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A podcast that explores what it means to work with purpose by interviewing people who are working for more than just a paycheck.
Are you in corporate America grinding away the weeks as you watch the years fly by? Do you have that voice in your head that’s asking for something more? But you shouldn’t complain, right? You’ve got a good job, good pay, good benefits. There’s people out there that would kill for a job like that. But that little voice just won’t go away.
I’m your host Gino. And as an ex 9-5er I know that feeling all too well. I worked in corporate for 6 years before I finally decided to walk away, choosing to live my life a little differently. And since then, I’ve met some pretty amazing people who do work that positively impacts the people around them, their communities, and the world. This podcast exists to share their stories, and to help inspire you to do the same. Leave that job that you hate and to start working towards your purpose.
Welcome to working towards our Purpose, a podcast that
offers a different perspective on what a job can be. For everyone
out there that's heard that voice in the back their head, asking for
something more. It's time to listen to it. I'm your host,
Gino, and join me as I interview people who have decided to
work in their own purpose. Together, we will learn, become
inspired, and hopefully find our own path towards working in our
purpose.
Joining me today is Chelsea Paquin, who is an astrologer, a full
time band lifer, a podcast host, and a certified microdose
Practitioner Among Other Things. Chelsea, welcome to Working Towards Our
Purpose. How are you doing today? I'm great. Thank you for having
me. Yeah. I'm excited that you're here, and I have so many things I wanna
ask you about. But I guess the first question would be, like,
how would you describe yourself and, like, what what do you do in your own
words Oh. And, you know, kinda go from there. Yeah.
So, I mean, you summed it up perfectly in your intro.
So I am a van lifer. I feel like first and foremost,
that is how I live my life. Day to day is in
My beautiful van. You know? And then I also work
full time in marketing. And then on the side, I'm an astrologer. I
do a lot of Natal chart readings and just working with people
to kind of understand their lives in a different way
or put different language to it than They have before. And then
through astrology, I have also discovered podcasting for
1. So started a podcast And then also the
certified microdosing practitioner. So those are kind
of all connected. And One of the big things I'm actually working on
now and I would say for the last, like, 6 months is how to combine
all of those things. I've learned astrology brought me to all of them, and
now I'm like, Okay. How do I put them all together?
Very cool. So I'm definitely interested in, like, the whole
man life thing and how you got into it. There was a certain point in
my life where I was, like, really interested in it, and I think we both
followed the same passion. Because I remember you brought it up in your podcast one
time. Can't remember her name. Is it Sydney, Divine on
the Road? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I so I followed her for a while, and then
I remember, like, watching all these YouTube videos and stuff about it. I never did
it. But Yeah. How did you, like, originally get into it, and what was
the, like, process like? And how long have you been doing it? Yeah.
So today is actually our 4 year van life
anniversary. So Congratulations. Thank you.
Halloween of 2019, we moved out of our apartment.
So, yeah, we got into it though. So it was my boyfriend and I.
We had been dating about a year, I guess, at that point. We had been
friends before that, but we were dating about a year living up in New
Hampshire, And it was winter. I remember it. It was, like,
December of that year, and we were both
kind of like, I'm so sick of this winter. I'm so sick of snow. I'm
so sick of the northeast. Like, let's move. So we were looking at where
we wanted to move. We knew we wanted to go somewhere warm. We knew we
wanted to day in more urban areas, you know, whether it was
a big city or a small city, just somewhere with something to do.
We really couldn't decide. We bought a huge map and put it on the wall,
put pins in everywhere we might wanna move, and then we were
like, Well, I guess if we visit all of these places with our
2 weeks of PTO that we have every year, in
30 years, we'll know where we wanna move. And
so we were, like, really grappling with that. And we were like, do we just
move somewhere that we think we'll like? We talked a lot about, like, Southern California.
We talked about Nashville. Talked about Atlanta, I think, at one
point, Austin, you know, all these, like, up and coming, like, cool
cities. And then, Yeah. I came across it was on
Pinterest. We were actually just talking about it the other day. I don't know what
I searched on Pinterest, and divine on the road
came up For van life. And we actually knew someone who had done van
life before that, like, in our own lives. And I
remember, you know, it was, like, 2 years Before we were thinking about it, and
I remember being like, Carla and Jake are insane for doing this.
Like, this is so bizarre. Why are they doing it? I did not get it
at all at the time. And then seeing Sydney's post on
Pinterest, I was like, Now this is a way to get
around our 2 weeks PTO and going to visit everywhere we
want to in the country. And so I brought it up to him. He
originally was, like, not that into it. He was pretty open, but he was
like, I don't know. Like, you're gonna do this. It's so not
like me to be into this van life thing. We We're
like, let's just go look at vans. We went to the dealership, found
1 we liked, and then bought it. And we were
like, I remember I cried the whole way home. It was like such a
one, it wasn't impulsive necessarily, but it was definitely,
like, all ideas. And then when we bought it, I was like, oh
my god. Like, now we own this van, and now we have to live in
it. Yeah. I, like, cried the whole way home, and I was like, can we
return it? And he was like, You gotta be fucking kidding me. No. We bought
this van. We're doing it. And so we built it out. We thought we were
gonna do it for a year, And here we are 4 years
later, still doing it, loving it, rocking it.
So, yeah, that was kind of how it started.
That's awesome. So did you, like, how did
that work in with, like, the work that you were doing? Like, did you did
you already work remote at that point, or did the both of you? Yeah. So
we were both working full time jobs in marketing
In New Hampshire, so 9 to fives every day,
normal, like, jobs, and the plan was to just freelance.
