a society of humans, that are still biologically engineered for tribalism, and so greatly fear being ostracized and herd towards majority for, what they perceive to be, blind safety via following the herd.

    Hence is the journey of the ubermensch. This story has done a great deal of work in facilitating my journey to ubermensch.

    Thanks so much for the post!

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:41 am

      I’m so glad it inspired you! — Tiny House on Wheels

  • Cecelle
    November 11, 2016, 2:23 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing this – I loved it. That’s what travel does to you – you will never settle down, always that yearning! Enjoy your unconventional life. You have the balls to do this – others just dream.

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:42 am

      Travel is amazing 🙂 — Tiny House on Wheels

  • Dawn
    November 11, 2016, 2:40 pm

    I really admire this young man’s knowledge of himself and his strength to follow his path and live the life he wants to live. I am envious, but also inspired. I hope to someday give up the standard, expected way of life for something that is more fulfilling and meaningful to me.

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:42 am

      It’s so hard to do, isn’t it? — Tiny House on Wheels

      • Dawn
        November 14, 2016, 11:48 am

        Harder than it should be!! 🙂

  • Melanie
    November 11, 2016, 2:51 pm

    I found his story fascinating. I feel this could be put in book form and be a hot seller. Or mint books, about hot springs, about hammocks, regarding when and where to include does and don’t.

    Thank you so much for sharing bits and pieces of your life. I enjoyed the retro glimpses.

    Melanie, a fan in nevada

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:43 am

      Yes it could be a fun story 🙂 — Tiny House on Wheels

  • Denise
    November 11, 2016, 7:50 pm

    I loved reading Edward Mjelde’s story. 🙂 Wow! I loved all of the photos and the story that he shared. I especially loved the part where he found love along the way. Did he stay in touch with her? I hope he keeps us posted with another adventure! Keep up the great work Edward, your story brought a smile to a lot of our faces. 🙂

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:43 am

      Yes I was wondering that too, Denise 🙂 — Tiny House on Wheels

  • ZACHARY E. MOHRMANN
    November 11, 2016, 10:09 pm

    I get it, and I understand it as well.. As I said some long time ago I to was a nomadic tribesman who would rather be on the wild side of life and doing just the opposite of what I was expected to do because it was to be proper if I did it their way and not my own, Bull….! I still am looked at oddly because I have long hair a beard and tattoos Omg…! Tattoos….! Can you believe it, I am still ostracized even though I have been living here almost 10 years… I just don’t look the part of the next door neighbor golfer who would rather spend his day on the golf course, rather than riding a recumbent tricycle converted into a quad cycle , as I do and is my only form of transportation anywhere I go…! They don’t like when I park it in the parking lot or out front of the community center and club house either…! But to bad…! It was not a requirement when I bought the house that I had to play golf and adhere to their way of life as they see it as fit for public….! If they had said I needed to play golf and cut my hair and wear long sleeves and it to be a rule here or I couldn’t buy my house, then I would have haply moved on down the road some where else… But as law would have it, they could not get away with discrimination, and I still will not leave… Unless my financial situation changes soon as I hope it will, then I will buy a tiny house and move back to my little island where I was always happy before I chose to move here because of a woman I was in love with, and has now changed what is is she wants out of life…! But as far as being different, I think everyone should live the life they are most happy with because if you are trying to just please others or just truing to fit in, then you are a loser before you even have gotten started….!

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:44 am

      So true! — Tiny House on Wheels

  • jm
    November 12, 2016, 12:07 pm

    Or is this guy just so full of himeself to take the time to put this all together–of which nothing can be verified? I can write pretty good fiction too. Little was said about actually living in the vehicle (only so many ways one can do that), mostly all about himself. People have been living in vehicles since before Henry Ford–many not running…But maybe we shouldn’t accept people who call a car “a home.” No less than peole who call a cardboard box “a home.” It is just “a cardboard box.” And if you want to live in it then that’s just fine.

    • oxide
      November 12, 2016, 5:05 pm

      I don’t think he made it up. If nothing else, his story can be verified by all the people who took pictures of him. Many pix were too far away to be selfies.

      And I don’t think he really lived in the SUV. He actually lived outdoors. His bedroom was a hammock under a bridge, his bathroom was the Y (or any handy tree or bush), and his kitchen was the McD’s or Subway or the grocery store deli and salad bar. Don’t truckers live like that too?

      So it’s not tiny house living, it’s no-house living. I wonder how long he can keep it up.

      • Natalie
        November 14, 2016, 11:45 am

        Wow I didn’t expect any negativity about this 🙂 I don’t think he made this up, either. — Tiny House on Wheels

  • susan secord
    November 12, 2016, 12:18 pm

    does he need a asst.?? Would love to help and trek across the us as well–but would bring my dog with me–but that would not stop me.Give me a job and I would help with your business–I am a great sales person–could be where you can not at anytime!!

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:46 am

      Looks like he doesn’t do sales anymore, I’m afraid! — Tiny House on Wheels

  • Shelly OBrien
    November 12, 2016, 12:39 pm

    Wow. This sounds so awesome. After a while I started feeling like you looked a bit lonely though. Just about then your love interest showed up. But then it seems more lonely. Who took the pictures I wonder. Just someone you met and asked? I’m sure many more would love to do something like this if only they had the guts. Good luck on your 2017 journey…I hope you find someone to take and enjoy it with you.

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:46 am

      He also might have had a tripod/timer. Not sure! — Tiny House on Wheels

  • Susanne
    November 12, 2016, 4:26 pm

    Jm- he’s not gaining from us with this story, and he’s not claiming to be the first one to live out of a car. Plus it did not sound like anyone was paying his bills except himself- he was working after the trip on foot. And as long as he does not hurt anyone in this life… As I worry for the safety of my kids since so many people are dangerous…
    He was having a grand adventure, saving money, working and doing it well…what’s the harm in that? Plus a low carbon footprint to boot!

    • Natalie
      November 14, 2016, 11:47 am

      Precisely, Susanne 🙂 — Tiny House on Wheels

  • JM
    November 14, 2016, 11:39 am

    If he lived outside then what’s the difference between him and all the homeless people living outside? Let’s have stories about their lives too! If he travels then so what? Anyone who sticks their fingers out can travel too. They used to be called vagabonds. I’m not so easily conned. (But you want it darker? Look whose president). I haven’t met many contractors who DIDN’T lie to me when it was in their best interest. Now I just fully expect them to when they get the chance. Perhaps I’m jaded–but it’s the way of the world.

    • Dawn
      November 14, 2016, 11:58 am

      I think the fact that he chooses to live this way, instead of having to out of necessity, is part of the story. He’s got other options and has chosen this one, at least for now. Good for him!

  • jm
    November 14, 2016, 12:25 pm

    Look, I got nothing out of this little fantasy. If people want to believe anything they read or see because they just WANT to believe it–there are dating sites that do that better. But is has nothing at all to do with tiny houses.
    My rule is NOT to say anything about the PEOPLE who live in these houses. Anything negative would be cruel and pointless. Comments should be about the house itself.
    And here we have a story that is ONLY about HIS so-called-life and the comments can ONLY be based on that.
    Like I said–I can write a better story than this if you want.

  • Spiceygal
    October 17, 2018, 3:39 pm

    Oh yes, if I was just 40 years younger and knowing what I know today.

  • Kurt
    October 18, 2019, 3:02 am

    Sleeping under bridges…reminds me of Nate on the Element Van Life YouTube channel. He did the same thing when he started living out of his Honda Element.

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