Earning a Living On the Go with D.J. Aaron

In this week's episode Ayana chats with fellow nomad D.J. Aaron. Together, they unravel the secrets of making a living on the road, delve into the costs of van life, and share insights on the flexibility and perseverance required to live life on the road! Listen along to uncover D.J. Aaron's unique journey into tiny living.

Follow D.J. Aaron on Instagram: @driftalongdjaaron
Click here to listen to D.J. Aaron's weekly playlist on Spotify!
Listen to more from D.J. Aaron on Soundcloud.

Aaron's recommended seasonal work resources:
www.coolworks.com
www.wanderjobs.com
www.occupationwild.com

For full show notes for this episode click here.

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Transcript

Earning a Living On the Go with D.J. Aaron

[00:00:00] 

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 Intro: 

Welcome back to the Tiny Home Tourist Podcast. The tiny house made me feel in my body this thing that I think I always understood, which is that there are no rules, like you're literally living in the moment. I know it's a cliches saying, but living this lifestyle consistently puts me in that mindset.

It's about keeping all of the things that matter to you and letting everything else go. I've been scared a lot of times. But I just, I jump anyways I guess. You have to jump. Join us each week as we share stories, wisdom, and practical tips from those who choose to have less and live more.

Ayana: Hey everyone, this is Ayana. I'm back with [00:01:00] another episode of the Tiny Home Tours podcast. I am joined by DJ Aaron, and today we're going to chat all about making a living on the road. It's something that a lot of people have questions about. A lot of people want to know how folks do it, how they got started, what the different options are.

Um, so we're going to learn a little bit about Aaron's financial journey and how he makes it work on the road. We've been starting all these episodes with two truths and a lie, so I'm very intrigued to hear what your two truths and a lie are.

Aaron: Two truths and a lie. I've given tons of thought on this and I'm stoked to be here. So my truth, two truths and a lie. Number one, I've DJ'ed at MetLife Stadium. That's where the Jets and the Giants both play professional football.

Ayana: Very cool.

Aaron: Um, I have traveled to four out of the five continents, and I have [00:02:00] over 10 tattoos.

Ayana: Ooh, these are fun ones. And I don't know that much about your story, so I can't, I don't even really have a leg up on this one. Um, I do think you've DJ'd at the stadium. And I'm trying to think about tattoos. Um, I think the lie is that you've been to four out of five continents.

Aaron: Ding ding ding, you are correct. I have not.

I have been to two. I've only been to, North America and Europe.

Ayana: Okay.

Aaron: Mm hmm.

Ayana: Nice.

Aaron: So there's still a lot of traveling for me to get done, if you couldn't tell.

Ayana: Yeah, for sure. Do you plan on going international at some point?

Aaron: It's something that I've always been interested in, but at the same time, there's still a lot of this country and this [00:03:00] continent that I need to explore

Ayana: Yeah, for sure. I feel like that's always the like catch 22 is there's so much in our own backyard. And so how do you make the jump to like, decide to go international when you feel like you haven't even scratched the surface here, it's kind of hard.

Aaron: I totally agree. The crux of the mass that is the United States, right?

Ayana: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Okay, so tell us a little bit about your kind of tiny living journey. Like, how did you get into bus life, um, in, in the beginning and then how did you prepare financially for that transition too?

Aaron: absolutely. Well, the start of my journey wasn't actually in bus life. It was in van life. I had a friend who was living in a van, um, before I got into it and through a couple of just road trips out West and exploring this country and then actually getting to see this person in their natural habitat out [00:04:00] on public land, camping with them, getting to.

Access the amenities of their beautiful home on wheels. Um, I was essentially just Enamored by the whole idea of it all. And once I got back to New York, where I've was living for 25 years of my life, I was like, it's time to dive right in. It's time to switch it up. It's time to try something new and let's jump right into van life.

So I bought a van back in August of 2021. Spent about four or five months building it out and then hit the road December of 2021.

Ayana: Cool. So pretty quick turnaround, really, for you.

Aaron: I would say it was a quick turnaround, but, um, at the same time, my build was not a hundred percent finished.

Ayana: Mm hmm. So kind of work in progress, build as you go sort of thing.

Aaron: Yeah. [00:05:00] And it was more the timing of getting out onto the road was more important to me than having this perfectly aesthetically beautiful build. Um, to feel like I needed to have that before I hit the road. I was like, the build will come along as it goes. You know what I mean?

