Nomadland

Okay, here's what I owe ya.

Okay. Thank you.

You take care of yourself.

I don't see your reservation.

I'm on the Amazon CamperForce list.

Oh.

Try M‐C‐D.

There it is. Yeah.

Hmm...

Good morning, everybody.

How's everybody doing today?

All right, let me get a safety tip.

Three‐point contact. Why is it important

to maintain three points of contact?

So you don't fall down the stairs.

So you don't fall down the stairs.

Can I get a standard work tip from you?

He's an oddball, right? Ed? He's an oddball.

That's not even long enough.

Now, okay...

Some plastic...

This is Carl. Hi.

This is Angela. Hey.

Doug. Hi, Fern.

Ryan. Teresa. Hey, Fern.

Karie. Good to meet you.

And your good ol' friend...

...Linda May. And I'm Fern.

This is my friend Fern. Hey.

Hi, everybody. Hey, how're you, Fern?

Another Smith lyric I have is,

"When you're laughing and dancing, and finally living,

"you hear my voice in your head and think of me kindly."

And then also the one that means the most to me is,

"Home, is it just a word?

"Or is it something that you carry within you?"

All right. So...

Yeah, we like that. I like that one.

Yeah. Me, too.

Like, his lyrics are very deep.

And then you also have... Yeah.

Ah!

Yes? No.

So, the guy that had the van before,

he just had a mattress in the back,

but I didn't wanna keep it that way.

I wanted to build the bed up

so I could have storage underneath.

And I got these storage drawers,

one set in the front

so I could get in them from the inside,

and then another on the outside.

Very smart. I thought so.

You see that?

What is this?

This is my husband's old fishing box.

I put this little latch on it, and then when I open it,

the stopper holds it and creates

more counterspace. Ah...

And then I keep my really nice stuff inside.

My dishes that my dad gave me.

He collected these, Linda May, from yard sales,

and when I graduated from high school,

he gave me the whole set. Oh!

They are beautiful. Isn't that great?

Yeah, it's called Autumn Leaf.

I don't have that many pieces with me, but you know.

What did you name your van?

Vanguard.

Oh, that is very strong.

She is. Mmm.

Hey. Hey.

Hey, what are you doing?

(ON RADIO) ...the bears held

at the Polar Bear Holding Facility

are troublemakers who are kept imprisoned

until they settle down,

which can take anywhere from two to thirty days.

(CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYING ON SPEAKERS)

Hey, girls. It's Mrs. M.

Fern.

Hey, Brandy.

Oh, hi, Fern. Hi, kids.

Hi. Say hi to Mrs. M.

How are you?

I'm good. Good.

It's nice to see you. It's been a while.

How've you been? Good.

Good. You look good. Thanks.

You cut your hair. Yeah, I cut it.

I like it. I like it a lot. Thank you.

Are you working at Amazon again?

Yeah, I am. You like it?

Uh, yeah. Great money.

Are you still doing the van thing?

Yeah. I'm parked over at the Desert Rose R. V. Park.

Oh, we just drove by there today.

Didn't we, girls?

How's your mom? She's wonderful.

She misses you a lot.

Please tell her I miss her, too.

I will. I will. But really, Fern,

if you need a place to stay,

you can come over and stay with us.

We're worried about you.

Thanks. Don't worry about me.

I'll let you know. I promise.

Okay. Okay.

See you, Aubrey. Bye.

Hey. (CHUCKLES)

Hey. Hi.

You still the smartest kid in school?

Yeah, kinda. Mmm‐hmm.

You remember anything that we worked on when I tutored ya?

Uh...

Yes.

Um... "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

"And all of our yesterdays have lighted fools.

"The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle."

That's really good.

Thank you. Thank you.

Um...

My mom says that you're homeless. Is that true?

No, I'm not homeless.

I'm just houseless.

Not the same thing, right?

No.

Don't worry about me. I'm okay.

Okay.

Hey, Santa,

Bellweather Auto has a ho, ho, whole lotta great deals

on new and used cars and trucks.

So come on in and find...

(CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

Before I moved into the Squeeze Inn,

I was out looking for work and putting in applications...

2008, and it was just tough.

And I got to a really, really low point.

And I thought about suicide, and I decided

I was gonna go buy a bottle of booze,

turn on the propane stove...

and I was gonna drink that booze until I passed out.

And if I woke up...

I was gonna light a cigarette,

and I was gonna blow us all up.

And I looked at my two sweet little trusting dogs,

my Cocker Spaniel and my little Toy Poodle,

and I just couldn't do that to them.

And I thought, well,

I can't do that to me, either.

So, I was getting close to 62

and I went online to look at my social security benefit.

It said $550.

Fern, I had worked my whole life.

I'd worked since I was 12 years old,

raised two daughters. I couldn't believe it.

So I'm online,

and I find Bob Wells Cheap RV Living.

I could live in an RV,

travel

and not have to work for the rest of my life.

The RTR is a bootcamp for beginner nomads.

Bob Wells looks just like Santa Claus.

Doesn't he?

Everybody says that.

What's RTR stand for?

Rubber Tramp Rendezvous.

It is in Quartzsite, Arizona,

out in the middle of the desert, on BLM land.

You should come.

I'm gonna make you a map.

No, I don't think I'm gonna go.

Oh, I hope you come.

I'm gonna make you a map anyway.

So, that's what the RTR is.

It is a support system for people

who need help now.

See you next year, Fern. Happy holidays.

Yeah, you, too, Doug.

(FIREWORKS BURSTING IN DISTANCE)

Carl had a stroke.

Is he dead? No.

No, no. His daughter came and took him back East.

Oh. Yeah.