Trade:

Volunteering in exchange for accommodation is one of the best ways to control overhead expenses, according to Dunn. She’s taken care of dogs, painted murals, cooked and cleaned at retreat centers, milked goats, managed marketing plans and even led ecological treks on llamas. Another perk with volunteering she says, is the sense of home she receives from being off the beaten track and away from the hostel scene.

Transportation:

A self-proclaimed frequent flyer mile junkie, Dunn saves up her program points in order to upgrade her long-haul flights to business class. This strategy has previously cost her less than the price of an economy-class ticket! When she can’t manage to pull that off that minor miracle, Dunn enjoys traveling by train. The price is often less, and she prefers the extended scenery enjoyment that train travel provides.

Streamlining:

While it can be tempting to accumulate souvenirs and activity gear while you’re on the road, the reality of lugging those items around often destroys the fantasy of the extra comfort you hope they’ll provide, according to Dunn. When it comes to gear such as bicycles, snorkeling gear or similar equipment, Dunn chooses to rent if possible. If at the end of your research, you feel you need to buy a particular item, try to buy used. You may or not be able to sell it quickly when you move on she advises, and donating something you didn’t pay a great deal for anyway doesn’t seem to pinch as much.

Speed:

Moving at a breakneck pace is not only exhausting says Dunn, but it can wreak havoc on the long-term travel budget. Slowing down and getting to know the locals a bit before rushing off to the next destination will assist greatly in ferreting out the best deals. It’s also a sanity saver. Says Dunn, “In 2010, I traveled through over 10 countries on a whirlwind itinerary. Never sleeping longer than five nights in one bed, I emerged from the year completely exhausted. I had to simply stop moving for about six months to catch my breath.”

Photo Credit: Oakley Originals

This is one in a series of articles that will include tips for living and working overseas.

After spending nearly a decade traveling and living overseas I realize that I can use the insight and knowledge I gained through my experiences to inspire others to transform their lives with travel.

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and become an expat living and working overseas; it’s an exhilarating, challenging and sometimes hysterically funny transition to move to a foreign country. There are several qualities that can help you  be successful overseas.  Do you have these qualities?

You are independent and love to travel.

You love exploring other cultures.

You are flexible and willing to adapt to the unknown.

You are willing to live and work outside your comfort zone.

You’re willing to work hard.

You aren’t a quitter when things get rough.

You’re willing to pick up your life and move belongings, body and pets around the world.

You’re computer and tech savvy.

You have skills that will allow you to find a good job overseas or you’re a digital nomad and you work from your computer.

You”re willing to live with the grief that some relatives and friends will give you about uprooting your life and giving up your safe job with vacation and benefits for the unknown. Every expat I know, myself included gets a big dish of this along the way. When I took my first overseas post I had some friends and family alike thinking I’d lost my mind. A few years and a few moves later they all realized I was leading the life I loved. So can you, take it one step at a time.

Still feel like you have what it takes to live and work overseas? Good, it’s a fabulous experience and one I highly recommend. The following are websites that will give you a taste of what life on the road or living overseas can look like.

• Nomadic Matt
• Almost Fearless
• Trek Hound
• Teachers on the Move
• ISS
• Search Associates

Photo Credit: Lisa Overman

Flickr Photo Credit: Rolu Dsgn

Another popular entry from our frugality blog. I’ve pasted it below for those of you interested in the use of nomadic housing to extend your world travels.

A bit out there? Perhaps. But people are doing it, and as alternative housing goes, this idea can be quite cheap.

Here’s one article about a gentleman who used shipping containers to create a portable alternative housing situation to suit his global nomad lifestyle. You’ll find a diagram of the finished product as well as a picture of what his home looked like when the containers got dropped off. He also addresses utility issues that would be of concern.

Another link on the shipping container home idea has images of various plans with a more modern theme. Check out the one with the indoor swimming pool and high ceilings created by stacking more than one level of containers together. Interesting.

Still wanting more shipping container information for your research? Here are some other links I found.

• Steel container architecture – This article addresses how these containers can be used in creative ways by architectural professionals.
• These ones look a bit trailerish. However, if you don’t mind that look, this is a quick instant home option to have delivered anywhere in the world.
• The Shipping Container Housing Guide is a site that was put together by a group of people searching for alternative housing information on this subject.

Hopefully, more information will become available on this topic. Please let us know if you have any great resources.

Flickr Photo Credit: TSC Traveler

Here’s another carry over article from our family living and frugality blog.

After compiling more resources than I can count from the internet and only being able to access the slideshow from our hard drive or a disk on our dvd player at home, I finally begged David to compile them into slideshows that met the size requirements for youtube.com postings.

