Sports & Recreation Articles

Article / Updated 11-18-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio A rally is the period of continuous play, hitting the ball back and forth. It ends as soon as one of the players commits a fault, resulting in their team’s loss of that rally. In basic terms, a fault occurs when a player: Hits the ball into (or under) the net Fails to return the ball before it has bounced twice on their side Hits the ball and it lands out of bounds Many other types of faults can cause you to lose a rally, and these authors have done them all! Don’t worry: Even losing points can be tons of fun — it’s still pickleball! It’s also considered a fault if a player: Violates any of the serving rules Violates the two-bounce rule Contacts the ball with anything other than the paddle or the hand that is holding the paddle Serves or returns as the incorrect player, or from the incorrect side Violates any of the kitchen rules (see “It’s hot in the kitchen!” below) Touches the net, net posts, or the opponent’s side of the court. This rule applies to your paddle and clothing as well, which is why we’ve stopped playing in hoop skirts and parachute pants. There are a few even less common ways to lose a rally, such as taking too long to return from a time-out in tournament play, but the faults in the preceding list are the main ones to worry about during recreational play. It’s hot in the kitchen! The non-volley zone (NVZ), a.k.a. the kitchen, is another genius idea that makes pickleball great. If players could just lean over the net and spike the ball directly into your face, that may impede your ability to enjoy this great pastime. The kitchen makes it so that players have to stay at least 7 feet away from the net if they want to hit the ball out of the air (a shot known as a volley). If you think of the kitchen as its technical name, the non-volley zone, it tells you exactly what it is — a zone where you cannot volley. To be more specific, you cannot have any contact with the ball before it has bounced while you’re in this zone. If anything about your volley starts, finishes, or takes place while you’re in the kitchen, it’s a fault. Note that the kitchen is a two-dimensional surface, not a three-dimensional space. In other words, it’s perfectly legal to lean in and hit the ball out of the air from the area above the kitchen, as long as you are not touching its surface. The kitchen line and bordering sidelines are considered part of the kitchen. The out-of-bounds area adjacent to the kitchen is not. If you see that a ball is going to bounce short in the kitchen and you can’t reach it without going in, by all means go! You don’t have to wait for the ball to bounce before you can go in — that’s a common misconception. After you have gone in and made your shot, try to get back out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. Otherwise, your opponent may flick the ball right at you, forcing you to illegally contact it before it has bounced. Because the kitchen is unique to pickleball and the rules are frequently misunderstood, many new players are petrified of being anywhere near the kitchen. We urge you to let go of this irrational fear because it will only hinder your development as a player. The kitchen is not hot lava! Not only are you allowed to go in there, you will absolutely need to go in there sometimes to retrieve the ball. The only similarity between the kitchen and your average lava field is that you don’t want to camp out in there. You may hear pickleballers advising each other to “Stay out of the kitchen!” Although it’s a cute turn of phrase, this advice is not entirely accurate. Instead of hanging signs in the kitchen that say “Keep Out,” we’d prefer more helpful signs that say, “No Loitering.” So, now you know there’s only one thing you can’t do in the kitchen: contact the ball before it bounces. That doesn’t sound so complicated, right? The confusing part for many players is understanding what qualifies as being “in” the kitchen, and in what situations it applies. The rules define a kitchen violation (fault) as occurring when: You hit a volley while any part of your body is contacting the kitchen. Remember, the kitchen surface includes the kitchen line and adjoining sidelines. Even if just your pinky toe (the one that went “wee wee wee” all the way home) touches the very back of the kitchen line, it’s a fault. You hit a volley and your momentum carries you into the kitchen. If you initially strike the ball outside the kitchen but the momentum from the shot makes you step inside it, it’s considered a fault. There is no time limit on this rule; that is, it doesn’t matter if your opponents have already made their next shot (or three), or your partner smashes the next ball for a gold-medal, match-ending winner.If you haven’t yet regained your balance from your earlier volley and you fall into the kitchen, it’s a fault. After you have reestablished your balance, it is no longer considered part of the same shot, and you can go into the kitchen as you please. You hit a volley and touch the kitchen with your paddle. If you lose your balance after hitting a volley and fall forward, try to avoid using your paddle to steady yourself. If your paddle makes contact with the kitchen during or after your shot, it’s a fault. You hit a volley and your hat, glasses, or other gear falls into the kitchen. If you hit a volley and your dentures fall into the kitchen, it’s a fault for a variety of reasons (and one that your fellow players are unlikely to ever forget). You hit a volley and in the process knock your partner into the kitchen. By contacting your partner in the midst of your shot, you made them a part of that shot. Nothing that you touch during the act of volleying can come in contact with the kitchen until after you have reestablished yourself outside it. After legally going into the kitchen, you hit a volley before reestablishing both feet outside the kitchen again. This one’s a little tricky to visualize, so imagine that you’ve stepped into the kitchen to retrieve a short, bouncing ball — knowing that you’re perfectly safe because the kitchen is not hot lava — and you are contacting the ball after it has bounced. You return the ball, but as you are in the process of hustling back out of the kitchen, your opponent hits the ball right back at you. Unless you have managed to touch both feet outside the kitchen again, you may not contact the ball out of the air. The photos below show examples of legal and illegal volleying. The kitchen is a flat surface defined by its boundary lines and does not include the “air space” above it or the out-of-bounds area next to it. It’s legal to volley while stepping or leaping over the corner of the kitchen, as long as your feet do not touch the in-bounds surface. This is called an Erne. (It’s actually pronounced like “Ernie,” and people may suspect you’re a rookie if you don’t pronounce it correctly.) If you want to show off, just tell them it’s named after Erne Perry. The Erne is an advanced move, so don’t worry if you can’t hit one just yet — you’ll at least win pickleball trivia night. Be honest when you break the kitchen rules. Kitchen violations in recreational play are typically called by the player who made the violation, or by their partner. The call usually sounds something like, “Oh wait, no, stop. Stop stop stop stop stop. I was in the kitchen.” This declaration is often paired with a sheepish look, or in some cases a big smile, because smashing a ball from the kitchen feels really great — until you realize it didn’t count! In tournaments with referees, the referees will call the kitchen violations. If you’ve been cheating a bit in recreational play, you will suffer in tournaments because referees are very good at spotting kitchen faults.

