Vanlife will show you who you really are…
And I’ll be honest with you, it’s probably a really bad idea to try this unless you’re a certain type of person. On the other hand, if you are that type, it might be the best life imaginable. Complete freedom, adventure, meeting new people, doing things you never thought you’d ever experience.
For me, it was awful. But, hey, everyone is different.
I got caught up in the romance of the whole thing – and a big catalyst for that was YouTube and the hundreds of videos I watched over the years. Some were honest and would tell you that it isn’t as glamorous as everyone makes it out to be, and others would have their own agenda and make it sound like this amazing opportunity. But it’s like most things in life, you need to have good filters and recognize when someone is just trying to make money and/or gain a following.
Yes, I should have known better – and it’s not that there weren’t clues. For example, I don’t like camping for any more than a weekend at the most because it’s so rough. I just started feeling dirty, hungry, and weathered on the road in my van. For me, it was like a camping trip that never ended – no shower to look forward to, no comfy bed, no kitchen… nothing.
The Price of Adventure
It’s probably not a bad choice if you are an extrovert, you’re looking for adventure, and you don’t mind swapping your civilized life for a more primitive existence. Unfortunately, I’m not that type.
Nothing in life is perfect and the price of living the adventure is that you are going to have to live an alternative lifestyle. You are going to have to give up most of the comforts of home in order to thrive.
Exposed
Trying vanlife for a month really exposed who I was as a person in very short order. We are all different and sometimes we don’t even know ourselves that well until we experience something outside of our comfort zone. In this case, it showed me that I am not that adventurous and a life of freedom, travel and adventure is overhyped and not worth the sacrifices I had to make.
Loneliness
Lastly, let’s not forget the loneliness aspect. Vanlife is not going to improve your social situation. If you are a loner and have trouble connecting with people and making friends in everyday life, then vanlife is going to make it worse – almost guaranteed. You will find yourself alone in your van most of the time.
On the other hand, if you’re an extrovert and love meeting new people and have a good measure of charisma, then you will find your people on the road and probably build some really great friendships.
Quitting
I believe the worst thing you can do is to stick it out when you’re obviously struggling, you’re miserable, and every instinct you have is telling you to pack it in. If you’re tired of the sponge baths, pooping in a bucket, wearing the same clothes for a week, having to find a safe place to sleep at night, worrying about getting the dreaded knock at 3 am, hunting for showers and laundromats, then take control of your life and change course. You’re not a quitter and there is no shame in making a mature decision that will get you out of a bad situation.
Vanlife… It sounds great in theory until you are the one on the road, isolated, and living like a savage.
That’s about all I have to say about that.