Ayana: Yeah. Nice. Yeah, I feel like that's kind of an interesting, like, distinction point for people to hear about, too, because as vanlife has grown in popularity, I think we all see these, like, beautiful builds on Pinterest and Instagram and on, like, the Tiny Home Tours and stuff. Right? Like, they're gorgeous, some of them.

And it can make people feel like that's the level of build they need to have before they hit the road. And so I appreciate you bringing it up of like, no, if this is something you want to do, like you can make it work with a very rudimentary build and set up.

Aaron: absolutely. And I think it's intimidating almost to hit the road without that perfectly aesthetic build. You [00:06:00] know, I've heard from friends that live on the road as well, that it took them like a year and a half, two years being the perfectionists that they are. To get their rig to that level of comfortability before they actually hit the road where I would say my journey was kind of the quite opposite.

I wanted to see the country and I knew that. The build would grow and it did basically by, um, getting access to a bunch of other nomads who have been doing this before I was and picking up tips and skills along the way to perfect my builds kind of came along with getting introduced to this community of people that live on the road.

Ayana: Totally. So how did you prep for van life then financially before you said you were living in New York for 25 years. How did you like Save the money to buy the van or how much was that initial cost? Like, tell us about the finances of getting into it.

Aaron: Absolutely. Um, [00:07:00] I think that when I left to go on the road, I wanted to make sure that I had enough money to financially sustain myself for X amount of months living on the road, right? Um, so I was actually working three different jobs at the time. Yeah. I granted it was post COVID. Um, I was living in New York city.

Um, my jobs were in event production, which as you know, during COVID completely shut down. So when everything started to come back, I was like, I'm going to dive head first into working events again. And then also working in the golf industry, which is something that I've done for a very long time. 

So working in the golf industry since I was like a preteen, um, and during COVID because events weren't working, there was still the golf industry going on. So I kind of went back to my roots of working at the golf course. And while I was still committed there, events started coming back. And I was working for two [00:08:00] different event companies at the time.

So counted three jobs that I

Ayana: Dang.

Aaron: working my absolute butt off and to pay off the van that I had purchased. Um, I bought a van off of a used car lot or a used van lot. Um, not always the route that everyone decides to go in. But in that moment, I was like. I just want to find a van the used car salesman sold me enough to to get me in a Nissan NV2500.

It was a 2017 vehicle and it only had about 70, 000 miles on it. I got it for, I'll be 100 percent transparent, I got it for 15 grand. And, um, I had enough money to pay it off out front, but to finance the build and to make sure that I left on the road comfortably, I was still working my butt off at the time to save all that.

Ayana: Totally. I mean I think that even that hearing [00:09:00] like 15 grand, how much do you think you put into like the initial build before you hit the road?

Aaron: Probably like three grand, I would say at most. It really wasn't a whole lot. I was also trying to repurpose a lot of things.

Ayana: Totally, totally. now, you know, obviously with it getting more popular and I think post COVID every, like the camper van craze also happening. Like, 18, 000 to get on the road is, I would say, extraordinarily reasonable.

Aaron: Absolutely. And I think there are certain, I don't want to call them shortcuts, but alternatives that people could use that would make getting on the road for them just as like, just as quickly or even quicker than, I don't know, for example, um, investing in a whole battery system and a solar system when at the end of the day, all you could do is buy a Jackery.

The initial cost of that [00:10:00] could save you about two to 3, 000 on an entire electrical setup,

you know, finding alternatives to the Dometic fridge, which not to hate on Dometic, they make great products, but they're just more expensive to the alternatives.

Totally. Yeah, there are definitely ways to make it work in whatever your kind of budget and comfortability is, I think, for sure.

absolutely.

Ayana: Cool. So you hit the road in your Envy. Where, where did you go? What did you do? How long did you travel for before the bus came along?

Aaron: I was traveling in it for about a year and a half. Um, And sadly the transmission died on it. Um, yep. Back in May of this year, I was in Moab, Utah and the transmission died on me. And a small town USA auto body shop told me that it was going to take three [00:11:00] weeks and eight grand to get it fixed.

Ayana: Ouch.

Aaron: And I basically had nowhere to go and being this traveling performer that I was, I had a gig two weeks following that.

So I kind of needed to turn it around quickly. And through self perseverance and working hard, I went to a used car dealership, was able to sell that vehicle, um, with a broken transmission and actually make a nice chunk of change on it, where I was able to take that chunk of change. Hop in a U Haul, go from Moab to Phoenix, and then buy the bus.