Article / Updated 11-16-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio When you were a little kid, you'd probably meet another kid at the playground, say your name, and within a minute or two ask, “Want to be friends?” And that was it. You had a new friend. As an adult, making new friends gets a little harder. Careers, families, and the daily grind can make it difficult to connect. But there is an easy way to make friends again. Just step onto a court, paddle in hand, and say, “Want to play pickleball?” You just made at least three new friends! Pickleball tends to be a more social sport than most, for a variety of reasons. The court is smaller than a tennis court, so talking with the other players is easier. Players often show up individually rather than as a prearranged foursome. A large portion of the pickleball population picked up the game in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. They show up to get exercise and often to meet new people. If you get nothing else from pickleball, we hope you make many wonderful friends. We did! Where do people play pickleball? The pickleball social scene is everywhere, from public courts operated by city recreation departments, community developments, and private clubs to homemade courts on the streets, driveways, and inside garages or basements to fancy custom courts in backyards. There’s little barrier to diving right in and meeting lots of like-minded folks! Joining a pickleball club As you play more pickleball, you may find yourself wanting more: more time to play, more players to play with, more fun. All these outcomes may await you through a local pickleball club. If you’re thinking about joining a club, here are some factors to consider: Cost: Are you willing to pay monthly or annual fees, and if so, how much? Location: How far are you willing to drive to play, potentially several times a week? Size: What size club are you interested in? Are you looking to meet a few hundred players, or are you more comfortable with smaller sized groups? If it’s a large club, how do they manage court usage and crowds? Culture: Do you want to join an informal group at the local park or one at an upscale country club? Try to get the feel of the club. Do they offer events for players of your skill level? Activities: Are you interested in lots of organized play like ladders, leagues, tournaments, and social gatherings or do you prefer more casual play? Does the club offer the kind of competition you enjoy? There are many benefits to joining a pickleball club, or forming a club yourself if you don’t find one near you. Starting a club may seem daunting at first, but folks all over the world are starting pickleball clubs with no prior experience — just passion for the game and some plucky DIY spirit. Pickleballers are unstoppable! Enjoying the benefits of a club Whether you join an informal club at the local park or pay for a membership to an athletic or country club, you can experience some definite advantages of being a “joiner.” Benefits vary, but you may get to: Drop in. Most clubs have several drop-in times a week. No hassle of finding partners and organizing a court. You simply drop in and play with whomever is there, which is a nice way to meet new people. You can also learn more about pickleball and hone your skills by playing with people of different styles and skill levels. Reserve a court. You don’t have the hassle in waiting for others to finish. Some (but not all) clubs have reservation systems, so you're guaranteed a court time. Learn from a pro. Most larger clubs have teaching pros who offer clinics and private lessons. Party on. Clubs are primarily social and make parties a priority because they add to the fun. It can be a perfect way to get to know the people you play with a little better. Play tournaments. Club-run tournaments are often low-key compared to large, sanctioned tournaments, so they’re an easy way to get your feet wet before entering any major events. Get discounts. Who doesn't love a deal? Often, clubs offer discount pricing for members on court time, lessons, and tournaments. Many clubs also negotiate discounts from equipment retailers. Volunteer. If you enjoy sharing your talents and giving back to the community, joining a club provides many opportunities for you to get involved and make a difference. To gain maximum enjoyment from the club experience, we recommend finding your tribe. You will instantly meet a lot of people who may have similar interests. From your new pickleball club friends, you can learn how to play better, what equipment to buy, where to get lessons, and where to find the best tacos in the neighborhood after you’ve won all your matches. (Tacos are for winners.) Starting a new pickleball club Anyone can start a club, including you! Most pickleball clubs begin as grassroot efforts, and their organizers are just regular people who see an opportunity to unite the players in their community. Sometimes the impetus comes from seeing a problem and wanting to collectively improve the local pickleball experience. Players organize into clubs for several reasons: Scheduling: Clubs offer a way to organize drop-in play, ladders, and leagues. Organizing not only helps players mix and mingle but can also help ease overcrowding by redirecting court traffic to less busy times. Communication: Forming a club is one way to gather contact information and efficiently communicate with players in your