So once we bought the van, we started trying to find clients and do
it on the side. And I actually
Ended up getting fired from my job, like, 2 months after we bought the
van, yeah, which was, like, a total shock
To my system, I was like, I'm such a good worker. This is so not
like me. It had no reflection on me as a worker. It's taken me a
very long time to, like, come to terms with that, but I was, like, Shook.
I was like, holy shit. So I immediately I was like,
alright. I guess I'm freelancing now. Like, I guess I'm
diving head first into it, Which ultimately, like, it all
worked out, obviously. I found some clients, and then
he went maybe, like, a month before we moved into the van
Full time, he had gotten enough freelance clients and quit his
job. So it was definitely a transition period. And
then I ended up The day we moved into the van
was the same day I started freelancing for the company that now I
work full time for. So it all kinda, like, comes full
circle in that way. Awesome. So I'm assuming that, like,
you went to college for marketing and that sort of thing. And, like, is
that still something that I imagine you can use in, like, all the other things
that you do too? Marketing is, like, such a useful skill that
I'm I'm learning as I'm going on my own, and know nothing about.
Did you yeah. Did you always, like, want to get into marketing and, like, we're
interested in it? Or No. No. Honestly.
I changed my major, I don't know, like, 8 times In
college, when I went to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do.
All I knew was I really liked to read and write. So I
went in undecided, and then I Was like, oh, I'll be an English major.
Pretty quickly, I was like, I like to read and write,
but not, Like, these academic books. I'm like, I just
kinda like to read more leisurely, and I don't wanna have to write papers on
it. So then I was like, maybe I'll be a journalist. I think
I was an anthropology major at one point. I have a
minor in psychology and English, and then I ended up in communications.
And, basically, the only reason I landed there was if I changed my major one
more time, I would not have graduated on time. So I was
kinda like, I guess I'm doing this. Nice. So what did it look
like when you graduated college? Like, did you go out job
hunting like, you know, any other college kid or, like I remember,
like, for me, it was, I took, like, a bunch of time
off and, like, I didn't, like, initially get a job and I, like,
waited for a long time. What what did that look like for you
when you graduated? Yeah. So I graduated from
Yukon, And then I actually was lucky
enough that one of my internships I had an internship for a nonprofit,
like, the summer Before my senior year, I guess, and I
actually worked for them all through my senior year part time. So it was
nice when I graduated. I I had that job with them, so I was able
to just kinda, like, Go right into it. I was running events for them, which
I loved. I loved that job. I would have never left if it
were up to me, but it was just part time. So, eventually, it got to
the point. I was living at home. I was commuting from from my
parents' house, which is in, like, Northwest Connecticut Down to
Hartford. So it's like an hour 15 drive
each way. Sometimes further, but I got to travel a
lot With them, which is really cool, I went, like, all over the country running
events for them, not getting paid very well with it being a nonprofit.
And, eventually, my mom Was like, okay. I think
you need to, like, get out of the house. You need like, let's find you
a real job. Let's do it. And so I ended up applying at the company
she worked Which was headquartered up in New Hampshire, and that's how I ended
up in New Hampshire, was I got just like a
marketing associate job there. I moved up. I knew Silly no one.
It was the scariest thing I've ever done to this day
was getting in the car and driving up there With no apartment, no place to
live, the company put me in a hotel for, I think, like, 6 weeks.
Yeah. It was just great. And then I moved in with 2
guys who I met through like, a girl at work was like, I
heard you need an apartment. I know these 2 guys who are looking for a
roommate. And And I was like, not really how I pictured
it, but at this point, like, I guess, I went and met them.
They are, like, 2 of my closest friends To this day, it's how I met
my boyfriend. So it all ended up, like, working out.
I couldn't have asked for more in the end, but it was definitely a leap
of faith to, like, get there. So when you first
got into, like, working for a marketing job and you we were up in New
Hampshire, was it something that, like, you enjoyed and, like, you felt like you
were learning and because my experience, like, once I got
into jobs from college. I was just like
confused. And I I mean, definitely different industries,
but I w I went from like learning so much information
and, like, always being challenged in college to then, like,
getting this job where there was, like, so little required of me, and I was
just, like, always confused. What was what was your experience from, like,
going to college to working full time? Yeah. So I think
in some ways, it sounds like that, and in other ways, it was very
different. So it was a medical device company, And so I
was always confused, but I was always confused
because I had no idea what the fuck I was talking about
and, like, having to market this device and having to learn
all these things about your respiratory system. I was, like, so
far in over my head in that way that I was like, I don't even
know how to, like, market any of this stuff because I don't even know what
it does. I I'm so confused. I'm so lost. It
was a small company. They were private at the time
working on going public. The CEO was
difficult to say the least. Every time I had an interaction with him, I would,
like, have to go home crying. So it was tough.
It was very tough. I felt like in college, I
felt smart. Like, I felt like I was good at things. I felt
like I can do anything I put my mind to, and I feel like that
job, like, shattered any sense of confidence I had.
So in that way, it was pretty bad. But I did learn a lot about
marketing, I will say. It was definitely like a crash course of, like,
here's what the real world is like, and here's how you actually have to
do like, this is what you actually have to do. So that was good. And
so I did learn a lot of skills then that I still use
now, Which is good. But And then that also brought you
into, like, being able to freelance and and kinda do it on your
own? Yeah. So I left that job and then had another job
In between marketing arts and crafts. And I was like felt like
it was the best. I was like, oh my god. This Could not be
easier compared to a medical device company. Now I just get to tell people,
like, here are different crafts you can do with your paint.
