Ahhh Warmth!

So the other day, I finally got the furnace running, and I can happily say it kicks out a LOT of heat. The van warms up in about 5-10 minutes from really cold, to cooking hot. Comfort is important when living in a van, and it will be interesting to see what the winter brings.

Canadian winter's a renowned for how cold they are, but here in Calgary, Alberta, our winters are usually a bit milder thanks to our proximity to the Rocky mountains. Southern Alberta, and more specifically the Calgary area is the only place in the world that gets Chinooks. These Chinooks can bring a -30C/-22F day to +10C/50F in a matter of a couple hours, and then hold that temperature for a week or more.

The plan for the van's heating is to install a digital thermometer, and set it to keep the van at about 10C/50F while I am away at work, and jump to 21C/70F about 15 minutes before I'm scheduled to come home. This way I save money on propane, and don't freeze my water tank either. I know that I'll be spending far more money on propane over the winter than during the summer, and next year I'll make sure to save up "winter money".

I've read many blogs where other vandwellers head south for the winter, but as a vandweller with a stable career, I do not have that luxury. I have yet to read of anyone else attempting to winter in Canada.

This will be interesting.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

It's been raining for over a week now, and I haen't seen the sun. My SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is actually affecting me earlier than normal as well. Usually, I get affected by the disorder starting in about January, and the worst in February where I get to the point of not getting out of bed, missing work, and using up all my sick days. Over this past weekend, getting out of bed before noon was a struggle, and that doesn't normally happen for a couple more months... I suppose all the stresses of this past year have pushed my depression into overdrive...

I'm currently staying in a friends place as I can't seem to get the furnace running on the van, and may not be able to. The weather is getting very cold and it hasn't reached above 8C in a week. We're actually expecting some snow tonight according to the Weather Network.

I wonder about others living in their vans, and motorhomes, and how many have SAD, and what they do to combat it?