area. Some important topics to communicate on include court closures or openings; local tournaments and events; advocacy opportunities; lost-and-found items; and club rules and regulations. Advocacy: Organizing local players into a club allows you to advocate collectively for additional courts, more gym time, and facility improvements, among other issues. In some cases, it may be necessary to represent the interest of pickleballers when cities or neighborhood associations want to limit the use of courts. Rules: Sometimes forming a club is necessary so that someone has the authority to set rules and regulations. When courts get overcrowded, bad behavior can occur. Rules about court rotation, sharing, and etiquette can go a long way toward keeping the peace and making sure everything runs smoothly during crowded play times. By starting a pickleball club, you’re becoming a trailblazer, which can be fun and rewarding. It's an opportunity to bring your community together and play more pickleball at the same time (a win-win.) Although forming a new club entails a lot of work, you can recruit volunteers to bring their unique talents to the table and you may well end up with lifelong friendships in the process. Here are some tips for setting up your own club: Decide where to play. Make sure the times you want to play are accessible and enough courts exist. Also confirm that you have the blessing of the venue owner, city, or park district before formally organizing a club at their courts. Give your club a name. Go with something that is easily identifiable and indicates the venue, town, or region your club plans to serve. Potential members need to easily be able to find you on Google and social media. Recruit members. Go to local events or other clubs and ask around to see who's interested, or just start with a few friends and spread the word. Distribute flyers and post on social media. One of the best ways to attract new members is to offer some sort of free weekly clinics for beginners. See Chapter 19 for tips on holding an introductory clinic. Identify the decision-maker(s). The organizer may be just you for a while, but be on the lookout for people to delegate tasks to. Fortunately, many people are passionate about pickleball, so finding others who want to get involved won’t be that hard. Determine dues. Determine monthly or annual dues (if any) and what benefits you can offer members in exchange for paying them. Have ongoing communications. Keep your peeps connected! Create a Facebook group, email list, website, or a simple newsletter to keep people up to date. If you have enough players, form committees to help with the club. You are only one person and can't do everything. Pickleballers love to help! It never hurts to ask. Don’t get discouraged. It’s important to realize going in that pleasing everyone all the time is impossible. Focus on the positive outcomes you’re achieving, and be sure to take time to step back and enjoy actually playing, too! After all, the love of the game is what motivated you to step up in the first place. It’s really cool to see a newly formed group gather to organize fundraisers and social events, or convince the park district to convert unused tennis or basketball courts into thriving pickleball courts. We see this positive energy for change happening all over the world. Imagine all the picklebilities — er, possibilities!

Article / Updated 11-14-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio If you're planning to convert a vehicle for your van life adventure, you'll need to put together a cooking area, complete with a stove, cookware, and other supplies. What do you need for van life cooking? One of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is which type of stovetop (or burner) you’d like to use. Stovetops come in many different styles, types, and shapes. Here are three main types that I have used over my van life journey: Single-burner portable stove with gas cartridge: For many people who just take their campers out on weekends or on short trips, a one-hob burner for warming up soup or packet meals might well be enough. I’ve always carried one of these around with me just in case my main gas bottle runs out, and it’s helped out when I’ve boiled up pasta a few times. My main gripe with the single burner is that if you want to cook a meal with multiple parts, everything ends up taking a lot longer, as each component will need a separate turn on the burner. Two-burner gas stovetop with grill: The two-burner gas stovetop with grill system is a great all-around option. This was the first type of burner I had in my van, and it allowed me the freedom to whip up Bolognese on one hob and pasta on the other. (I do eat more types of food than pasta, I promise.) The grills on these burners can sometimes be a little hit and miss, so it pays to buy a reputable model from a company like Vango. I loved cooking sausages on my grill for breakfast on wintry Saturday mornings. Three-burner stovetops: As you might have guessed by now, my personal preference is the three-burner stovetop. I need all the pan space I can get when I’m making meals, especially when the Omnia Oven (more about this below) is taking up the middle hob. Gas drop-out vents: If you’ve got any type of gas bottle in your van — propane, butane, or LPG — then you need a gas drop-out vent as an extra and crucial safety measure. Because gas is heavier than air, if there is a leak, the gas