we are moving and grooving xxx

@@ilovelushxo yes agreed ! I had gone to some dealerships though and they were selling same vehicle with 100k miles and double the price… so I feel lucky I found this one in such good shape for the price

@@lizawasadiver always learning to roll with change … it’s definitely tough but still standing in the end !

@@strangedaysdiaries thank you thank you! It’s been chaotic to work out all the logistics but it was all worth it when I got that title and registration in hand hehe . Time to hit the road!

Thank you!

Appreciate you! And yes , many adventures to come :)

thank you for your words. it literally is the last thing I expected

yes, I had multiple mechanics ensure the van was in good shape . including chevy dealership.

yes, work is what I have been doing the past 7 months in nyc. I've been living walking distance from my work and working as a bar manager 40-50 hours a week. I had been saving to travel , and this issue with the engine was quite the curve ball and would certainly put a dent in all that I saved , but that is the reality of life and owning a vehicle in the end

I agree it is not sustainable to live + travel without working

@@angeleeshaw yes, absolutely - this has been a big concern in assessing whether I should invest so much into a new engine if she was just gonna have a bunch more problems to fix on top of it

@@nocturnalfields Ugh! Its such a tough call - and getting to those answers just costs more money. I have been there. Wishing you luck along the way 💗

I would have the transmission evaluated. If the transmission is in excellent condition and if there is no major body rust, I would seriously consider putting a brand new engine in it and shop around for the best price to do that. Even if you have to ship the van to another state. If you can find a way to do it cheaper do that. Why would I take that approach? Because consider the alternative of losing your investment and the work you put into it..Plus consider that this van with a good engine can last a long long time. It should easily go another 130,000 mi or maybe even 200,000 more with a new engine. And a careful driver without a lead foot who does good maintenance.. And consider that any vehicle is going to need maintenance. This is a very expensive kind of maintenance but with a brand new engine you shouldn't need much else for a long time. After all this engine was destroyed probably by a previous owner and the way they used it. Certainly not your fault. But with the new engine you could take care of it to ensure its longevity. It's been quite a few years since I had an engine replaced I'm sure it's a lot more now than it was before. However just for comparison I lost an engine becausewe had circumstances where the oil did not get changedon schedule and it leaked and the engine burned up. That engine only had 33,000 mi I was devastated. It cost almost as much to replace the engine as I paid for the car since it was also a used car. The only engine we could find was at a junkyard and it also only had about 30,000 mi on it. How ironic. But it was a good vehicle and the junkyard engine looked really good so I went ahead. And guess what. I got 150,000 more miles out of that vehicle over the next 20 years, and we were not using the car so I sold it to someone who will probably get another 50,000 mi. Because the engine was still running fine. One more perspective. Replacing some European engines today can cost $30,000 or more. And consider that new vehicles cost $40,000 up to $100,000 or more. The cost of replacing your engine doesn't look so bad when you consider that. I know that might seem kind of ridiculous because you are not going to buy an expensive European car, but sometimes we need a comparison to appreciate what we have. If you can afford it I would seriously consider renewing your van. Assuming there are not some other important factors. I'm just wondering if you are in shocked at how expensive it is to maintain vehicles today and maybe you need to get past that and do some analysis. Maybe not the analysis I just did above but something like that.

thank you for sharing!

I definitely hear you, on assessing the problem, and learning more about the vehicle itself. I've considered the fuel filter, knock sensor, oil pressure, as well as the 02 sensor and so on .. in the end there is metal in the oil, and a loud constant ticking/knocking noise. the engine is constantly misfiring. this issue from lengthy assessment is unfortunately a big one(no simple fix) and is related to the significant wear on the connecting rods and pistons In the end you are right I could put a lot more work into swapping the engine myself, but I also have to consider the labor + time (maybe 2 months or most likely more for me to learn and do the work correctly) that comes with taking on a project of that size at this point in my life. As a full time graduate student, working full time, and other life happenings this is most likely not something I can take on right now. Not to mention the time crunch ( I need to be in California for school come the new year). I am pursuing other options at this point that can allow me to return to my life reasonably quickly with a significantly lower cost in money + time. Perhaps one day I will have the time to take on a trade or task such as this, but for now, it's not in the cards for me.

and I agree on the mechanics situation! It's really hard to trust any of these people which is unfortunate, but thankfully I have close family friends who were able to confirm the diagnoses I received from multiple parties. along with my own research.