Loved it. It that was great. And then that's the job that I
left to go freelance. Mhmm. And and what
did freelancing look like for you as far as, like, how to get
clients and stuff like that? Like, did you have contacts in industry
just because you were working in marketing or, like, how does one go and
get clients? Yeah. So no. I had no
contacts. I used the website Upwork A
lot. Mhmm. So that was how I started. I
was doing mostly social media, just making posts,
Graphics, captions, things like that for some really
random companies. Like, when I think about it, I'm like, oh my god. What was
I doing? There was 1 I just always laugh at. Their logo
looked like it had been made on, like, Microsoft Paint. Like, their logo is
so bad, and they were, like, a driver's ed company in Texas, I think
and the guys were nice. They were just, like, 2 older guys running this driver's
ed school. And I was like, I don't know what you want from me. Like,
I'm doing my best here, but, like, we need there are so many things going
wrong. Like, social media is not gonna help your your cause.
But, yeah, I was using Upwork a lot. I think Indeed Had
some, like, filters and stuff you could do for remote work,
LinkedIn too, but mostly Upwork. I got a lot through Upwork. And
then, yeah, I started the job I'm still at now.
I started, I think, like, 10 hours a week doing, like, Facebook ads
for them, and they taught me everything about Facebook and Instagram ads. I had no
experience, but for whatever reason, they took a chance on me. And now
I'm a VP there. I work there full time and
have a ton of clients. So, yeah, that's been
That's been good, and it's really flexible. So the whole company is remote. We have
people, like, all over the world. It's a really small company. There's
maybe, like, 10 of us Full time there. So it's been great
because it kind of allows me to make my own schedule, and as long as
the clients are happy, no one really questions What I do. And
so that really allows me to do things like the podcast or
do readings on the side. Mhmm. So when you first
started doing like the Upwork stuff, what like year was this in?
Cause I mean, everybody now can like work remote mostly.
Yeah. But, like, was this this was pre pandemic? Yes.
Yeah. It was pre pandemic. So it would have been, like, the summer of
2019. Okay. So that's what allowed you
obviously to be able to step into van life and that sort of thing. Mhmm.
Interesting. Yeah. So I Couple couple directions I
could go in. I guess I wanna ask you more so about,
like, working for the company that you do now. Because
For me, like, I've always with with my college degree, I've
always had jobs that, like, I didn't like
or didn't feel like I was making a difference or, like, there was even a
point in me showing up to work. Mhmm. But since then, like, since
quitting that career and and getting out of those large corporations that I
used to be in. I've worked for, like, smaller companies now and, like,
actually felt, like, you know, a reason to want
to work for this company And that sort of thing. Can you, like I
don't know. Tell me about, like, how how your day your quote unquote
9 to 5 is and like, is it something you ever would
want to leave or is it like a piece of you that you like, would
like to keep? Because yeah, like for some of my side jobs, like I,
right now. I wouldn't wanna leave them because I like I enjoy that piece of
it. It, like, takes you out of the business mindset and, like,
puts you in a different head space that can then They kinda help each other.
You know? So I'm curious as to, like, how that is for you. Yeah. That's
a a really good question.
I do really like it, and I definitely make a difference there, I
think. That being said, it's not really something I'm passion
about. We do lead generation for sales teams.
So that's not to say that it's soulless work,
but it sometimes, I'm like, We're just selling something
to more people and going in circles. You know?
And so I feel like I'm not super passionate About the actual work I
do, I do really like my clients. I have really good clients
typically who once I get to know them, I'm like, oh, I do want
you to succeed. You know, we work with some smaller businesses, and I'm like, oh,
I do wanna help you. This is your dream. So I do enjoy that
part of it. That being said, If I
could, you know, do astrology full time or,
you know, help people, I think, in a more meaningful way, I would
definitely leave the job I'm in now. But Mhmm. Okay.
You know, I think it's a really good and I've learned a lot
too. Like, I sometimes think that I wouldn't even know how to take the
1st step towards, like, leaving a job like that
If I didn't have this job, you know, the 2 cofounders, they started
really scrappy. They started like, they had 1 guy,
I think the story goes, had a studio apartment. The other guy was, like, living
on his couch, and they started, like, shopping around social media and
just kinda, like, Very scrappy and just, like, doing what
they could. And now, you know, not that it's a huge company by any means,
but, like, they have, Like, 15 employees. And so I've
definitely, like, just learned a lot about watching them and how they run a
business. And I really respect them.
And so I've, like, learned a lot, whereas I think the other jobs, I'm like,
I would never want a company like that, and I didn't necessarily respect the
people in charge. So even though I learned, like, technical
skills, I think from this job, I've learned a lot about what I
would want If I ever got to that point of running a company or hiring
employees, I've learned a lot from them, or, like, how to grow a business, things
like that. Yeah. That's a really good point. That that's how I feel with
the small company that I work for. It's, like, I can I have
conversations with the owners and, like, you know, they value your opinion
and, like, you can see how they treat the employees and, like, how they run
their business? And, yeah, for me, it's like a learning experience also. Mhmm. So
yeah. No. I think that's a that's a good point. Yeah. And are
you doing engineering for them? No. Not at all.
I I Completely, like, left the engineering
field with, bitter terms, I
guess, which I I think was
my path for a reason. Like, I worked for huge companies, like, put a horrible
taste in my mouth, and I was like, I'm not ever doing this again. Yeah.