Ayana: Oh my gosh. So this is like van life ingenuity. At finest. So how did you get the line on the bus?

Aaron: Facebook Marketplace.

Shout out to Charles. Um, he was trying to switch up his life as well, and he was [00:12:00] going to move to Hawaii. And the biggest thing that he had on his hands that he needed to get rid of was this bus and his belongings that went with the bus. And I was like I'm a nomad in need of a new home and you want to move to Hawaii.

It feels like we've connected on the universe for a reason. So

Ayana: Wow. That's a lot of adversity to have to face on the road. I think that's every nomad's biggest fear is like, what, what if something happens to this rig? And I can't. It's not worth it to fix the rig, but it's my home and all of my things are inside of it and I have no place to go.

Aaron: especially when home home quote unquote for me is 2000, 3000 miles away in New York.

Ayana: joke.

Aaron: Yeah, it definitely adversity, but one thing that the road has taught me is you will always figure it out you will

Ayana: It's true. It's really true. Yeah. there are so many, [00:13:00] yeah, so many people around, like so many connections that are waiting to be made. Like you're saying this guy who has the bus, who is, he really needs to get rid of it. He's going to Hawaii. Like those sorts of like synchronicities I feel like you hear about all the time when you're talking to people about their stories on the road.

Aaron: yeah, and It's crazy. Just the way it was very good fortune for me, but at the same time. There is definitely that sense of Perseverance and being like okay. I'm in a really shitty situation right now, but we're gonna, we're gonna figure it out, and we're gonna be okay.

I feel like if you sit and stir in the turmoil that is your life, you're only going to sit in that turmoil and make yourself go crazy. So, it sounds very cliche, but continuously moving forward and trying to figure out, you know, your life, essentially, [00:14:00] um, is a very big learning lesson that I've learned from the road.

So,

Ayana: Mm. Mm hmm.

Aaron: yeah,

Ayana: Yeah, the sense of perseverance, the sense of I think like the adaptability and the flexibility that the road teaches you, it's like these things happen in everybody's lives, whether you're a nomad or not, right? Like unforeseen circumstances arise, life happens to you and at you. And I think the road just like brings it to the forefront way more because you're dealing with these like small little things all the time.

And so then when the big things come up, it's almost like you're more flexible. Like your resilience has been built by all of these little tiny things that you've had to figure out for so long. So now the big thing happens and you're like, Okay. Well, this is shitty, but like, all right,

Aaron: it's just another thing. It's

Ayana: I guess I live in a bus now.

Aaron: And it's, it's been awesome, because very similar to the van, I've been building it out [00:15:00] as I've been living in it.

Ayana: Nice.

Aaron: I moved in in May, and I can tell you that the bus that I moved into May looks a lot different than the bus that I live in now, and I'm very proud of that, so.

Ayana: Yeah. Nice. So that also like kind of going back to the financial conversation, the building it as you go thing kind of allows you to piece it together financially too, instead of having that like huge upfront cost.

Aaron: Absolutely, you know, everything is a baby step in the sense of, um, finding more stable income was something that I had to do on the road, and taking seasonal jobs is something that I have. heavily dove into. With that, you know, every paycheck, everything that comes in, you're like, okay, how much money am I allocating to the van build versus how much money am I allocating towards life and

Ayana: Totally. Totally. Yeah. So what seasonal jobs have you had? What have you done while you've been on the road?

Aaron: So [00:16:00] I have worked for a consignment gear shop. I've worked for an outdoor enthusiast, um, retail store that sold telescopes and guidebooks and binoculars and other cool products for exploring outdoors. And I've also worked in the golf industry once again, because golf is a very seasonal job in the sense that, um, it can like for right now, I mean, my season ends in a couple of days and I'll be traveling again.

Ayana: Yeah.

Aaron: yeah, as winter rolls around and snow comes, yeah, it's time to. Figure it out and take a new job. And on top of that, I am a freelancer and an entrepreneur in that regard. Um, yeah, so the freelance entrepreneur is like supplemental income and then taking seasonal jobs to get more of a stable income at the same time.

Ayana: Yeah, nice. I feel like that's another [00:17:00] thing that's wonderful for people to hear because similar to the van of feeling like, do I have to have it all figured out before I hit the road? People can feel like, do I have to figure out how to make a living online? Do I have to figure out how to be a digital nomad when maybe my skill set isn't really Yeah.