We did not take these photos ourselves. The links where I found all the photos are in the original “yurt research compilation” posting here on the family blog, for those of you who wish to cross reference for the original source.

These slideshows are simply to show in a more relaxing format the options you have for using the yurt as an alternative living situation. They are extremely cost effective, and yet provide you with numerous interior style options.  Check out all three to see various construction stages, uses and interior design images.

Click here to see the first video yurt slideshow . . . here for the second . . . and if you’re still interested – here’s the third! Or, when you go to youtube.com, check out the postings by astroguyz (David). You’ll see the slideshows plus some of his astronomy video work.

Flickr Photo Credit: Diamond Mountain

On our family living and frugality blog, we have a collection of posts about nontraditional housing as a way to meet your financial goals. One of the topic areas is yurts, and gets a great deal of traffic. It occurred to me this would also be an appropriate place to include the information, as the structures lend themselves quite well to a nomadic lifestyle. I’ve pasted the original article below.

Several of you have shown interest in this topic, and we’ve compiled a fair amount of information. Below, I’ve pasted in our general word document. We also have a huge collection of interior and construction images, as well as images from various manufacturers that we’ve compiled for our personal use. It would take forever to cut and paste them all in here, so David is working on a way to place them in a slide show that we can post on You Tube and link to from here. This will save having to burn and mail a disk for those of you have asked. We’ll keep you posted on when that’s finished. For now, enjoy the compiled information below.

Yurt Books:

The Complete Yurt Handbook, by Paul King

Circle Houses: Yurts, Tipis and Benders, by David Pearson

Tipis and Yurts: Authentic Designs for Circular Shelters, by Blue Evening Star

Build a Yurt, by Len Charney

The Yurt: Seventeen Foot Diameter, by Wm. S. Coperthwaite

Mongolian Cloud Houses, by Dan Kuehn

The Portable Yurt, by Chuck Cox

Igloos, Yurts, and Totem Poles, by F. Boer

Another Kind of Space, by Alan Dearling with Graham Meltzer

Building a Low Impact Roundhouse, by Tony Wrench

Yurt DVD’s:

Mujaan

Yurt CD’s:

Meeting in the Aobao Yurt

Yurt Links:

http://www.smilingwoodsyurts.com/ Another yurt company. Has plans for a 2 x 4 yurt.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1971_March_April/Yurts____New Article on a guy from
Maine who has been building them since the late sixties at Harvard. He has a plan you can purchase for download for $3 which goes to the development of an Eskimo museum that he is putting together.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading/2002_December_January/Tipis___Yurts Another article on yurts complete with diagram and images.

http://www.yurtpeople.com/yurtpeople/history.htmlDetailed article on Bill Coperthwaite, a coastal
Maine resident famous for his devotion to yurt design.

http://www.yurtpeople.com/yurtpeople/ A hard sided yurt manufacturer with photo slide show and gallery. Includes images of yurt interiors for decorating and design ideas.

http://redskyshelters.com/ Web site for “Yomes”, part yurt / part dome structures. Prices, designs, uses, etc.

http://www.yurts.com Web site for “Pacific Yurts”. Their products, information, image gallery, etc.

http://www.rainieryurts.com/ Another yurt manufacturer.

http://www.yurts-r-us.com/ The Great American Yurt Company. Wholesale prices*****

http://www.yurtinfo.org/yurtinfo.php Links and yurt info on all aspects of yurts and yurt living.

http://www.yurtinfo.org/yurtinfo.php A building school with a course focusing on yurt design.

http://www.coloradoyurt.com/ The Colorado Yurt Company.

http://www.currentmiddleages.org/tents/pavilionnotes.htm book titles and other yurt references.

http://www.tribalmax.com/decor/tribaldecor.html interior decorating products with an Asian nomadic flair. Cool!!!

http://www.inventivedesigning.com/IDnewest/yurts.htm Yurt article with links.

http://www.contrabandevents.com/moroccanmarquees.htmParty tent decor ideas, many useable for yurts.

http://www.event-solutions.com/articles/2003-02-coverstory.html Scroll down to the article on using yurts in a collective group as semi-private, reservable meeting spaces / rooms.

http://www.growinglifestyle.co.uk/uk/prod/1856751422.html Book titles for yurts.

http://www.lpmbohemia.com/boehmia_interior.html Themed yurt / tent decor.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/remodeling/article/0,1797,HGTV_3659_1368746,00.htmlArticle on an HGTV episode on yurts.

http://www.china-fpa.org/hpa1998/1998b/e-index1-t.htmArticle on traditional Kazak yurts.

http://www.celestial.com.kg/about_kyrgyzstan/yurts.shtml Yurt article.

http://www.oasistents.co.uk/ Themed tent décor.

http://www.classiceventrental.com/ Tent rental. Use decorating ideas for yurts.

http://www.greydragon.org/library/decoratingpavilions.htmlDecorating tentlike structures with century specific ideas for the medieval design.

