I’ve been wanting to do van life since summer 2019, and it’s been pretty much at the forefront of my mind since December 2019 (remember this post?). I was on a Christmas trip in Cologne, Germany, doing some reflection on my life in Europe and what I felt the next step might be. Van life had become something of a dream, so I figured that’d be it. Well, things have changed a bit, and the more I talk about it, the more I realize many people don’t know what I’m talking about. So let me start at the beginning.

What is Van Life?

Van life is a pretty simple concept. You create a dwelling in a van and live there. That’s it. It can be as simple as a minivan with a camp stove and sleeping bag, or as luxurious as a long, high-roofed cargo van outfitted almost like an RV. Some have showers, toilets, kitchens, and even small seating areas. Some have rooftop decks, crazy speakers and TVs, and even enough room to sleep four. It’s really what you make of it, but I think the distinction is that this is living in a vehicle by choice, with the intent of traveling and exploring.

When I first truly considered van life, it wasn’t that trendy of a thing. Most people I saw purchased vans and converted them themselves or with the help of skilled workers: carpenters, builders, electricians, and plumbers. So at first, I considered doing that in Spain. That thought lasted about 30 seconds! I didn’t see myself in a position to do that in Spain and thought it would likely be much easier to build a van out at home, with the help of my parents and experienced family and friends.

What’s My Plan?

So in January 2020, I made a plan. I was going to stay for a third year to teach in Spain and head to the US in summer 2021. Then, I planned to purchase a van and convert it. Of course, three major roadblocks happened.

1. We entered a global pandemic, which led to me heading home a year earlier than planned, financially unable to start the project.
2. I’d gotten into debt, which I had planned to pay off by summer 2021, but instead continued to get into.
3. Van life became trendy, which meant it got expensive.

In August 2020, when I moved back to the US, I was honestly still a little out of it and definitely wasn’t sure where my life was headed or what my plan was. I continued freelance copywriting, pretty steadily, but still wasn’t saving or even paying down my debt. I was basically treading water.

By Christmas 2020, I had a new plan. I’d gotten a full-time, remote job, that would allow me to pay off my debt while saving. Yes! Van life was in sight. What I didn’t foresee was how restless I would get, waiting to start this project and my next chapter.

Fast forward to now, August 2021. I’m restless and continue looking, not only for vans but skoolies, short buses, and even small RVs. The market is so hot that converted vans have gone from $40,000 to $150,000, and the affordable ones that go for sale end up getting sold in less than a week. I’m at the point where the best option will most likely be to buy a van and have a van building company (yes, that’s a thing now) build it out for me, custom. Or so I thought.

I recently reached out to a van building company. We had a consultation about what I want and they sent an itemized invoice for the cost of the conversion. I was devastated when I got the total. Not only because it was almost double what I’d estimated, but because of the additional messaging my brain gave me. In that moment it seemed like the world was saying “This is what your dream will cost. You can’t afford it and you can’t even get a loan big enough to afford it that way either. You can’t do it. You’ve failed. Every decision you’ve made up to now has been a failure. Throw this dream in the trash because it’s never going to happen.” Yeah. That’s what went through my head the instant I saw the number. It sounds dramatic to say I was devastated, but in that moment, with that rush of emotions and negative self-talk flooding my brain, that’s what it felt like.

Of course, by now I’ve had time to calm down and think rationally. While I can’t make this happen financially right now, it did open my eyes to things, and I’m now able to chart my course a little more accurately.

So where do I plan to go from here?

I still want to do it. I still want to do van life and explore the US. (And eventually Canada!)

Practically, what this means is that van life might actually be in a smaller RV, or less custom van. It also means I need to be more open in terms of what I’m looking for and be prepared when something does come up. It means I need to try to find an additional revenue stream. And it definitely means I’ll need all the help, good vibes, and prayers anyone can offer.

So that’s it! I’m officially putting this out into the world. I WILL DO VAN LIFE. In fact, I’ll hit the road within the next 6-9 months (if not sooner).