I'm sure there's, like, small engineering companies out there where, like, I could find
a similar experience. But, like, no. My, like, side business now is,
like, something Or side what do you call it?
Side gig Gigs. Yeah. Whatever you wanna call it,
is, like, completely different. So I I was doing, like, various stuff. And
then, like, I kept getting burnt out, and I was like, alright, I need to
do something, like, I want to do for reasons other than money. And I
was like, Always kinda wanted to be a barista, like, maybe I should, like, apply
to coffee shops. I live in, like, a little city, and there's, like, tons of
coffee shops around. So I applied to be a barista, but it's like
a bagel shop. So, like, I did coffees at
first, but then we, like, completely got rid of our espresso machine. And, like, I
started doing different things and then, like, got involved in farmers markets and,
like, found that to be, like, such a cool culture. And, like, I love
farmers markets now and, like, I work Usually, like, 3 week. So that's
like a cool doing at the pharmacy store? Bagels.
For the company. Yeah. Yes. Which is, like, almost its own
little business in and of itself, because you're, like, I'm the only one that goes
to this market and, like, I'm selling the product. And, like, I can see, like,
how much I'm making and, like, I don't know. It's almost like a little mini
business within the business. Yeah. But for me, it's like, I don't have to worry
about, like, the product. I'm just like selling the product now. So it's
like sales and like communicating with people and like, I'm learning all these skills
that like I was weak in. So, yeah, I I now have,
like, understood, like, okay, it it's not a complete failure if you can't,
like, make your soul business or your passion,
like support you 100%. It's almost like more interesting to
have like different pieces of your life because you could go do with this thing
and then you can go do this other thing and not get burnt out in
one of them. Mhmm. So, yeah, that that's been like a big
mindset shift for me recently. Yeah. And
I feel like I mean, like you just said even, like, selling.
You know? Like, sales is such a skill that
You are learning it at bagels selling bagels at the farmer's market, but,
like, you know, eventually or if you're not already, like, you could use that to
sell your your audio, Your editing skills. You know, like, just
Definitely. Even the skills transfer. They do. Yeah.
Yeah. And and certainly, like, I've learned things in
my corporate engineering career that, obviously, I use to
this day. It's just, you know, I I because I'm bitter
about it, I I don't like to think that Yeah. No. Fuck
that. You learned nothing. It was always the time. I'm with you.
Right. Right. But actually, that kinda leads me to, like, I I kinda had
to have that mindset for me to, like, leave it because I needed to be,
like, super angry about my situation passion in order to actually make a
change. So it it was all helpful. It was none of it was, like, not
helpful. Yeah. Everything happens for a reason.
You know? Like, Or maybe I shouldn't say that, but there's always, like, the
lesson. Right? Mhmm. So Oh, always something to learn.
Yeah. Mhmm. So bringing it back to,
like, van life, because I feel like we've cut your work up to, like, the
van life portion. What was it like like, So you just bought, like, an empty
van? Because I'm just because I'm personally curious about van life.
And you just, like, put a mini apartment in it. Like, how did you do
that? Like, did you find stuff frontline. Like, did you know how to do any
of that? Or No. Yeah. So, yeah, we bought an empty
van. We were told that it was an electrician's van when we bought
it, And then we actually just discovered, like, this summer,
the light was hitting it just right on the side, and you can see where
the decal Used to be, and it was actually like a grocery
delivery van. Like a fresh produce van or
something according to the decal, which I'm like, I like that so much more
an electrician van. But yeah. So we bought it. It was completely empty.
It had, like, a 107,000 miles on it, I think,
and it was Reasonably priced. So it was before
COVID. It was before everybody was trying to do van life. I think
now the vans are way more expensive than What they
were. So we got lucky. We kinda got in, like, under the wire, but
we did not know what we were doing. I personally have never built
a thing in my life, I don't think. So I was, like, learning
how to use, like, table saws and stuff.
But my boyfriend is a little bit more savvy with
that stuff, but we watched a lot of YouTube videos and just kinda,
like, we're winging it. We started with 1 layout. We did it
for about a year, and then we switched it up a little bit.
But, I mean, we have I'm, like, looking around at it. We have An
electric stove, like an electric stovetop. We have solar, so
all our energy comes from the solar panels. We have an electric sink. We have
a fridge. So we have maybe half the amenities an
apartment would have. We're missing an oven. We don't have we use,
like, a little camping toilet. We have an outdoor shower,
so we have some things. But, yeah, that's what we did.
And it looks pretty nice in here, I would say, compared to
For doing it all ourselves. Like, we just came from a van fest last
weekend, and, you know, everybody, like, opens their doors. You can look at everyone's,
and You can tell the professionally built ones are just, like,
gorgeous. Like, we can never compete with those. But if you look at other self
Built vans. Like, we definitely compete for some of the
better looking vans, I think. Mhmm. Well, that's
what's important. Yeah. So what was it
like to, like, live in an apartment and then till now
live in, like, a confined van. Like parts of it are
confined, but then I imagine other parts of it are like way more open, like,
you know, like you were saying location dependent in like Being able to be outside
more often, like, was there a learning curve to the passion, or did you just,
like, immediately love it? No. Definitely a learning curve. I
think still, honestly, 4 years in, there's still a learning curve.
Like, yesterday, we so we went to this van fest over the weekend,
and it was right next to, Like a horse
track, I guess. I don't really know, but there were, like, flies everywhere. So
yesterday, we go to, like, our favorite spot in Arizona. So excited to go back.