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lr_accessories/article/0,2041,DIY_14069_2278259,00.html Tent decorating article.

http://midtown.net/dragonwing/col9809.htm Painting your tent info.

http://www.desertstore.com/products-For-Sale/SA-tnt-20.html Bedouin tent decoration panel with tassels.

http://designsbysamdavis.com/decor.html room and tent decor ideas. More commercially / event oriented.

http://www.nyentertainmentconnect.com/allpages/tentpages/tentdecor.htm Information on custom tent-like structure lighting.

http://www.mandalahomes.com/home_design_gallery.htm Round home interior design.

http://www.deltechomes.com/ Circular home builder.

http://www.yurtworks.com Round structure company.

http://www.yurtsbypente.com/Setup.htm Another yurt web site. Products, set up information, etc.

http://www.cco.net/~str8jkt/yurt.html Do it yourself yurt construction article.

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/articles/yurt/ Article on yurt construction.

http://depts.washington.edu/reecas/outreach/nomadism/yurt/ Make a yurt. Craft activity for the classroom.

http://www.thepauper.com/paupermill/article/080204_yurt.asp Article on yurt living and purchasing.

http://www.brutonyurts.com/ Another yurt web site with images and information, products, etc.

http://www.yurtco.com/ A yurt manufacturing company.

http://www.yurtco.com/images/interior/page_08.htmInterior images of yurt décor.

http://www.harvardmagazine.com/on-line/110392.htmlCreative yurt design guy. Check out the photo for the multi-level Asian looking structural yurt.

http://www.woodlandyurts.co.uk/Woodland_Yurts/default.html Another yurt company.

http://www.doingfreedom.com/gen/0600/nca.yurt.html Alternative housing article on yurts.

http://www.ub-mongolia.mn/yurt.html yurt article.

http://www.alternativesmagazine.com/18/kemery.html Alternative living article on yurts.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/wolfe76.html Detailed article on building and living in yurts.

http://www.a-spi.org/tp/TP8.htm Article and yurt resource list.

http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~edesign/yurtz/floorplandesign.htm Interesting design article with idea to hook several yurts together with annexes and circle them around for a common courtyard effect.

http://nord.twu.net/acl/gerteepictures.html Yurt and gertee article.

http://www.rdrop.com/~glacier/yurt.htm Article with photos on assembling your yurt.

http://www.yurtco.com/whats-a-yurt/ Maker of yurt classrooms.

http://www.high5adventure.org/about/facilities.html They use yurts for meeting rooms, etc.

http://www.audubon-center.com/schoolplanner/get_to_know_acnw01.htm These people have integrated a yurt into their program as well.

http://www.shelter-systems.com/portable-classrooms.html Portable tent-like classrooms. Neat.

http://www.albioncanvas.co.uk/index.php?option=static&page_id=293&pname=FAQ%20&%20OrderingThese guys do classroom, and all sorts of event tents / yurts / tipis / geodesic domes. They also have a link for second hand items of this nature.

http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~edesign/yurtz/yurtpage1.htm Plans for single and two story yurts.

http://www.zenzibar.com/directory/links.asp?cat=SB Alternative building resources

http://www.eastcoastyurts.com/ An east coast yurt company.

http://www.safecom.org.au/straw1.htm Straw building . . . have seen references during research for straw bale yurts .. .

http://www.safecom.org.au/yurts.htm Yurt info.

http://www.alternativebuildings.com/ Fiberglass panel yurts. Allows for greater diameter (up to 51 feet).

http://yurt.theshoppe.com/ Medieval yurt manufacturers.

http://www.newlifejournal.com/junjul04/everett_0704.shtml Article about living in a yurt.

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/08.15.02/nomads-0233.html Another yurt article.

http://homepage.mac.com/decthree/Personal27.html Another article on yurt living.

http://www.wisdomranch.org/photos.htmlResidential student program. They use yurts for living tructures.

http://www.wisdomranch.org/photos.html Another yurt living article.

http://www.chaingang.org/yurtquest/pics.html Yurt pics.

http://www.findaproperty.com/story.aspx?storyid=5021 Article on yurts and nomadic structure living.

http://www.waysofwisdom.com/ These people are living in a yurt and using their land as a space for research grants on sustainable organic agriculture.

http://help4jen.com/_wsn/page10.html One woman’s yurt journey, building progress, etc.

http://www.humboldt.edu/~ccat/renewableenergy/yurtledlights/Affordable LED lighting solutions . . . have been used by such orgs as the Peace Corps.

http://www.ledlights.com/about.htm More LED lighting info.