will flow out through your gas drop-out vent and away from your van. I know it might seem like a little thing to overlook, but it’s so important if anything goes wrong with your gas setup. Cooking like a pro on the road Good workers never blame their tools, which is why I’m about to reveal some of the best gear for cooking on the go. The only thing you need to be blaming from now on is how tight your pants are after all the good food you’re going to be making and eating! XL RidgeMonkey: The XL RidgeMonkey compact sandwich toaster is possibly the most versatile piece of cooking equipment I’ve ever used on my van life adventures. This little piece of genius was originally designed for fishermen to cook up their catch on a jet burner at the side of the river. Omnia Oven: If you want to go one step further and bake bread and cakes, cook chicken thighs, or make incredible stews or roast potatoes, then you need an Omnia Oven. This doughnut-shaped stovetop oven changed everything for me, especially while living in a camper van during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The Omnia Oven works through convection. Heat is drawn up from the hob through the middle of the oven and passes up and over the food inside, providing heat all the way around the oven and creating an even bake. Nesting bowls: Mixing cakes and kneading bread can get a little messy when you’re trying to use pans and mugs. That’s why nesting bowls are such a great idea. Nesting bowls, as you might have gathered from the name, nest inside one another. Joseph Joseph makes a great set that includes a large mixing bowl, colander, sieve, smaller pouring bowl, and a set of cup measures all inside the largest bowl. The measuring cups are perfect for measuring (go figure) out baking ingredients, sushi rice, sauces, and much more. Bialetti moka pot: This stovetop espresso maker is the perfect companion at breakfast time or before a long drive. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and stows away in a cupboard or drawer easily, providing budding adventurers with an energy boost boasting sumptuous flavors at the drop of a hat. Handleless pans: You’ll have a hard time cooking without any pans, making them a bit of an essential item when it comes to stocking up your kitchen. The only problem is that they can be quite bulky, so grabbing a set of handleless pans that pack away neatly can really make cooking in a van a lot easier. I stored all my pans in a pan hammock underneath my sink. It was a good way to use space that would have otherwise been wasted and freed up a drawer for more dry ingredients. BioLite kettle set: This little piece of equipment can be used for both brewing up tea or cooking soups and stews, and is another genius space-saving utensil for tiny-home lovers. It also has an insulted handle to keep your hands scorch-free. Knife set: No matter your dietary preferences, it pays to have a trusty knife set on board for preparing food. As you know, I’m all about making life easy for myself, so having a good bread knife as well as a sharp blade for slicing everything from tomatoes and tofu to chicken and chorizo is essential, especially when you love food as much as I do. Handheld food processor: Zyliss makes a neat little manual food processor that is great for chopping up onions or making dips in your camper. It makes mincemeat (literally) of food prep and works your arm out at the same time. Just pull the hook and back like a miniature rowing machine, and you’re good to go!

Article / Updated 11-10-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio What are the pickleball rules? An official pickleball rule book currently runs about 75 pages, but you don’t need to commit all that to memory. The rules summary in this article will help you get out on the court and play your first few games today. Pickleball is a very social sport, so even if you don’t know all the rules yet, there’s probably another player on the court (or three) who are willing to help you. They were all beginners once, too, so don’t be shy! This article focuses on playing doubles, which is, by far, the most popular format. Layout of the pickleball court The pickleball court is laid out the same for both singles and doubles. It’s a rectangle that measures 44 feet long by 20 feet wide. This is the same size as a doubles badminton court, or roughly one third the size of a tennis court. Along the outside boundaries of the court, you’ll find the sidelines on the long ends and the baselines on the shorter ends. The court is divided in the middle by a net, or as we like to call her, “Annette.” A real heartbreaker, Annette’s measurements are 36-34-36 — she’s 36 inches tall at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center. Although a pickleball net is actually 2 inches lower than a tennis net, the height relative to the size of the court can make Annette a lot like a bad ex — hard to get over! On each half of the court is a 7-x-20-foot area directly in front of the net called the non-volley zone (NVZ), more commonly known as the kitchen. As the name non-volley zone implies, players aren’t allowed to hit a volley (a shot hit before the ball has bounced) while in this zone. Historians aren’t sure how the kitchen got its nickname, but one theory claims that the term was borrowed from shuffleboard. The court between the kitchen and the baseline is divided lengthwise into two service boxes by the centerline. (Historians