We haven't been there in, like, 6 months. We get there and, like, we just
have flies everywhere in the van, and it was like, oh my god. Like, this
sucks all day. You're just, like, Trying to get the flies out of the
van. So on days like that, it's really hard to remember why we do it
because we're like, houses don't really have flies like this.
But yeah. I mean, overall, I think we are
definitely, like, used to it, obviously. But moving in, yeah, it was
definitely tough. Preparing to move in was really hard. You know, we had to get
rid of everything. So we don't own anything that's not in the
van pretty much. I think I have, like, a little box at my parents' house.
He passion it. His are just kinda like pictures and,
like, what's the word for it? I don't know. Like, emotional mementos. Mementos.
Yeah. Like, Little things that are just kinda like, you don't wanna throw them out,
but you can't keep them in the van. So, yeah, everything we own is in
the van, which If I were to, like, tell myself 5 years ago
I was gonna get rid of all my clothes and all my shoes to move
into a van, Like, I probably would have passed out. I would have been like,
no way. That's not me. So that was definitely I feel like
moving into the van was very difficult. Like, just the lead up of being
like, Holy shit. This means I have to get rid of everything. Trying
to sell it, what to donate, what to keep. That was really
tough. And then Yeah. I think once we moved in too, it's just
all of a sudden you're spending every 2nd of every day with the
same passion. And luckily, I mean, neither of us are fighters,
Which is great, but still, sometimes you can definitely tell. We're, like, get on each
other's nerves. 1 of us will be like, I'm just gonna go work outside.
Don't come after me. I just need my alone time.
But, you know, I think it also forced us
Pretty early on to, like, deal with some of those things,
and, like, how do we like to communicate with each other, You
know, what's important, what's worth kind of fighting over, what's not,
when to give each other space, when to not. I think we had to figure
that out Pretty quickly once we moved into the van. Compared to if we
were in an apartment, it's you know, especially working 9 to 5, like, we're
with each other all day and then you just come home at the end of
the day, like, it might be a little bit easier to avoid those conversations,
whereas in the van, it's like, we have to talk about it or
It'll just fester, I guess. I mean, it get miserable
for everyone. Right. There's no hiding. They can't really
Yeah. Go too far. Yeah. Seriously. So
something also that I'm interested about van life is, like, the community
aspect of it. Because, like, Yeah. You're out alone, but just like you were saying,
like, there's festivals that you go to and, like, there's other people. And I
imagine, like, the first time you meet somebody who else is doing the same thing,
like, you immediately have so much to talk about because you're, like, you
know, not not that many people do it. So when you run into somebody, it's,
like, probably super exciting. What's the, like, community of van life's
like? And I guess how has it changed since you started it? Yeah.
So I feel like It is different than
what I expected it to be like. So I kind of expected, like, based on
social media, I'm like, oh my god. Look. Everyone who lives in a van are
friends, and they all hang out all the time. That's not has not been
our experience. I think that is the experience for some people, but we'll go to
gatherings. We'll talk to purpose. We'll meet them, but we don't,
honestly, don't really have any van life, like, friends
that we are like, oh, are you going to this festival? So are we. Let's
meet up. Like if it happens by chance, it happens by chance.
But I feel like the community now so when we first got
in the van, it was right before COVID. We moved in, like, I guess, like,
what, 6 months before COVID? 5 months before COVID?
And I think the van life movement was
growing, But it definitely was not like it was
in, like, 2021. I feel like then it was like,
holy Like, everywhere we went, tons of vans, tons of RVs,
and now it's, like, starting to kinda peter out. I think people are having to
go back to work. People at that point, if you moved in in
2021, like, now it's been 2 years, I think people are
kinda ready to give it up After that amount of
time, I think it's pretty rare, especially now. It's pretty rare
for us to meet someone who's done it longer than us. Like, looking
at younger people under, like, 40. You know? We meet retirees
who are like, oh, yeah. We've been in our RV for 20 years or whatever.
But I feel like people around our age, Most of them have not been doing
it as long as us. So I feel like in a way, the community is
kinda shrinking again, which Has its
pros and cons. Sometimes we'll go to a spot and it's just, like,
totally trashed. That was kinda tough. That was a really big thing in the community
for a while. It was, like, All of a sudden you have these people moving
into vans and they don't know, like, the quote, unquote
etiquette of how to treat a place. So that can be kinda tough, but I
feel like as it's shrinking, we're kinda getting back to the people who are doing
it for, like, the I I don't I don't even know how to word it.
So I don't wanna say, like, the right reasons, but almost like the right
reasons. You know? Yeah. So do you, do you ever see yourself,
like, wanting to get out of it or, like, to stop doing it or, like,
what is that thought process like? Do you think about that? Yeah.
I Personally, I think about it every day because I am
always looking for, like, the worst thing in the world to happen. So my biggest
fear is that the van is gonna break down, and we're not ready for
it to break down completely. We've had to, like, put some
serious money into it over the years to keep it going, And we just
hit, like, 200,000 miles, like, a few months ago, and I'm like,
oh my god. Like, it's just gonna break down any day now, and then
what? So I'm always, like, catastrophizing. So I think about it
constantly, what we'll do. Depending on the day, I do
think I can't imagine not having Some sort of
vehicle that allows us to travel. So I don't know if we'd build another
van, but maybe, like, a small RV, we'd start
looking for I think the freedom it's
given us, I can't imagine giving up.
