Well, here we go. Down another rabbit hole that’ll max out my credit cards and stress me out…
JUST KIDDING
I have been looking into traveling while working for a long time. Like before Whitney’s Week launched long. I have never acted on any of the cool freelance I’ve come across, but I’m really warming up to the lifestyle these days, especially since discovering the diversity of experiences that come with Van Life.
I have always loved hiking, paddling, and just being able to up and leave whenever I want, so Van Life originally struck me as a great way to live off the grid and travel while adventuring. After doing some intense research on the topic, I’ve realized that there is so much more to it.
Here are the top three reasons why people choose Van Life:
Money.
This lifestyle is cheaper both in theory and in practice. In an apartment or a house, you have a lot of space and a lot of things to pay for, not to mention the HOUSE. Whether it’s cleaning or maintaining or simply heating and cooling the space you live in, things can be so much cheaper when we downscale. Van Life also forces you to pay more attention to the resources like water and electricity that you’re using up constantly. Sometimes simply being more aware of waste cuts it down.
Minimalism.
This touches on everything from reducing your carbon footprint to just cleaning out your closet. The lack of sheer space to hold stuff and the lack of energy to care for a ton of stuff forces a minimal lifestyle upon people. Sure, you can have a junky van, but it’s harder to live with clutter when it’s the literally taking up precious square footage. I’ve even seen hoarders move into tiny homes to help prevent their tendencies form ruining their lives again. I’m not exactly a hoarder, but in my house, I shove my mess into the extra bedroom and close the door. You can’t do that in a van.
Mobility
This one is the kicker. Living out of a van gives you the freedom to move around and travel at literally any point. You can wake up in the middle of the night, walk a couple steps to the driver’s seat and start driving. You live in your van and drive around in your home. This is awesome for angsty teens, but even better for people who have the travel bug. For me, I’d just love the freedom to get up and go, not worrying about where the next hotel is or how late I’ll be getting home.
Those are the top reasons to drop your 9-5, living in a house lifestyle. Of course, not everyone’s experience is the same, but you can bet these 3 things will come into play when taking the plunge. Stay tuned for more insight on Van Life as I do more research.
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