Yeah. like geared towards that. And I think seasonal work is something that not a ton of people talk about, like how to find those jobs, where you've gotten those jobs, which ones, you know, you like, and then how you kind of go through that interim phase of like figuring out what's next and what you're going to next.

So yeah, I appreciate that. How have you found your jobs?

Aaron: So I would say that I look for jobs that are catered towards. Things that I've done in the past before the nomad life. So for example, the golf industry, it's really easy to showcase my resume in that regard. Um, but those are catered towards me, right? There are people that do seasonal jobs [00:18:00] that are way more catered towards them.

Um, for example, like I know outdoor enthusiasts that will do guiding, whether it be rafting or climbing or just outdoor hikes and adventures. And you know, I think that people that love the outdoors, like van life, that is for them. Um, personally, the way I've found my jobs has been very traditional in the sense of.

Printing out resumes, shooting emails, going to these places in person, introducing myself, showing people that I am a credible person that is worth hiring and doing it in that regard. Um, but at the same time for other people, I think in terms of those cool outdoor guiding seasonal positions, there are tons of websites that you can find.

Really, really cool jobs like CoolWorks, for example, WanderJobs is another one,

occupationWild, that's another one I would recommend checking [00:19:00] out. Yeah,

Ayana: Awesome. Yeah, I'll make sure to link all of those below for everyone who's listening, too. But those are great resources. I haven't actually heard of any of those before. So,

Aaron: They're basically like Indeeds, but catered more towards outdoor recreation jobs.

Ayana: a little more niche specific. That's awesome. And then do you kind of just decide where you want to work based on where you want to be during that part of the year?

Aaron: Um, yeah, slash Intuition, um. I mean, the city that I've picked up most of my seasonal work has been a city that nomads time and time again have told me, this is the city you got to go to. And when I got there, I was just like, I need to get a job too. And, um, I've been working predominantly out of Bend, Oregon, , San Diego, California is another one like Palm Springs, California is where I'll be going for [00:20:00] the winter, um, Tucson and Phoenix are big cities for that as well.

And even, um. You know, if you're more of a winter snowboarder, skier type person, I would say like Salt Lake City, Park City, even a lot of the mountain towns in the Cascade region, like Mount Hood, things like that.

ayana--she-her-_2_11-08-2023_161438: Nice. 

So tell us how you got into DJing and then how that's evolved with you in your nomadic life.

Aaron: Absolutely. Um, DJing actually started for me back in college. I was Being a co host to my friend who had a radio show on the University of Maryland radio station and to transition from, you know, the casual talking on the radio to playing music, he had a little DJ mixer that he would start mixing songs into.

And I am an electronic music enthusiast. I've [00:21:00] been one since high school and I was like, this is so cool. Wait, this thing only costed a hundred dollars and I can mix all of my favorite songs and things into mashups. So. That's what I did. I sat in my bedroom in college, just mixing to nobody and just mixing and mixing and mixing.

And then post grad, I wanted to find a side hustle, which then turned into my, like, my main hustle, which was working in event production. Um, I was very fortunate to be brought onto an event production company that did everything from weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, corporate events, private events, birthday parties, you name it.

And I told them I wanted to be a DJ and that I've been practicing DJing, so essentially they threw me in the fire. They were like, here's a wedding, good luck.

They were like, don't worry, the MC will carry you. I'm like, okay, cool, great, we'll do it. Ultimately with that came more [00:22:00] gigs and more experience in knowing how to work with a crowd to create these magical, um, infectious atmospheres for everyone to have a good time. Um, and then when I was hitting the road, there's this. inspirational video that I watched, and it's Rufus Dussault, who is an electronic house artist. It's three guys. They're all playing live instruments, and they're basically doing a set at sunset in the middle of Joshua Tree National Park. And the production of it looks so cool. It's so beautiful to see them in this crazy remote place, like doing what they love and making music that when I was hitting the road, I always had this dream in my mind of like playing in these super cool, remote, beautiful places in the country.

And just it being me as a DJ. And when I hit the road, It wasn't [00:23:00] like, it wasn't like I was searching for it. Um, it kind of just like very much came, fell into place. Like it was really weird. I pulled up to a gathering. Um, my friend, if you listen earlier in the podcast, my friend that got me into van life, invited me out to a Christmas and new year's. And I pull up with my half built out rig, looking at all these amazing rigs, looking at all these people who, like, know what the hell they're doing, and they're all contributing in some sort of way, and I'm just like, Hey guys, I'm a DJ, and I would love the opportunity to play for you guys if you're interested.