haven’t spent any time researching that one.) The line that divides the kitchen from the service boxes is known as the non-volley zone line, or the kitchen line. How to serve in pickleball You can’t start playing a game of pickleball until somebody serves the ball. Here are the basic rules you need to know to get started serving: You must serve diagonally (crosscourt) into the service box. Your serve must clear the kitchen (the non-volley zone) and bounce in the service box that’s diagonal from you, on the opponent’s side of the court. If it lands on the sideline, baseline, or centerline, the serve is considered in. If it lands on the kitchen line, it’s a fault. The illustration below shows the path of a serve into the correct service box. The ball must go over the net. If your serve goes into the net without going over, it’s a fault. If your serve glances off the top of the net but still lands in the service box, it’s good and must be played. If it touches the top of the net and lands out of bounds or in the kitchen, it’s a fault. You must strike the ball below the level of your waist with a low-to-high motion. You must serve underhand in pickleball, contacting the ball below your waist with an upward swing path. In addition, no part of your paddle may be higher than your wrist. If serving off the bounce, you may not add force to the bounce. You can choose to hit the ball out of the air, before it bounces, by either tossing or dropping the ball with your non-paddle hand. Or you may choose to hit it off a bounce, but in this case, you cannot apply any upward or downward force to the ball. This is called the drop serve. You must stand behind the baseline and between the imaginary extensions of the centerline and the sideline. At the moment you strike the ball, neither foot can be inside the court boundaries, and at least one foot must be touching the ground behind the baseline (both feet can’t be in the air). You can’t stand way off to the side when you serve; you must be standing in the area behind the service box on your side of the court. You get only one service attempt. You get just one chance to hit your serve in. If your serve goes into the net or out of bounds, you lose your serve and do not get to try again. The two-bounce rule After a player serves the ball, the receiver must let the serve bounce before they are allowed to hit it. (Otherwise, the world would be left wondering whether that serve was going to land in bounds.) When the receiver returns the ball to the serving team, that team must also let it bounce before they can hit. After those first two shots have been allowed to bounce, any player can legally volley, which means to hit the ball out of the air before it bounces. The two-bounce rule is one of the genius ideas that makes pickleball great. It prevents the “serve-and-volley” strategy commonly used in tennis, keeping players from blasting a huge serve and immediately running up to the net to volley the next ball. For this reason, in pickleball, the serving team is not considered to be at an advantage at the start of each rally. If you have trouble at first remembering to observe the two-bounce rule, just count the bounces in your head: “One … two … game on!” Another way to think about this rule is that the ball must bounce on each side of the court before players may volley. So, after you’ve watched the ball bounce on your side of the court, either on the serve or return, you can forget worrying about counting those darn bounces. Starting positions The server is the only player required to stand in any particular place on the court when the point begins. (Actually, there is a rule stating that you must stand on your own team’s side of the net, but we can’t imagine why you wouldn’t choose to do so). However, the two-bounce rule clearly influences where the other three players should stand at the start of the point. Here’s the breakdown for each player: The server must stand behind the baseline. The rules state that the server must serve from behind the baseline and between the imaginary extensions of the centerline and sidelines. The server’s partner should also stay behind or near the baseline. Again, the two-bounce rule requires the serving team to let the return bounce before they can hit it. In case the return is hit deep, both members of the serving team will want to stay back as far as possible so that they won’t have to backpedal to hit the ball. The receiver stands behind the baseline. The two-bounce rule requires the receiver to let the serve bounce before they can return the serve. The receiver should also stay well behind the baseline in order to more easily deal with a deep serve. The receiver’s partner stands up at the kitchen line. Because the two-bounce rule affects only the serving team and the receiver, the receiver’s partner doesn’t worry about the two-bounce rule and instead focuses on being in the most offensive position at the kitchen line, ready to volley the next ball that comes to them. If you’re not sure where you’re supposed to be standing, remember that all players should ideally stand behind the baseline at the beginning of the point, except for the person standing directly across from the server. Also, remember that when it’s your partner’s turn to serve, they need you back there with them. It’s their big moment! Stay back and support your partner when they’re serving. Only the receiver’s partner should be up at the kitchen line.

