Goodness gracious it has been a whirlwind of a few months, am I right? It’s funny to think back to January 2020 and how I sat down and made plans for this year; the next two years really. And then, as you all know, the Coronavirus pandemic hit and everything came to a screeching halt. Between one thing and another, I haven’t really been able to write about what’s been going on or my plans. So, here’s a quick life update. 

El Camino 

Since the first time I saw the movie The Way, I have wanted to make the pilgrimage of The Way of Saint James, otherwise known as the Camino de Santiago. My mom also wanted to make the pilgrimage, so over a year ago we decided we would do it together. I think we both planned on doing it while I live in Spain simply because I was already here. Logistics would be easier that way. Then in January 2020, when I decided I was going to go back to the states after the end of the school year, we made the decision to do the walk this summer. We landed on starting in August and heading back to the states at the beginning of October, budgeting 40+ days for the trip. 

Van Life

About two years ago, before moving to Spain, I met up with some female entrepreneurs in Saint Petersburg, Florida. One of them was renovating a van to live in and work from remotely. That was the first time I was introduced to van life and it definitely intrigued me. Since I was already on my way to Spain and this chapter of my life, I didn’t think on it further. I watched a few YouTube videos and saw some Instagram posts, but again my priorities remained on Spain. 

Then in summer 2019 I was sitting with my best friend talking about our future plans. Out of nowhere, I said that I wanted to try van life. I say ‘out of nowhere’ because I had not given a conscious thought to van life in over a year. I had not spoken to anyone about it or done any more research on it, so the fact that the thought was lying in my subconscious waiting to be voiced was a huge surprise. Since those words came out of my mouth, they have not left my mind. Over the next three months I started doing some light research, watching YouTube videos and finding van life people on Instagram to get ideas and see what that lifestyle was really like. By December 2019 I knew that was going to be my next step after Spain. 

I planned to teach three years in Spain, saving the whole time, and moving home in 2021 to start the van life process then. Between the end of December and the middle of January 2020 I came to the harsh realization that I couldn’t live how I wanted to in Madrid and save for the van at the same time. That’s when I decided to leave Spain after two years of teaching rather than staying the full three. My new plan was to finish the school year out, walk The Way of Saint James, and move back to the States where I would continue working and saving for a summer 2021 van life adventure. 

Sustainability & Veganism

Right around the time that I had committed to the idea of moving into a van, I started evaluating all of my belongings and everything I own. I sort of accidentally became a minimalist over the past few years, simply because I’ve moved around so much that I haven’t wanted to bring much with me each time. So naturally, I don’t really have all that much stuff. During quarantine, I came across vegan and sustainable bloggers. I started seeing people who were more intentional about the way they live and the way they consume products. I started to learn more about fast fashion and sustainable fashion and how our eating habits affect the environment. 

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Realistically, I have been fighting a slight lactose intolerance for several years, but my love for cheese held me back from actually doing something about it. I mean I really love cheese. Then, between one thing and another I was exposed to more and more people who were vegan. Learning about their vegan journeys and how their lives improved when they stopped consuming animal products, I decided to try it out. So I started. I also learned about how much the fashion industry contributes to climate change and pollution, so I became more aware of companies and brands who were taking steps to combat those production styles and ways of working. 

So What’s the Update?

This all leads me to where I am now. During quarantine I was able to refocus my time and really dig into some freelance work and more writing, setting myself up for more possibilities of a location independent lifestyle in the future. I also, like so many other people, discovered I actually like cooking. So I dove into cooking plant-based and vegan recipes for myself, slowly weaning myself off dairy and animal products. 

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Because I’m moving back to the United States, I’ve made a big effort to clean out all my belongings here. You know, Marie Kondo style. During that process, I found I have some items of clothing I need to replace, so I’ve been looking into sustainable options instead of re-buying the same things. 

My most recent update is that because of the Coronavirus pandemic and global situation, my mom and I will not be able to walk The Way of Saint James this year. When she first told me I was in complete shock. I could not process. I cried and it felt like dreams and plans were coming completely crashing down. A few hours of processing later, I thought through next steps. We decided to postpone our trip to spring 2021 and I decided to head home earlier than planned. I am now spending July traveling Spain. There are a few cities I haven’t seen yet, so I’m excited to get a chance to do that.

In August, I’m heading towards my next adventure. I say next adventure rather than home because I’m not heading home. I haven’t really had a home since I was in college over eight years ago. I don’t have a childhood home and my parents have moved since then. My parents just moved to a city I’ve never lived in. I am thrilled to be crashing with them for a few months while I work and save and figure out how to get a van. 

So yeah. That’s it, that’s the life update. I had all these posts in mind of things that I wanted to prepare for. The Camino, veganism, sustainability and van life are all exciting new pursuits I want to get into, but I wanted to explain the transition a little bit first. Many people in my life are still confused about the choice to do a plant-based diet or spend more money for a sustainable pair of shoes. I also want to document the sustainable fashion experience from the perspective of a plus size person. So I am going to do my best to document this journey of mine as always!

If you have any recommendations for me, let me know!