And they were like, yeah, sure. So I pulled out the decks, I start playing. And this was in the Kofa national wildlife refuge, just South of courtside, Arizona. And the reaction from everybody was like, bro, that was amazing. That was awesome. Like, can you do that again? Can you do that more? Like, we want to hear you [00:24:00] play.

And it like from that moment, it kind of just led me down this path of. Nomad gathering after nomad gathering from Skooliepalooza to Descend on Ben to Open Roads Festival to, um, I even did this one called Van Jam at this, uh, place called Stay Nomadic. Um, it's, it's kind of evolved and using the expertise from event production that I knew in New York, it's helped me cater to. Audiences that I know what music they like to hear, but also getting the ability to play the music that I love. And I feel like when I can bring those two together, I can get people dancing and having a great time, expose them to music that they've never heard before, while also getting to sing along to Fergalicious.

. And it has. [00:25:00] Also given me the ability to flex that entrepreneurial skill. I've been going to legitimate brick and mortar establishments in cities that I reside and picking up gigs and residencies, whether it be like an afternoon rooftops DJ set, like at a brewery and a bar or DJing for a maker's market at a coffee shop or you know, whatever it may be.

I've been trying to dive into that. entrepreneurial route that I know, um, and the routes of hustling. 

Ayana: And it's a cool way, too, to kind of blend, uh, the two communities that you're, you straddle between, right? Like, working a seasonal job, you're like, more getting to know people who live in the city, who live in the place. Um, and then kind of straddling into the nomadic world of like people coming and going and playing these events.

And I feel like playing at, you know, restaurants and bars and clubs in the cities [00:26:00] where you're working is like a perfect way to mesh those two worlds that in a lot of ways. can sometimes feel so different. Like, it feel like nomads, , , like, descend on a particular city and then when we all leave, we kind of, like, leave, but there's not a lot of, mixing and meshing between the people of that place and the community. Does that make sense?

Aaron: Absolutely does. And I think it's something that I always strive to do is help bring perspective to the cities that we Descend on quote unquote, um, you know, we're, we're just normal people, just like them, like straight up, um, and a lot of us, you know, I feel like people have a stigma of what people that live in their vehicles are like, and we have now had this stigma after living in their vehicle for X amount of years of what People that live in households are like, and the reality is we're not, we're, [00:27:00] we're really not that different from one another.

We're, we're all the same. The difference between us, well, I would say similar, but like the reason why we choose to live out of our vehicles is because we're pursuing a lifestyle that feels more suitable to us. And while that lifestyle might not feel suitable to you, like that's okay.

ayana--she-her-_2_11-08-2023_161438: Totally. Yeah. I think as human beings, we're all just doing our best to live like our most authentic and beautiful lives. Like,

Aaron: Period.

Ayana: Yeah, period. Like, can we all just agree on that? Like, I don't really care whether you live in a house or you live in a tent. Like if that's, if it's what makes you happy and what feels like brings you closer to your sense of like purpose.

Then I'm all for it.

Aaron: I couldn't agree more.

Ayana: Yeah.

Aaron: I would totally agree with that.

Ayana: . So how has money making DJ wise [00:28:00] gone? Have you found it to be like a pretty solid supplemental stream of income or is it like very up and down fluctuates or

Aaron: I think it always comes into how much effort I'm really willing to put into hustle, right? And I don't mean that in a bad way. I just mean in the sense of like, you can shoot out all the emails. You can go into every brick and mortar establishment and be like, here's who I am. Book me for a gig. And if I'm not doing that, obviously I'm not going to have as many gigs if I'm doing that every single day of the week.

Um, and there are definitely more times in my life when I feel more motivated to hustle in that regard, and I feel like. When I do hustle very, very hard, it does create a really good supplemental income for me. And that's all I could really ask for is, um, you know, I feel like creatives, it's really hard in that sense of.

We [00:29:00] consistently feel like we need to put ourselves out there to get, to be noticed, to get attraction, whatever it may be. And that honestly, a lot of time results in us taking, doing stuff for free. And I feel like I've gotten to the point. In my personal career where I've done enough free stuff to the point where, you know, I know what I am capable of and I know what I can provide for your establishment.

So here's how much I would like to be paid. And most of the time venues are like, that is totally reasonable and we're happy to do that for you.