Like, the thought of Still, I mean, we've been traveling to all these places for
4 years to, like, find a place to live. I'm still like, I
wouldn't wanna live any of these places full time. Like, even the
only place I'm, like, maybe San Diego because San Diego is, like,
beautiful weather every day. But, otherwise, I'm like,
I wanna be in Arizona in the winter, but I wanna be Northern
California in the summer, and I wanna be in the northeast for the
holidays and The fall. You know? So
I don't know. We talk about it a lot, but I honestly have no idea
if or when We would settle down.
Yeah. It's kind of a a nice, I think, aspect of
living like that is, like, the unknown part of it. Like, you're
saying, like, you can just break down and then now you have to deal with
it. And it's like I don't know. I kinda like the aspect of
being forced to have less control over your life. Because at the end of the
day, like, we really don't have that much control. We think we do, but,
like, it it's almost like a little bit of letting go, it seems
like for me. Obviously, I haven't done it, so I'm imagining, but it seems like
part of that is, like, being able to go with the flow and, like, having
to deal with situations as they arise.
Mhmm. Yeah. It's definitely a practice in surrender
for sure. Mhmm. And, like, you know, we I think a lot about
it happened earlier this year. I don't even remember why we
went. Something was wrong with the van, but we didn't think it was gonna be
a big deal. We were like, oh, okay. A few
Oh, what does that mean? And they were like, it means you owe us
$5,000, and we are gonna have to, like, replace the whole bottom of your
van. And it's like, shit. I mean, I guess. Like, I guess
we have to do that. Right. And so I feel like and then it's like,
oh my god. Now we have to, like, go live in a hotel for days
and Whatever. Yeah. I mean, it's just always something, and it does make you
realize that we have zero control. We have no
idea what's going on, what's gonna happen next.
Like, you could be our engine light came on a few days ago. Our
door handle broke off, like, 2 weeks ago. We still haven't fixed it. So,
like, now I usually, my boyfriend drives, so, like, I'll get in the
passenger seat and, like, have to open the door from the inside for him. Shit
like that. It's just always An adventure, for sure.
Yeah. No. That that's really cool. That's
one way to put it. Yeah. Yeah. No. I I I like, that is interesting
to me. Like, I think that that's that's a cool cool way to live.
Yeah. We're definitely, like, always problem solving. I feel like the problem
solving Part of my brain has probably grown, like,
500 sizes since moving into the van. You
know? Like, there's no Landlord to call if something
breaks. There's no it's like if something happens, like, we have
to fix it. You know? Mhmm. Yeah. Right. That's true. I guess
I didn't think about that. That that's kinda, like, the nice thing about living in
an apartment is you don't have any responsibilities really except for paying
your rent. It's like Yeah. Something can break. It's like, whatever. I don't care. Just
hap I'll call somebody and they'll fix it. Mhmm. Yeah. So that's
funny. So kinda changing topics
and and getting into the other major part of Your
life, I guess, is astrology. And, like, how when did that start in relation
to van life? And, like, how did that start? Yeah. So it started,
I guess it was late 2020, I think.
And Alyssa, the cohost of the
Or the ex cohost, I guess, of the podcast. That's so hard to say.
She and I have been friends since college, and She just texted me and was
like, hey. I just signed up for this astrology class. Do you wanna do it
with me? And it was virtual, and I was like, Yeah.
Sure. Why not? I feel like it was still kinda COVID, so, you
know, not everything was open. Definitely still, like, keeping to yourself more
than Usual, and it was like, sure. Why not do this thing on, like, a
Tuesday night? And I just fell in love with it.
I casually liked astrology before. You know? Like, I would read
horoscopes. I knew, like, I was an Aquarius, but I had no idea
really anything else about it, and it just seemed like, people
say astrology is, like, its own language, and I feel like it was just
something I, like, picked up immediately. And I was like, this just
makes so much sense to me on a sole level. Like, why
this matters, how it works, why it's important, You know,
without even getting into, like, all the technical aspects of it, because, like, even I
mean, I don't, like, touch the surface, you know, of all the knowledge of
astrology, but I was just like, I know in my gut, like,
this came to me for a reason, and, like, I'm supposed to,
like, spread the word about it, you know, and Teach other people
about it if I can. Yeah. I mean, you definitely
have done that for me, your guys' podcast. I mean, We originally met each
other through your podcast, and I obviously have to
listen to the podcast when I'm editing it. And it's been, like, a
huge inspiration, I guess, to me. And then you did my 1st astrology
reading, like, maybe a year ago. And, yeah, I've just been, like, more
and more and more into it as well. So you have done that.
Yeah. Thank you. I'm honored. So yeah. Like, what
I guess, like, where Do you wanna go with that?
Or, like, I don't know. I mean, you do readings now and, like,
there's there's so many things that I think people don't know about astrology. And, like,
some people either have, like, an opinion about it or maybe not an opinion about
it. But, yeah, I don't know. I I I wanna be able to, like,
have people who have bad opinions about it to maybe 2nd 2nd guess
that thought. I I know that's a horrible question to ask you, but to put
out my friend. But No. I mean, I feel like I come up
against a lot of people who are like, oh, astrology, that's so stupid.
Horoscopes aren't real. And I feel like I even have, like, family members
who are kinda like, Alright. Whatever. That's cute little kid thing
you're doing. But I feel like what I would say
to Anyone who is questioning it or not sure or not
liking it is that there is a huge difference between so
I was trained in it's called esoteric astrology, so it's very,
like, soul based. Whereas, I think if you are
reading about, You know, if you're reading your horoscope in People
magazine, like, that's great and that's a start, but that's very, like,
surface level pop Astrology. And so, you know,
the way I think of astrology and the way I think of my readings is
it's very interactive. I try not to be prescriptive
necessarily, So there's a lot of give and take. There's a lot
of questions. You know, people have told me it's almost more like a
therapy session. I've given readings to therapists before, and they're
like, oh, this is kind of how I, like, run my sessions too. And
to me, I'm like, oh my god. That's the highest compliment I could, like, ever
receive. But yeah. So, you know, and I guess
too, like, I try to make it actionable. So I don't wanna
just be like, Oh, you're a Capricorn man?