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/articles/yurt/yurt.doc Article on yurt construction.

http://www.yurtworkshop.com/ Yurt manufacturers. Info.

http://www.plantris.com/testimonials.html Alternative living spaces article.

http://www.currentmiddleages.org/tents/yurtsgers.htm Yurt images.

http://www.hearthworks.co.uk/gallery.html Yurt gallery of images, including a gallery of interiors, as well as completed yurts by the company.

http://www.sanat.orexca.com/eng/1-04/history_art3.shtml Yurt art in Kazakh life.

http://www.maryroseherbfarm.com/EvansvilleCourier.htm A yurt herb farm.

http://www.greatbuildings.com/models/Yurt_mod.html Download free 3-D yurt models.

http://www.9v.com/crystal/kerij-e/docs/buildger.htmOne person’s homepage on building a ger / yurt/

http://www.9v.com/crystal/kerij-e/docs/links.htm Scroll down to links of images of period yurts/

http://www.madhuvan.org/help.htm Yurt images . . . yurt with covered porch,etc. These folks are selling time shares for the yurt experience . .

http://www.metaefficient.com/metaefficient/archives/building/ Green building information.

http://home.sprynet.com/~anneled/OurYurt.html A photo essay from a couple who put up a yurt on their property.

http://www.californiasolarcenter.org/solareclips/2001.12/20011204-7.html a yurt getaway / studio with accompanying article.

http://realestate.escapeartist.com/P-28818/ Images of a yurt resort for sale in Portugal.

http://www.yurtco.com/news-events/van-sun-feb25-05.htm Interior yurt images

http://www.oasisdesign.net/design/examples/yurtbath.htm Yurt interior and outside deck photos.

http://www.fallingwatersresort.com/yurt_village.htm Yurt village in North Carolina.

http://www.monktonwyld.co.uk/yurt.htm Interior yurt shot.

http://www.revelles.com/yurt.shtml Interior yurt imagery with personal spa on deck.

http://www.greenandaway.org/page.cfm?pageid=ga-village green yurt village.

http://www.campfirelodgings.com/yurt.html Great yurt wall idea.

http://www.out-there.com/yurt-alg.htm Yurt vacation destination.

http://www.upstatehouse.com/archive/article.php?issue=19&dept=40 Yurt for a couple who used the radiant floor heating concept popular in certain Asian countries.

http://www.blackpointretreat.com/lodging.htm
Belize coastal yurt lodge.

http://site.yurtworks.com.au/styles_and_options.htm More exterior and interior yurt design images and ideas.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/top_articles/1999_August_September/A_New_Life_on_The_Rio_Grande
New Mexico yurt builder who bought a $250 plot of land via the government tax auction program.

http://www.maryroseherbfarm.com/events.htm An herb farm and yurt spa destination in Indiana. Some different ideas for development with these structures.

http://www.funtripslive.com/cabo/yurt-rental-18.htmlNatural yurt spa and overnight yurting on the Sea of
Cortez.

http://www.sailwithwhales.com/yurtnetl.jpgYurt interior photos of a yurt at a camping site overlooking the Bay of Fundy on Grand Manan, N.B.

http://www.kohalasanctuary.com/index_yurt.html Another yurt spa / meditation room rental.

http://www.wallbed.com/ Buy your own mechanism to create a Murphy-type wall bed. The full wall systems are sometimes thousands of dollars. This is just a few hundred.

http://www.flyingbeds.com/ Some very unique hidden wall beds for the office and living area. A bit pricey, but one could get some design ideas here.

http://www.luanaspa.com/treat.php A yurt spa. Only used a 16 footer.

http://www.luanaspa.com/accommodations.php Island yurt rental – goes along with the spa.

http://www.mishalov.com/Off_The_Grid.html Solid structure yurt with sod roof and photovoltaic cells.

http://www.nesea.org/buildings/2002openhouse/2002ct.php Scroll down the page a bit for some information and an image regarding a solar powered yurt.

http://www.yurtco.com/images/london-show/page_01.htmAnother collection of interior yurt décor images from a home show in London. Really classy.

http://www.armonia.tantrika.net/retreats.htm A yurt retreat – healing center.

http://www.yurtinfo.org/forum/index.php?7 Couple of online discussion forums for yurt accessories and the sale of used yurts. When I first started researching this, there was no forum for listing and searching for used yurts. This is great news, as far as I’m concerned.