Ayana: Totally. Yeah. It's cool because a couple of things. One, I think being on the road with like the resilience and the flexibility that it teaches you in so many ways, it's nice to have that financially too, right? To have these like multiple ways of making money and [00:30:00] getting your needs met. And, and some of those that scratch your creative itch, you know, and like really like feel that fire and others that feel like something you can clock into and clock out of, you know, where the hustle isn't as involved, but you're not having to send the emails or shake the hands or like do that constant self promotion.

It's nice to have that kind of breadth. Um, and I feel like for art too, like. I don't know. I feel this way. I feel like if I was trying to make a full living making jewelry, at some point I would just hate it.

Aaron: yep. Mm hmm.

Ayana: And I feel like maybe that your seasonal work kind of gives you that flexibility too.

Aaron: They're both sides are completely fulfilling would say the creative one when I get to scratch my creative itch is way more fulfilling But there definitely is that [00:31:00] idea of burnout that you talked about like if I'm trying to hustle my entire life to DJ It's honestly kind of the reason why New York became mundane to me.

Um, not to be rude towards weddings because self promo, I am happy to DJ your wedding and I'm good at it. So if you're looking to hire a wedding DJ, definitely look into DJ Aaron. But there is that cookie cutter formula that comes with DJing weddings that comes with DJing bar and bat mitzvahs that it didn't scratch the creative itch nearly as much as what I'm doing now.

Ayana: Definitely.

Aaron: So, um, yeah, so I can totally understand that idea of like, if I was doing it full time, the burnout that does come along with it.

Ayana: hmm. Yeah, do you feel like you're at a place now where it's like pretty, um, balanced? Like, have you found kind of a sweet spot?

Aaron: Absolutely. I think I'm [00:32:00] turning a healthy balance into it now. And I think that, um, honestly, DJing is only just scratching the surface or the tip of the iceberg of what my entrepreneurial goals really are. Um, the big thing is, uh, more than just being a DJ is being an event producer. And that's the route that I want to go in.

And it's all just stepping stones to get to that point. Right.

Ayana: Yeah, totally.

Aaron: Um, I would say that, yeah, I have found the healthy balance. I am continuing to grow those goals and dreams, and I'm not going to push away those goals and dreams for some silly little rat race that a lot of us fall into myself included.

Ayana: Yeah, totally. It's really easy to fall into it. And I think, um, getting from not knowing how to make a living on the road To [00:33:00] like breaking even or paying for your expenses on the road is like the hardest leap, you know, like once you have that done, then like you're saying your entrepreneurial entrepreneurial spirit can kind of take over and like, what are we doing now?

How can I do more? How can I get into event production in the nomadic space or whatever it is that's next for you? Um, but really getting from not living in a vehicle to I, uh. Living in a vehicle full time, traveling, and being able to pay for your life is, it's a tricky jump.

Aaron: Absolutely. And, you know, I would say like, I love travel and I love seeing these, this beautiful country first and foremost. Um, that's another reason why I lived in the van. It, you know, Like diving in the entrepreneurial route is definitely something that I've enjoyed living out of the vehicle for, but travel is some travel was always the priority before else.[00:34:00] 

Ayana: yeah,

Aaron: like you said, finding a way to sustain that is. The ultimate goal that I feel like a lot of us going on the road or wanting to get on the road are striving for

Ayana: totally. And so, yeah, getting kind of into like the nuts and bolts, because I do feel like it's common for artists. Not only do we love travel and the newness and the novelty, a lot of us do, um, but there is this idea of if I can get my living expenses lower, right, not paying for rent, not paying for, you know, electricity or any of those things, then I'll have a better chance at making more substantial income from doing my art, from DJing, from creating.

Has that been true for you? How, how has like expenses gone?

Aaron: expenses. Honestly, unless you're trying to travel to seven states in a [00:35:00] month, it's not super crazy in that regard. You know, if you take rent as a variable and then just exchange that with. Gas, that is your rent essentially. And you are cutting that down by at least a thousand to 1, 500 a month. If you are, , just, you know, I wouldn't say slowly traveling, but traveling at a comfortable pace.

Um, and then. You know, groceries and just leisure, I would say if you're budgeting them appropriately, you don't have to be living the bare bones lifestyle that people think like roughing it in the vehicle is actually like.

Ayana: Totally. Yeah, I feel like And it's changed a lot over the years for Andy and I, cause we've done a lot of different things and life has just looked a lot of different ways. [00:36:00] I feel like right now we're in this sweet spot of like, if I plan on 1, 500 a month, I am like, comfortable, happy, can do everything that I want to do.