Thank you!

Thank you for your words x

Yes , the more opinions on the van the better! Unfortunately , at this time it’s been about 3 mechanics, who have all told me the same story … but still it’s so hard to know who to trust these days :(

@@nocturnalfields AWE dang! Im so sorry you are going through this <3 Cliche maybe ...but true..."everything happens for a reason".. hang in there <3

thanks you! All the strings are being pulled at the moment …

im so sorry to hear you are struggling with a similar situation, I'm personally attempting to solve one problem at a time, and be patient ...but its a lot in general to manage ... hope everything settles for you in the end! AND YEP! the first thing I said to the mechanic was "at 130,000 miles? I thought these would last much longer form my research" to which they responded it actually depends on how hard these vehicles are being worked for those miles not solely how many miles have been driven. so those factors play a roll, but still.... so early on... the last thing I expected was for her to kick it at this point... just my luck I suppose.

oh that's very sweet of you, thank you x

Thank you!

Definitely a bit of a pause , which I am attempting to embrace at the moment !

I agree it’ll all work out one way or another! Thank you for your words + Archie is cuddled up and snoring next to me as I type this lol

lol I think the drinks made me more decisive in parting with the clothes. And yeah ! It’s all happening !

@@truejoyavery yes that’s my approach as well !

@@ProserpinePomegranate nice to know I’m not alone in my overwhelm lol . I feel you … I too have separated with certain pieces in the past that I wasn’t sure about .

I should do this. A couple of months ago, I got rid of a denim jacket to make room in my closet and I wish I hadn't done that

@@AndreaPerez-ps2ps definitely in the works ! The goal is to complete my organizing and then hopefully do a lil tour before I start the road trip west - we shall see !

@@johnwilliamscoffin it’s certainly an acquired taste… in more ways then one

@@nocturnalfields for sure !

@@DsjNique I’m certainly someone learning to embody my duality whether that is feminine / masculine , yin/yang , inner /outer and so on . I have a friend who is an ayurvedic practitioner who has introduced me to Shiva previously, and the notion of destruction to make way for a new foundation or potential change. I’m ever learning , and very fascinated.

@@victoriaamber5406 it does get chilly (the beginning of winter last year was pretty tough) BUT I purchased a mr. Buddy heater that runs on propane - and that warmed the van right up very nicely especially with my insulation that I installed. The caveat is it uses up propane very quickly (which is costly). All in all I’m following the weather this winter to the desert in the south west to avoid cold all together !

@@GretaApalona I’m so glad you enjoyed this one. Thank you for being here <3

I use the Sony zf 1 !

That’s so smart! I will definitely peel the stalks / five to my dog some as well next time :)

For Southern California a lot of my time was spent in Cleveland national forest + Angeles forest. In the Angeles forest I’d say my favorite trail was the gabrielino trail. It goes on and on and is just breathtaking and magical. Also if you enter the mountains via the town Azusa (about 30 min outside of LA) there is tons of free camping and gorgeous spots if you’re looking for a mountaintop view. As for beaches I loved ocean beach in San Diego (lots of nomads, thrifting, antiques) especially on Wednesdays as they have a big foodie / clothing street market by the beach! As for nyc it’s all stealth . I park in public street parking and abide by the signs in terms of street cleaning. Hope this was helpful!

@@nocturnalfields Thanks so much for the recs and the insight. I’m definitely going to come back to this as a reference for when we make it to LA so I can know where to stay. Hopefully can make it to NYC one day, it’s on my list of places to see. Glad to hear that it’s do-able too.

Totally get that feeling of excitement to return to nature after lots of stimulation in cities and such. Hope you are well x

The woods are truly enchanting. Thank you, and wishing you well

@@strangedaysdiaries lol it’s a local jersey cider so when you make it out east I’d recommend visiting their brewery it’s very cute and very dog friendly <3

@@thescaledraven5482 yes ! I have actually a 20 foot leash and 100 foot leash for him. I think I get so stuck in the pattern of puppy training (working on heel) that I always grab the short one. And thank you! I’ve actually been working on my natural curls / hair routine lately so the compliment is much appreciated :)