http://adkguideboat.com/adirondack-vacation-rentals/tent-camping.html
Nice looking yurt rental. Very similar looking property to our own lake parcel.

http://www.luanaspa.com/accommodations.php A yurt spa with a fab outdoor shower. Images on the page.

http://www.hawaiiyurt.com/ A rental yurt in Hawaii. This page has a link so you can look at images of the yurt’s interior decoration.

http://www.ignaciosprings.com/content/view/6/7/ Yurt bed and breakfast in Mexico. Some neat interiors. Several of their yurts have private bathrooms.

http://www.parkcitymountain.com/winter/services/catering_and_event_planning/01_On-Mountain_Private_Dining/index.html Private dining yurt on the top of a mountain.

http://home.clara.net/trallwyn/trallwynyurt.html
Woodsy yurt rental.

http://www.waytorussia.net/Moscow/EatChillOut.html
Scroll down through the Moscow restaurant reviews till you reach the one for the tea house in a yurt. Really great interior and a fab idea.

http://www.yurts.com/what/faq.aspx Scroll down to the heating and utilities question section and you’ll see the first image I’ve found for a streamlined looking air conditioning option. They offer and extra door option that you install without hinges (it has a
window on the top) and the a.c. unit is installed underneath. Looks very smooth and professional.

http://huntsville.about.com/od/spas/ig/The-Yurt-Garden/index.htm
A yurt retreat and garden area. There is a three page gallery here, but it takes a bit to load.

http://www.barefootboy.com/yurt/index.htm A photo diary of interior and exterior design work on a personal home yurt.

http://flickr.com/photos/31513590@N00/sets/1675186/
Photo collection from a yurt dweller.

http://simplydifferently.org/BuildingPage with information and diagrams for various types of alternative living structures, including yurts, tipis and domes.

http://www.karakalpak.com/insidetheyurt.html A yurt site with interior images and other categories of information.

http://www.perry-thistle.net/twiki/bin/view/Family/YurtSunset28Jun04
Interior contstruction images from a smaller, hide-sided yurt.

http://www.vrbo.com/77439 An interior pic and location shot for a mountain yurt. This deck looks rather grand.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~smcgaugh/Yurt_Roof_More_&_Interiors_Summer_06.htm
Includes pictures of interior and exterior images of the contruction phases of a multiple yurt connected structure. Quite ambitious.

http://housing.byrene.com/Yurt_Diary?version=print An online yurt diary from a woman in Switzerland.

http://www.scottishstorytellingyurt.co.uk/4436.html
Scottish storytelling yurt. This is a neat project that will interest story tellers, nomads and felt makers alike.

http://www.hooesyurts.co.uk/tent-hire.html These guys appear to rent out their portable yurts and specialize in creating interior design options for yurts. Neat concept.

http://www.canvaschic.com/luxury-camping-south-france1.htm A luxury yurt camping option in the south of France.

http://www.laundry-alternative.com/ Alternative laundry options for your start up yurt or other remote living situation.

http://www.lehmans.com/ This place sells products useful for those living off the grid, including washboards.

Flickr Photo Credit: Dan Taylor

I first heard about the internet community for in-car living while waiting with my husband for a MAC flight from Hawaii to Japan.

A young girl who was looking for alternative ways to follow her dreams mentioned a few of her favorite resources while we were all discussing ways to be an effective tightwad road warrior.

I decided to do a little internet research on my own, and here’s what I’ve come up with so far.

• A Google discussion group on minimalist / survival / car living. This looks more like something geared for the temporarily homeless, rather than someone trying to travel long term or pursue an artistic endeavor. But whatever floats your boat . . .
• Living in Cars:  A web site that promotes a book by an author who has spent ten consecutive years doing exactly that . . . as a preferred lifestyle, no less. Interesting concept.
• Van Dweller:  Web site of an individual who has embraced alternative living as a way to follow his own spiritual and personal path.
• Semyan.com: Couple who has traveled and lived quite extensively in a VW camper van while having access to phone, laptop / internet, cooking, etc. It has a pop up top to allow for more headroom while standing to cook in the galley, and a pull out awning to sit in chairs outside while parked at camp grounds.  Worth a read and review.
• Leaf Pile:  Another couple who is trying out the van living / travel combo in Europe.
• VW Vagabonds:  A couple who travels extensively abroad in a VW van. Lots of how to information here.
• Enchanted Gypsy:  An alternative living blog with various housing ideas, including refinishing the inside of an old bus and putting a mountain bike with it to have a true home on wheels.

Got a great car-dwelling resource to recommend? Sound off below!