We can travel however much we want to travel, have a few meals out here and there, and have things like insurance, health insurance, all of those things covered.

Aaron: Yep, I would say from gas to car insurance to food, um, and I also pay renter's insurance as well, just for all of my belongings that I carry along with me. Um, yeah, it is significantly less than what it was when I was living in New York City. For sure. From a numbers standpoint. I mean, I know you said you and Andy are like 1500 a month if you can earn around that much. I think i'm kind of like a thousand a month if you can earn a thousand a [00:37:00] month and you're You're,

Ayana: You're set.

Aaron: especially as solo traveler.

Ayana: Yeah, yeah, and I feel like, again, you know, I know everyone's lives are so variable, the things we spend money on are so different, that number will be different for everybody, but I do feel it's helpful for people to have a solid number in their head of like, okay, if I could figure out how to piece together X number of dollars a month, I think I could.

take the leap, you know, or take that jump.

Aaron: Absolutely. Yeah. I couldn't agree more with that., I have a lot of friends that can do it way more bare bones than I do and respect to them.

Ayana: Totally. Mad respect. Mad respect to everybody. You know, again, like I said, like there's no right or wrong way to do this. It's all about what works for you and what makes you happy.

Aaron: Yep. Absolutely. And I think that's what we're all searching for at the end of the day is just being happy.

Ayana: Yeah. Yeah. Anything else that's like top of mind when it comes to [00:38:00] making money on the road or Anything else, like, related to the finance part of the conversation we've been having?

Aaron: I would just say that, you know, however you can make it work, like do it and everyone is going to look different and don't compare yourself to another nomad or don't compare yourself to another person. Um, just period, just don't compare yourself to the others that then would make you feel inferior or that you're not doing it right or anything like that.

Like this nomadic journey while, The internet will make it look one very specific way. It is so different for so many people. And I think the perspective that I've gained through the people that I've met has just helped me realize that more and hopefully realize or makes people that are listening right now, realize that too.

Ayana: Yeah. Yeah, it really [00:39:00] looks as different from person to person as we are, you know, as people.

Aaron: And, you know, I was going to say, if you want to be a remote worker, like work to get that remote job. If you want to be a seasonal person that just works their butt off to make X amount of money, and then just be able to screw off for four or five months until you have to go back and then make that X amount of money again, like.

That is like, whatever you want to do, you can do it. And that's cool. That's good. No one's going to be judging you for whichever route you decide to take.

Ayana: No. And I think something that has been mentioned on a few of the episodes, but that I'll say again here is like, there are so many opportunities on the road where your skills, what makes you uniquely you, and the things that you're passionate about will like fit in like a puzzle piece into some scenario that you've randomly found yourself [00:40:00] in.

And that can catapult you into whole other realms of possibility and opportunity that you would have had no way of knowing existed before you got out there.

Aaron: Yep, uh, I would say that these two years of me living on the road have brought a massive amount of experience in life that 25 years of my life before that just felt so like I was like, why have I not experienced this before? Like why did everything feel so mundane and dull? Like this is this is this is how life should be lived in my opinion

Ayana: Yeah. Obviously, you're preaching to the choir with me, but I think so too. I think so too, for sure. Um, any advice you have, we can maybe like leave the financial piece, but just general [00:41:00] advice you have for people who are thinking about doing this or dreaming about doing this

Aaron: Um, I know it's gonna sound really cliche when I say it but I will say it anyway, and that's just Do it, do it. If there's any idea that you have in the world that you want to pursue, just do it. Take the risk. It's better to take the risk than not take the risk and sit and dwell on whether or not you should have taken that risk.

Right? Like dive into that uncomfortable feeling, um, of doing something that feels outside of your comfort zone. Um, and. Yeah, but like, yeah, I would say life is too short, don't like actually do the things that you want to do in life and don't worry so much about the aesthetic appeal or am I living up to the, the criteria that the internet has made me think that all these [00:42:00] people live, right?

Like you felt like one thing I've learned about this nomadic community is one, they, they are not going to judge you for. Living out of a car versus living out of a completely built out and bougie box truck. Um, and, like, in that regard, um, yeah, yeah, I, I don't know, it sounds very, very cliche, but just, just go do it.