Article / Updated 11-08-2022

What does it mean to be a tiny home dweller, and can everyone make the change from living in a house to living in a converted panel van? Speaking from experience, getting into the mindset of a tiny home dweller isn’t something that happens overnight; it takes a lot of thought, compromise, and self-evaluation about what you want to get out of your new lifestyle before you can fully commit to this way of life. Luckily, I’ve already done all that thought-provoking soul-searching and got the T-shirt to prove it. And while you can’t physically borrow said T-shirt as it isn’t real, I can help you kickstart the process with some useful advice about what it takes to become a vanlifer. You'll learn how to think like a tiny homeowner, decide how long you want to travel, and most important, whether you think van life could be the lifestyle for you. Is it hard to live in a van? Don’t worry; I’m not going to ask you to sit down and meditate or chant some mantras (though by all means, feel free if you’ve had a busy week so far). Getting into the mindset of a tiny home dweller does, however, take a little bit of inner reflection and a willingness to change your outlook on the world. Living in any kind of tiny home takes a little bit of adjusting time. To go from a house with two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, living room, and dining room, to a house with one room and a toilet cupboard (in the case of a van), is a massive change. You’re about to give up a lot of the things you rely on daily, things that have become commonplace, like a dishwasher, a flushing toilet, your guitar amplifiers, a flushing toilet, your shower … oh, and a flushing toilet. Why did I mention the toilet three times? It’s the one thing people most often tell me that stops them from living the van life. Giving up the luxury of a flushing toilet is too much of a change from their normal routine. When I first started building my tiny home, I had a lot of these same reservations. Would I be able to manage? How would I feel in such a small space? Could I really give up the TV? Honestly, and I genuinely mean every word here, I did not miss any part of living in a house. Sure, emptying the toilet down another toilet while I lived in a van in Yorkshire and the new routine of showering at the gym took some getting used to, but after a few weeks, it just became the new normal. Is the van life right for you? Now, I’m going to get a little deep here, so you might want to make yourself comfortable for this next bit. What is the most important thing to you in life? Is it working hard and saving up for a house or a big trip? Is it getting out into the open and spending time with your family? Is it living within your means in order to have more time to spend working on a passion project that you might want to turn into a career? In some respects, tiny home living can help with all three of those choices. I worked full time while living in a van for over a year, saving my wages every month for my European travels. Equally, I know people who have done the same thing and put their money toward buying land in a different country. Living small certainly gives you more time to spend doing the things you love, too, whether that’s heading out on a trip with your loved ones, or working less and putting your energy into writing a book or honing your photography skills. I can best summarize the feeling that made me want to live in a tiny house as “wanting more.” You’ve got to want that change more than anything else, to be prepared for things to get a little bit tough at times, to live a life that can be uncertain but with infinite rewards and exciting discoveries every day. The pros of van life I think one of the best parts of living the van life — and this is a theme I often come back to in my book — is the lack of rushing around or the need to do anything to a timescale. There’s no should in the van life vocabulary; you do what you want, when you want, making your own hours if you work on the road or just enjoying life on your own terms. Say goodbye to the stressful morning commute or eating your breakfast while watching mind-numbing morning television shows if you’re taking your job with you. Say goodbye to waking up listening to the next door neighbor’s toilet cistern rumbling through the wall or the sound of the garbage truck reversing down your street. Every day feels more relaxed when you wake up in a new place, listening to the ever-changing sounds of nature or sometimes no sounds whatsoever. For a lot of people, this lack of structure and routine can feel a little like freefalling. Again, it’s no real surprise; since around the age of 4, most of us have gone to school at a certain time, eaten meals at set times, gone to university and, eventually, to work in a preplanned structure laid out for us. To go from this to a life where you make the rules can be freeing for some, but make others feel lost. A motto to live by Here’s something I want you to think about, and this is something I tell people who are thinking about living the van life on a daily basis: There is no dress rehearsal for life, so don’t waste time dreaming about your perfect life when you could be out there living the dream. Admittedly, I’m not a philosopher and I haven’t had many public speaking gigs thus far in my career, but I think you get the general idea. If you’re reading this from the office instead of sending emails, then don’t wait until you’re retired to give travel a go. If you’re retired but thinking about waiting for the right time, throw caution to the wind and get out there and give van life a go. I know too many people, young and old, who have sadly passed away before getting to live their traveling dreams. Don’t wait for tomorrow; make that decision to live a different life today. I’ll now wait 30 seconds for your applause before carrying on with the next section. Deciding how long to be on the road I think we can all agree that you’re now fully committed to giving van life a try, what with buying this book and my rousing speech earlier. The next question you need to ask yourself is: How long would you like to be on the road away from home? Or, and here’s the million-dollar question: Do you want to take your home on the road with you? Before I go any further, I know that while it’s physically possible to “up sticks” and live the van life full time, not everyone can or wants to give up the life they have built to live on the road. For some, it’s just not viable due to work locations, while others might love their jobs and not fancy the thought of giving up the empire they have built. Generally, there are three categories of van life travel that can help you figure out what kind of lifestyle you might want: Weekend warriors: As the name suggests, weekend warriors simply travel over a weekend. Whether frequenting campsites or wild camping in the hills, scheduled short trips away give you something to look forward to, a chance to live as free as a bird on the weekend while still maintaining a steady work/life balance through the week. Short-term — one to six months: Planning a short-term adventure of one to six months could be a more manageable way of fitting van life into your current life. So many people buy a van and convert it as a cheap way to see the world, always knowing that it won’t be with them forever. Of course, there’s nothing to say that building a van for short-term travels can’t lead to weekend excursions later down the line or a potential move to full-time travel if you decide to take your job on the road with you. Full-time travel: Obviously, if you’re thinking about traveling full time, then you need to either be in a position where you are financially stable or plan on working on the road. I managed to travel full time, working two days a week writing articles and budgeting costs accordingly along the way.

