Thinking about Vanlife?
Want to live the traveling life? Considering what it would be like to live life in a van and experience the world?
Let’s talk about it!
Two years ago I sold most of my belongings and purchased an old Ford E350. With high hopes, dreams to chase, and in all honesty no idea what the hell I was doing, I quickly put together a bed frame, an open storage system and a sink; having decided that would be all I needed in my journeys. I had absolutely zero building experience and ended up using and wasting a few materials, however they held together quite well! After that, I purchased a rug and a few blankets and set out! Zero plans, little money, and mountains to climb. All I was sure of was that I needed to go, it was destiny.
I’m not going to lie and tell you it was easy at first. As stated above, I had no idea what I was doing. I left the cold wintry air of middle Indiana with almost no heat, for the southern beaches of Texas where I also had no AC, sleeping in walmart parking lots and rest areas for the first few months. I hadn’t even thought to put in curtains so I purchased a few window blinders to keep some semblance of privacy. Rather quickly things began falling apart. Heading south, the winter airs warmed, and the wood I used to build my small house expanded and contracted, causing the nails to begin to fall out. After a few weeks, I realized I was going to need to change some things around but once again had no idea how, nor did I even have any tools!
It took some time and a willingness to adapt, but after a while things began to come into view. I refurbished the bed and remade my storage system, it became less rickety and more homey. After a few months of traveling, climbing mountains and canyons, and every so often making my home a little more like a home, I finally came across a young couple stuck at a truck stop. This changed my life forever.
The young pair were standing at the truck stop flying a sign asking for gas. Ever the curious individual, I offered to fill up there tank if they would only have lunch with me and tell me about their lives. Dressed in typical hippie rags and comfy clothing, they accepted heartily and we sat to eat. I told them of my recent beginnings on the road, speaking of how excited I was and some of the difficulties. They exchanged stories with me of living on the road for years, doing as they pleased, traveling here and there picking up stray people and animals on the way. I was thoroughly enamored, though I internally made a promise to myself to keep my hair short and my style more “dad-like”. (HaHa!)
Planning on going towards a Rainbow Gathering in Arizona, life had taken them in a more northerly direction, so instead they offered me their invitation! I accepted with slight hesitation, but after being told it was essentially a gathering of fellow travelers like them and now myself, I was more than excited to go! In exchange for lunch and gas, these wonderful individuals offered me years of experience and wisdom along with about half a dozen warnings to look out for. In just an afternoon I felt I had gained more knowledge than I had in the last 3 months of wandering!
My experience at the Rainbow Gathering will come in a different post, however being there taught me a lot about what kind of traveler I wanted to be, as there are quite a few. Ranging from drifting and hitchhiking, to fully self sustaining van and bus conversions there are quite a few options. Traveling with others as opposed to by oneself also makes a big difference! I decided I wanted my home to blend in most places, to not make as much of an impact on the environment around me and to try and be an observer of the world, as opposed to using nature and taking what it provided, I wanted to be almost invisible. This changed the trajectory of my travels and encouraged me explore more remote locations and go even further out where I was less likely to run into others. I figured anyone I ran into all the way out in the middle of the wilderness at that point had to be pretty cool. Deciding to be more of mountaineer and hiker than someone who stays on the paved roads and looks at the monuments, I readied myself for a plethora of difficult and exciting adventures.
All of this storytelling only gets you so far though, right? If you’re considering vanlife or even just traveling more often than you do now, ask yourself, “What kind of traveler do I want to be?” Will you be traveling alone or with others? Do you plan to stay on the beaten paths and experience the wonders of the road? Or do you want to explore places that haven’t been visited in years and maybe only a few times? What do you want to do on your travels? Be it hiking, trying regional cuisines, or just meeting new friends, determining a purpose instead of destination will provide a much more enriching experience. There are plenty of amazing places within the United States and outside of them, but if you wander without being present, you won’t see a thing.
I would even go so far as to say how you get there doesn’t matter. In a lightweight and potentially dangerously converted van, a fully built out bus with a shower and fully stocked kitchen, a small hatchback with little more than a couple blankets and suitcase, or even just your feet and a backpack, as long as you’re comfortable and confident there is ample opportunity for adventure!