Like, you'll never fall in love. No one will ever love you.
Alright. Pay me And move on. And, like, now you get to
be toxic your whole life. Like, I would never do that. I always try to
walk away with, like, actionable, You know, actual items, I guess, that
people can do, and try and make it really
relatable to you, I guess. And so
Everybody's chart has I, you know, I start ever reading with, like, a
little spiel, and part of it is that every chart has parts that you're
gonna hear, and you're gonna be like, yep. That's me. That's Great. Love that about
myself. Woo hoo. Love this. And then there are gonna be other parts of the
chart that I bring up, and you're probably gonna be like,
Oof. Like, yeah, I hate that part about myself. You know? Oh, I
don't relate to that. And, you know, I think the biggest thing, and this
is the basis of the podcast is just being curious about that.
Everyone's chart is perfect for them. It's our energetic
blueprint. Our souls chose that chart
when, you know, it chose to come down to this world, to this
life, to this body, And so it's just,
you know, getting curious about your chart, and why do you have
such a reaction To those parts that you don't like. Why does that trigger you
so much? Really sit with it. Because at the end of the day, like, everyone
is perfect. Right? So it's just becoming familiar with
those parts of yourself and leaning into it a little bit more. And
also real you know, I say everyone's perfect. That does not mean that
we are not without faults, but that means, like, we can always
keep building and learning, if that makes sense. Yeah.
Definitely. That's for sure, like, true with me. And, like, especially when
you're saying, like, there's certain things you hear and either you don't like it or
you're, like, triggered by it. You're, like, oh, that's That's not true. That's, like, the
first reaction is to just be like, oh, that's just not true. That's why. But,
like, if you if you approach it with a more curious
mindset and just, you know, think about, like, well, why is that making me upset,
or why is that angering me? Or Mhmm. Then maybe it's like, you
know, a shadow side of you or something that you don't really realize
that could be a trait or a negative trait. So, yeah, I I think it's
all It's all interesting to me and like all,
I more so now like go into it like that open minded and think like,
how how could this apply to me? Cause like, It's interesting too, because, like, I
have this app that tells me stuff about me, and,
it's called The Pattern, which is a cool app if nobody's used it.
And, like, sometimes I'll read something and I'll, like,
not like it. Or sometimes I'll read something and be, like, oh, that, like, perfectly
applies to this situation that I'm in, but then I'll think about it. And I'm
like, well, though like, it doesn't know that I have this situate. Like, I'm the
one making that connection. So, like Mhmm. At the end of the day, it's not
like this I I don't know. I feel like some people are scared of it
because it's just telling you, like, who you are, but, like, you're also the one
that's connecting it to, like, your experience here too.
So it's like it's through your lens, but, like, I don't know, just
like guidance almost. Yeah. Yeah. And I feel like something one of the
bigger things that people One of the biggest critiques of
astrology is it's like the power of suggestion. You know,
that it's so vague that it could apply To anyone and, like so
I put that in quotes. I don't think that's necessarily true, but I
think everybody does have all 12 zodiac signs
In their personality. Some are just way stronger than others.
But if I say something and you're like, oh, yeah. That relates to me, and
then I can give you a way to move through
situation or if I say, you know, do you typically
how do you typically handle conflict? You know, you're a
Gemini, so Your way of handling conflict
is sometimes maybe you're gonna yell and sometimes you're gonna, like, shy away.
You know? Is that true for you? And then if they say yes, then we
can, like, talk about ways To move through that or learn from that. If
they say no, then it's like, alright. How do you handle conflict? And then
we can talk about it from there. You know? Like, So I think it just
becomes a new perspective of looking at
things. I think we get pretty caught up in The
way we view ourselves and the way we view the world. And so I think
a lot of people come to astrology with a certain
idea of what it means. And then when they have a reading, they walk
out of it like, oh, wow. It actually means something completely
different. And now I'm thinking about myself and situations In a
different way. Mhmm. Yeah. Definitely. I could I could
agree with that. Mhmm. So we are getting a little close
to the end of our time here, and I did wanna talk Podcast and also
talk about the transition that your podcast is going through. But I guess start
with, like, maybe telling us how the podcast started. Yeah. So the
podcast started about a year ago. So it was Alyssa and
I who we've been friends since college. We met in a sorority
there, So which is a whole story, but we came out
of it friends, and then we've been friends ever since. And I feel like the
2 of us just always have been interested in the same things.
You know, we're always, like, looking at, you know, like, wellness, and,
obviously, she's the one who even got me into astrology even though she never
really stuck with it. You know, she's the one that got me into that. I'm
taking a somatic class right now because of her. You know? Like, I
feel like we just really influence each other and teach each other a lot.