Ayana: Yeah, I think cliches are cliches for a reason, you know, and um, I think it's, it's kind of the best advice that we have because if anybody is drawn to it, there's really only one way to do it, 

Aaron: Yeah, I don't know, I could, I could go on days for days with cliches, but it's genuinely how I feel, like, um, I don't know, I am the type of person that questions everything, questions every direction, every path that I choose to take, and I always [00:43:00] get in my own head of whether or not this was the right decision, but then, like, when I take the broader picture back, I'm like, I had an idea, yeah.

And now I'm living that idea. And there are so many people in this life that actually can't say that. And that's sad.

Ayana: There's so much that comes up along that journey that we have to confront in ourselves and our circumstances and in all of these things. And I feel like that's why people don't just do it, right?

Because it's like, it's kind of a windy road.

Aaron: It just seems daunting and scary, right? That's, that's probably what it is. And I think that that's why so many of us get paralyzed. Right? Um, you know, I'm sitting here online looking at these massive water tanks and this crazy electrical system that I need to build out. And I'm like, screw it. I'm just going to get a five gallon water jug [00:44:00] and a Jackery and I'll be fine.

Like.

Ayana: Yeah. And again, going back to your baby steps comment, you know, you don't have to have it all the way figured out. And in fact, when you don't have it all the way figured out, then you're leaving more room for the magic of of what can continue to unfold to actually unfold.

Aaron: Yes. And I think that, yeah, I think that even if you don't like, like you said, baby steps, and if you're not a hundred percent there, it doesn't, it really doesn't, um, just effing do it. Like if, you're listening to this podcast right now and you're like, you know, you've been daydreaming about living in a rig, like do it.

And I will say. I know my story definitely caters more towards the mid 20 year olds, late 20 year olds, early to mid 30 year olds that are kind of like still [00:45:00] figuring out their lives and figuring out what their place and their purpose are in this life. I understand that tiny home living doesn't just apply to my demographic, but also applies to.

Like retired couples and families that have been working corporate jobs for their life and are kind of just tired of that. Like, I think the advice that I'm giving still applies to them as well, but I do understand the nuance of my, my story and my advice, definitely who it applies to more, like, trust me, I get that.

Ayana: Yeah, totally. You know, I think, yeah, that just doing it means a lot of different things for a lot of people, right? What do you have to figure out? You know, do you have kids that you need to figure out? How am I going to get them rooms and a rig, right? They're all of our stories, right? Are different shades like we've been talking about and the, the drawbacks or the hurdles that you're going to have to climb over will be different for, for everyone, for [00:46:00] sure.

Um, Where can people find you on the internet in case they want to hire you for your incredible DJ services?

Aaron:Oh, well, you can find me on the internet at driftalongdjaaron,

and that's A A R O N. I like going by A A Ron from the Key Peele sketch because it's easier. Um, but yeah, Drift Along DJ Aaron is where you'll find me on Instagram, Spotify, SoundCloud. Um, I create a playlist on Spotify every week where I choose 12 new songs, um, that, uh, are across all different genres.

And it's a great way for people to explore and find new music. Um,

cool.

Aaron: posting really cool content on Instagram consistently. Um, shout out to all the amazing nomads that have helped me create some really, really cool [00:47:00] videos.

And, um, yeah, find me on the internet of driftalongdjaaron, and I am getting ready to launch a website soon.

Ayana: Yay! Well, yeah, let us know when that's up and running and we'll add it to the show notes, but we'll have the Spotify everything linked below so people can click directly, um, there.

Aaron: Sweet.

Ayana: you so much for taking the time to chat today. I feel like you shared a lot of. Not only like philosophical advice, but actually really like practical advice for folks who are, who are dreaming about doing this or thinking about doing it.

And you know, everybody's story shares another little nugget that somebody might take and say, Oh, that really works for me or, Oh, I could do that. So. Thank you. Thank you.

Aaron: It was my absolute pleasure, and if even one person can just take a little tidbit from [00:48:00] what I said, and that resonates with them, then I'm happy. It's, it's been, honestly, it's been a lot of fun. It's been a great conversation and where am I going to see you guys down the road next?

Ayana: Ooh, probably Skooliepalooza. Are you going to Skoolie? 

Aaron: I got some surprises, but I'm just gonna shhh.

Ayana: Well, now I want to know. right, everyone. Well, we'll wait to hear about DJ Aaron's surprises, and I will see you back next week for another episode of the Tiny Home Tours podcast. Bye!

Aaron: Thanks guys!

Outro: 

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