Article / Updated 11-07-2022

Once you’ve decided whether you’re going to live in a van full time or part time, you'll need to figure out what type and size of camper is right for you. There are so many different styles, sizes, and wheelbases out there that it can seem like a minefield if you don’t know the lingo. Luckily for you, I compiled a list of all of the different vehicle classes for you for reference: Class A: These campers are the large touring vehicles you might see rock stars traveling in on the way to a gig. They are large busses with multiple rooms inside and what I would definitely class as luxury campers. This is not exactly the type of vehicle for an off-road adventure, but definitely one for a comfortable stay in the wilderness. Class B: This class covers all conversions made within the pre-existing dimensions of a panel van, such as a Ram ProMaster or a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (see the photo below). This is, by far, the most common class for DIY camper conversions. Class C: These campers are what I like to call “traditional” campers — think snowbirds driving to sunnier climates in their Winnebagos when the first frost hits. Class C campers often have a sleeping area in the bulkhead over the top of the cab area and the telltale fold-out steps for entering the living area. Truck camper: This type of camper is perfect for off-grid enthusiasts and usually consist of a removable camping pod with a pop-top roof that slots into the truck bed itself. I’ve spent a lot of time traveling the United States in a truck camper mounted on the back of a Dodge Ram and that setup never, ever let me down. The All-American RV: If you watch a lot of movies, then chances are good you’ve seen families hitting the road in an all-American RV. And trust me, they’re just as big in real life as they are on the screen. These are the type of vehicles that you might see trundling up to Glacier Point in Yosemite or cruising down to Big Sur in the summertime. Classic camper vans: Whenever I hear the term, “classic camper van,” there’s only one vehicle that springs to mind — the Volkswagen bus and, specifically, the T2 Splitty, which is still the symbol of the swinging 1960s. These are most often the subject of restoration projects and can make for beautiful busses, though they often soak up money like a sponge due to continual repairs. School bus: If you’re used to canal boat living, then a school bus might be a good option for a faster-moving tiny home. With more space and plenty of light, they make a great blank canvas for a full-time home. Vans also come in four wheelbase sizes: short wheelbase (SWB), medium wheelbase (MWB), long wheelbase (LWB), and extra-long wheelbase (ELWB). The wheelbase is the measured distance between the middle point of the front wheels and the middle point of the wheels at the back of the van. The longer the wheelbase, the more room you’ll have inside the main body of the van to utilize for your conversion. Picking the right-sized camper for you You now know that van life isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal, so what sized camper should you opt for? Well, it all depends on what you want to get out of your van life experience and how often you’re going to use your camper van. And then again, it’s also down to personal preference. Do you view standing up at all times as an essential feature, or do you prefer to go under the radar when boondocking? This will have a great effect on your decision whether to buy a small or larger van. Following, I touch on some of the most popular camper van styles for people carrying out conversions and the benefits they can provide. Small campers and pop-tops Small campers and pop-tops cover everything from minivan conversions and VW Caddys to VW California campers and the epic Sportsmobile 4x4. These are campers that many people would class as “day vans” — campers people take to the beach or the mountains for one or two days at the most. There’s one thing for certain: Small campers and pop-tops are certainly easier to park in everyday locations. I’ve taken both out on the road on different trips, and smaller campers can usually fit under height barriers that would otherwise thwart bigger vans like Ford Transits and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters. A pop-top camper is a camper van with a roof that pops up when stationary (see the photo below). These campers can either have whole segments that push up or more commonly, a roof that pushes up into a triangular shape revealing canvas walls. Both small campers and pop-top vans tend to make use of a rock ‘n’ roll bed setup in which the bed doubles up as a sofa throughout the day and folds out into a bed at night. While this creates more living space, it does reduce the amount of garage storage in the boot of the camper, so that’s something to think about if you’re planning on living in a van for a long time. Still, the added benefit of buying a pop-top camper is that the pop-top gives you extra space for standing and fills the camper with more light. It just depends on whether you mind setting up and packing down your living area every time you park and set off from a camping spot. Keep in mind that in bear country, soft-shell pop-ups aren’t allowed as bears can easily rip into them. Some classic examples of vans in this range include: Fiat Scudo Ford Connect Ford Econoline Ford Transit (MWB) Ram ProMaster City VW Caddy VW California Maxi-roof and long wheelbase vans Maxi-roof and long/extra-long wheelbase vans cover most of the larger Class B panel-van conversions that you will have come across on your favorite van life Instagram channels. They’re the base vehicle type for many conversion companies across the world and are solid foundations for DIY camper conversions. These vans might be harder to park and tougher to take down those windy country lanes, but they are certainly better suited for full-time living than smaller vans that are designed for stealth camping or compact living. Larger vans like these are easier to cook in too; having that extra height to stand up in makes cooking more labor-intensive meals like roast dinners, risottos, and even dishes like sushi much easier. What’s more, you have more space to include an oven as well as a gas burner. For me, having the option of creating multiple “rooms” inside your van certainly helps it to feel more homey. By creating a bedroom nook, a seating area, and a separate kitchen space, a small vehicle can suddenly feel like three self-contained areas, which is perfect if you’re traveling with a partner or family members and want to have time to yourself. Some classic examples of vans in this range include: Fiat Ducato Ford Transit (LWB) Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Peugeot Boxer Ram ProMaster Vauxhall Movano VW Crafter What size is best? If you’re planning on living in a van for a long period of time, go for a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or a Ford Transit LWB. They’re reliable, spare/repair parts are available all over the world, and they’re big enough to live in comfortably without having that extra space the ELWB models provide. For me, having everything set up and ready to go at the drop of a hat is super important. If you’re just looking for something for day trips that you don’t mind not being able to stand up in, then choose a VW Caddy. Again, VWs are reliable vehicles, and with a clever design plan, you can easily make a pull-out kitchen that slots away neatly and carry a portable shower pack around for longer trips away.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-20-2022

Don’t be confused: This cheat sheet covers some of the pickleball rules, not ways to cheat! It’s easy to start playing pickleball the first time you step on a court, and here you’ll find the rules for serving and scoring, plus clarification on what you can and can’t do in the kitchen.