And we had both separately been thinking about starting a podcast,
and then getting overwhelmed and not doing it, And then trying to do
it again on our own and then getting overwhelmed and not doing it. And, eventually,
we were like, let's just do this together. And that was kind of how it
started, and it was A huge blessing to do it with
her. I mean, it has been, like, the biggest honor of my
life to work with her the last year doing it together, and I
understand why she had to step away, but I
also don't think I I guess I shouldn't say never,
But, like, I don't know that I would have ever started a podcast on my
own. You know? And I think doing it with her for the last year gave
me The courage, the bravery, the knowledge
to continue it without her now that she's had to step
away. Mhmm. Yeah. And and I think it's it's
also a cool idea, I guess, to even have a podcast
together because I think a lot of people start podcasts alone. But, like, to be
able to work together with somebody, like you're saying, purpose somebody
who's, like, important in your life and you feel like You
balance each other out or, like, help each other grow and learn. Like, it was
interesting, like, to hear the both perspectives that you both had,
like, during The course of the podcast. And it's
helpful sometimes to, like, do things with other people instead of just doing
it, like, alone. Like, I guess you can do it alone. Right? Like, I'm I'm
sure you could have done it alone, but it's like it's a it's a almost
a greater thing to do it with somebody else. Mhmm. To, like,
collaborate and create something that you couldn't have created alone or that she couldn't have
created alone. But yeah. So that being said, now
you're gonna do it alone. And, what what's the future of the
podcast, or or where do you want the podcast to be in the future? Is
it gonna be more towards astrology leading now? Or
Yeah. I think because she's a I guess we have to give some background. Yeah.
Because she's a therapist. Right? And and you're the astrologer, and it was kinda like
the both of you coming together to talk about Astrology and and
other things. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think by default, it
will be. I definitely think It almost gives me
more freedom now, I think, to do it on my own. So I almost see
it becoming more of, like you know, before it was a lot of health and
wellness, which I think it Will still primarily be that, but I'm
almost like, now it would make sense to have on someone
who does van life. You know, whereas before, maybe that wouldn't have made as much
sense. So I think, you know, that's just one example, but I'm
excited to kinda just Follow my curiosity a little bit more and not
have to worry about kind of the box we had put ourselves
in. I feel like now I'll be able to, You know, I can kinda just
do whatever I want because it's mine. Right? And so I think that'll be
interesting to see, like, how I choose to grow it. I don't
Really no? To be honest, I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my
pants just kinda like, oh my god. I guess this is mine now.
But, I definitely think, like, that's what comes to mind is I think
there will be you know, we'll I'll keep the same name, The Moon in Your
Mind. I love the name, So I don't ever wanna change that, but I think
it doesn't necessarily need to fit in that space
all the time anymore. You know? Maybe only 80% of the time. And I
think it'll just be like a natural progression.
Mhmm. Yeah. Definitely. I've I've certainly, I, I guess
there's, there's, helpfulness in like trying to create some sort
of box so you can, I don't know, let people know what you're doing,
but there's also kind of a nice thing to, like, not have a box and
just kind of just go and do the things, like, couple
keywords or something, but, like, Go off on just different things? Like,
that's kinda how I found this podcast to be. It's like I initially
just started, like, interviewing, and I guess I still am. Just interviewing people that I
know and, like, that I think are cool and, like, just trying to learn from
them. And the themes, I guess, kinda
interweave in and out, but, like, I'm I'm talking to people that do very different
things. Like, it's not just 1. It's not just, like, entrepreneurs
or creatives or artists. It's, like, all the
things that interest me. And that's what's kinda cool about podcasting is, like, it
can be everything that you are interested in, and then it helps
you figure out more so what you're interested in. Mhmm. So I think
it's an exciting place to be. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, the podcast
has taught me so much too and, like, You know, doing it with Alyssa.
We've had guests on who are, like,
heroes of mine, you know, and, like, When would I have ever gotten a
chance to talk to some of them? I would have had to probably pay them,
like, 1,000 of dollars for you know, to, like, talk to them and be one
of their clients, but instead, I feel like the The way podcasts are just
inherently, like, built, I guess. Like, you just get
to sit down and have a conversation with The coolest people. You know?
It's just it's incredible. It's so fun. Like, it's just I
love it. I didn't I knew I was gonna like it. There was a reason
I Felt so drawn to doing it. I did not expect to love it as
much as I do. Mhmm. Yeah. I always say that, like,
it's Even if nobody ever listens, it's so beneficial to me because I
get to have, like, long form conversations with somebody that I'm
interested in what they're doing. And, like, where can you do that? Like, normally, that's
like an ask or a favor. But here, it's like well, it's a
podcast, so it's like it's it's kind of a win win thing, I guess.
Mhmm. Yep. And so so that's been cool. Yeah. So, yeah, we're
like I said, we're coming to the inward time here. So, if people are interested
and they wanna get an astrology reading, which I would highly recommend, where
where should they go and where can they listen to your podcast? Yeah. So the
podcast is called The Moon in Your Mind. It's on every platform,
Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, I think, is another big one.
Wherever. It's everywhere that I could possibly get it. And then you
can follow me On social media, it's Chelsea Winter
Wellness. I'm trying to grow my following. That's, like, another
big project I'm doing, so I'm really out of my comfort zone doing
Reels and stuff recently. And then if you
want a reading, you can email me. It's just chelsea@chelseawinterwellness.com
or go on chelsea winter wellness.com, and you can actually just
book it right on there. Awesome. Well, I would definitely link all that
information in the show notes so people don't have to Remember and
thank you so much for being on the podcast. This was a really fun conversation.
Yeah. Thank you. This is great. Thank you
for listening to working towards our purpose. If you liked today's episode
and are interested in more, You can sign up for my Substack newsletter with the
link in the show notes where I share thoughts, tips, and ideas
that I'm learning along my journey to help inspire you. The
show was produced by Pleasant Podcast at pleasantpodcast.com.