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uruk- t1_ivkf5hw wrote

the US is such a naturally beautiful country. one day i'm going to try and spend months just cruising from state to state.

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SpennyHotz t1_ivkx9fn wrote

My buddy Jason has been doing it for over 5 years. He's a van lifer with his wife. I'm insanely jealous.

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fotografamerika t1_ivl2rce wrote

How does he afford it?

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OverTheCandleStick t1_ivlhnky wrote

Trust funds help. But I know a few people who work remote and just need solid internet. They have starlink and weboost antennas on their rig.

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tyler_the_noob t1_ivm0m4j wrote

People act like van life-ing is so expensive but you're basically homeless. There's far less costs than actually renting or owning a home, because you're literally living outside, in a van. lol

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SpennyHotz t1_ivm76wj wrote

He ran a statistics ad company and made really good money, his wife is a CPA. They had a huge house. His daughter went off to college and his son was unfortunately killed in a car accident when he was teen, which kinda spiraled him in to retiring early at 45, selling everything, and seeing the country before he's too old to really enjoy it. His wife is still a CPA but works from the laptop/starlink. Now he's full on landscape and bird photography.

They had a big rv but decided the van was more cost efficient for what they do.

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MayonaiseBaron t1_ivkj7cs wrote

And this is in a very small, urbanized state too.

Edit: Massachusetts is the 7th smallest state, 15th most populated, and ranks 3rd in population density. I'm not sure why people downvoted this. Yes it has rural areas and yes they are lovely, but it is absolutely a small and urbanized state.

I lived in Maine and NH before I lived in MA and though its my cultural obligation to dunk on it, I do love this state.

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mitigationideas t1_ivknx1b wrote

The Berkshires are much more rural

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MayonaiseBaron t1_ivkshuu wrote

Rural for the Northeast anyway.

Also Mt Greylock isn't in the Berkshires, its part of the Taconic Mountains. The Berkshires are a different formation to the east.

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canadacorriendo785 t1_ivkvb23 wrote

Yeah the Housatonic/Hoosick Valley is actually pretty urbanized by the standards of a lot of the country.

Its absolutely gorgeous out there though. The valley between the Berkshires/ Green Mountains and the Taconics is easily my vote for the most beautiful place in New England.

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The_Deadlight t1_ivlmrnc wrote

I'm looking at this mountain as I type this from none other than: The Berkshires

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mitigationideas t1_ivl3odh wrote

I wasn't referring to the Berkshire Mountain range just the county name.

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TechnoRedneck t1_ivm6iyj wrote

I love in Adams MA, Mt Greylock is in Adams MA, where also in Berkshire County, so....

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shewantstheicepick t1_ivlg7ea wrote

Sorry, but that's just not true. Source: lived in Berkshires.

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MayonaiseBaron t1_ivlneww wrote

If you lived in the region you should have read up on its geology a bit more.

"Written in Stone" by Chet and Maureen Raymo is a great introduction to the geology and topography of the Northeast.

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mattmacphersonphoto OP t1_ivloa4j wrote

Although I agree with your split hair definition, 99% of the time when people say “The Berkshires” they are referring to Berkshire County, and the landscapes and villages therein.

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shewantstheicepick t1_ivlqd9d wrote

"Berkshire County is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded in 1761. The Berkshire Hills are centered on Berkshire County. Residents are known as Berkshirites."

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MayonaiseBaron t1_ivlqvpq wrote

"The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range (/təˈkɒnɪk/) are a range of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western Vermont. A physiographic region of the larger New England province, the range includes notable summits, including its high point, 3,840 feet (1,170 m) Mount Equinox in Vermont, and 3,489 feet (1,063 m) Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts."

I really don't understand why everyone is bent out of shape over this.

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judgepenitant t1_ivma09n wrote

Culturally, the term "Berkshires" includes all of the highland region in western Massachusetts west of the Connecticut River and lower Westfield River. The cultural region also includes the Taconic Mountains bordering New York, which are geologically distinct from the Berkshires orogeny. Southwest Vermont and the Taconic region of New York are occasionally grouped with the Berkshires cultural region.

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Butthole_Vesuvius t1_ivmfmhh wrote

People are bent out of shape because you are using the technical scientific definition that no one who lives here uses. While Greylock is a part of the Taconic range, everyone who lives here just refers to the area as The Berkshires. If a person asked me where I live, I would say "The Berkshires," not "in the valley between the Taconic range and the Berkshire Hills."

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tyler_the_noob t1_ivm0dsj wrote

Hey friend, if you keep the mindset that you've gotta see it all in one go that may actually keep you from seeing it at all. Try going on closer trips, for longer, to start your approach. That way you get to actually interact and be in the places you're in, giving yourself time to experience it, instead of accidentally rushing through because you're excited about the next spot. Hope that makes sense!

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