What is Hoboxia? (and old blog)

This is a link to the old blog. (will open in new window)

Way back in the olden days of 2008, I began a road adventure of indeterminate length for the purpose of jump starting my book series, Leopold & Brink. In some ways, though I use Los Angeles as a homebase, I am still on that journey. Having finished the first book of the series, I venture back out to write about the Hoboxian experience.

The image above tracks the first two routes, each beginning in Los Angeles – the ORANGE from February 2009 to February 2010; the PURPLE from March 2010 to February 2011.

Here’s the projected third trip in dashed RED AND WHITE …

The origin of the word Hoboxia comes from the vehicle Solomon and I travel in. Knowing I’d be doing a great deal of camping (woodsy and urban), I needed a car with plenty of room and one that didn’t attract attention. The boxy shape and vast rear storage space of the Honda Element beat out the other contender, the Toyota FJ Cruiser. It wasn’t long before the car had its name – Hobox (a hobo in a box. Other meanings optional). And so Hoboxia is the nation that exists while inside Hobox, extending some distance around the vehicle, based on supply runs and the King having a stroll and aggravating birds. The territory is ruled by an old Javanese monarch named Solomon, and administered by me, Fink.

The version of Hobox shown above was an early manifestation and it got more convoluted over several months, adding a book shelf, elaborate lighting schemes, and more, before it became much simpler and sparse. Now I just have a slightly larger bed and a couple more storage containers to make up for no longer using the Yakima car box on top (a highly efficient feature for storage but the extra height cuts down urban parking significantly).