Article / Updated 10-19-2022

After the regular football season, the National Football League (NFL) schedule moves into the playoffs, which decide who advances to the Super Bowl. In regular-season games, teams compete for the best win-loss records, and those teams with the best records advance to the playoffs. The NFL schedules all those regular-season games — 256 in a typical season — to separate the good teams from the bad. On every level of sports, people want to declare a champion. In the NFL, a total of 12 teams qualify for what amounts to the road to the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the NFL championship game. It pits the winner of NFL's American Football Conference (AFC) against the champion of the NFL's National Football Conference (NFC). The game was born out of the merger agreement between the former American Football League and the NFL in 1966. Wildcard and divisional playoff games Each conference has four divisions: North, South, East, West. Six teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs, with the four division winners qualifying automatically. These winners are joined by two teams called wildcard teams, who qualify based on the win-loss records of the remaining teams in each conference that didn’t finish first in their respective divisions. The two division winners with the highest winning percentages host second-round games, skipping the first round of competition. The third and fourth division winners host the wildcard teams in the first round. The winners of the two wildcard games advance to the second round of contests, called divisional playoff games. The lowest-rated wildcard winner plays the division winner with the best record, and the other wildcard winner plays the division winner with the second-best record. Both division winners enjoy home field advantage, meaning that they host the games. Conference championship games For the Conference Championship games (the third round), any surviving division champion automatically hosts the game. If two division winners survive, the team with the better winning percentage hosts the championship game. If the two surviving teams have identical records, home field is based on how the two teams performed in head-to-head competition during the season, and then on who had the best winning percentage in conference games. The Super Bowl is such a huge television and fan attraction that cities routinely bid for the game, offering to defray many of the league’s expenses for hotels and travel. In fact, the Super Bowl is so large that cities are selected three to four years in advance. This gives the cities the necessary time to prepare. In the two weeks between the two conference championship games and the Super Bowl, plenty of hype and hoopla about the game arises. The two teams usually arrive in the host city on the Sunday prior to the game, along with more than 2,500 members of the media. The event has a national flavor to it. With ticket prices from $500 to $700, and most fans paying five times that amount via ticket scalping, the Super Bowl has become more of a corporate event than a bastion for hard-core football fans. You almost have to be somebody important or know somebody important to attend. The Commissioner’s Party — which owners, coaches, and NFL executives attend on the Friday night prior to the game — is an even tougher ticket to acquire.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-18-2022

American football is about trying to make points by passing, carrying, or kicking an oblong ball (with two pointed ends) into your opponent's end zone. Football is a rough-and-tumble game with its own jargon, including some terms that are just plain odd. For example, a strong safety is a defender, and a regular safety is a play that scores two points — go figure. But knowing the lingo (including the fun slang) and the players, not to mention common penalties, can take you a long way toward getting a handle on this popular American sport.

Article / Updated 09-29-2022

The International Rugby Board controls the game of rugby union worldwide, and part of their job is to determine the laws of the game. The key laws are Offside: A player is offside in general play if he is in front of a team-mate who is carrying the ball, or in front of a team-mate who last played the ball. Forward pass: An illegal pass to a player who is ahead of the ball; a player isn’t allowed to pass the ball forward to a team-mate. Knock on: If a player drops the ball ‘forward’ — that is, towards the opposing team’s tryline — or loses possession of the ball and it goes forward, a scrum is set, with the non-offending team getting the scrum feed. What goes on at the tackle: A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and brought to the ground. Any opponents of the tackled player who go to ground are known as tacklers. Foul play: Play deemed by the referee as being dangerous, obstructive, unfair play or misconduct. The offending player is penalised, possibly sent to the sin bin or even sent off.