Yeah, I was wrong about a lot of things, but I’ve chalked it all up to a great learning experience. One thing I learned is that there is not enough time in the day to do everything I expected to do and yes, there were quite a few surprises along the way that I hadn’t considered. Living in a van has been an amazing experience, and I’ve picked up quite a few lessons along the way, some of which are below.
Don’t sweat the small stuff…
This was probably the toughest lesson for me and something that took quite a few months to get the hang of. When living in a van, there are a lot of “little things” that can add up over time and if you’re not careful, you’ll let them start building and before you know it, they can become “big things.” Things like mosquitoes and other annoying insects getting into your van at night. Constantly bumping into things and trying to cook inside on a rainy day can not only become a challenge, but frustrating as well. One must keep their attitudes positive in such situations. The sooner I learned not to sweat the small stuff, the quicker I began relaxing and the quicker I began enjoying my adventure. I credit my ability to adapt to these situations rather quickly to being former military and all the discipline that goes with it.
Learning to become a minimalist is more manageable than I thought it would be…
When starting out, I gave little thought to the fact that a couple boxes of clothes would be too much. Practically every vandweller that I have met since, has relayed how they packed too much stuff in the beginning. I made the same mistake! Being in such a small space forces you to prioritize and manage what you want as opposed to what you need.
Time is a precious commodity…
This one caught me off guard. Regardless of where you live; in a van or in a sticks and bricks home, you still have the same 24 hours in a day. I underestimated the time it takes to cook and clean up in a vehicle. Depending on how your van is configured, you might need to pack it up each time you decide to change locations or destinations. I watched a lot of YouTube videos before building out my van and I configured it so it takes a minimum amount of time to make sure everything is secured before moving my van. You certainly don’t want to pull out of a camping area and have things falling all over the floor and spilling and breaking. The same thing goes for sleeping. I’ve seen a lot of vans that require the occupant(s) to move things and pack up before they can even let out their beds in order to go to sleep.
One pot meals…
Now that I’ve been cooking on a one-burner stove for a year, I have become quite adept at one pot meals. I must say, it’s been somewhat exciting at times to get creative with my cooking. Additionally, one pot meals are easier when it comes to cleaning up as well. That adds up to requiring less prep time and less fuel to cook and less water for washing dishes.
Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable…
Kinda like being sick. Once you’re well again, it makes you appreciate your good health. Uncomfortable situations keep things interesting. For example, living in a perfect climate (sunny and warm) for some could be quite boring. Along those lines, by living in a van, I’ve learned to appreciate the cold days as well as the hot. Those cold days makes me appreciate my hot cup of coffee that much more and on the hot days, hiking along a cool mountain stream does the trick for me.
Planning is important…
In my year in a van and meeting lots of vandwellers as well as other nomadic type mobile people, I’ve found that a good percentage of them have no plans at all. They just load up and go. I do the same for the most part, but I still have some semblance of a plan. When I first began vandwelling, my planning went south pretty quickly. My philosophy was basically this: I’m retired, so I don’t want a schedule, a calendar or a map. I just wanted to get in my van and hit the road. Over the course of a year, I’ve learned that some planning makes the road trip just a little more enjoyable. There’s nothing worse than driving around in the darkness trying to find a suitable place to camp for the night.
There’s a reason I have few campfires…
If you take the time to watch a few YouTube videos on RV’ing, vandwelling and camping and then scroll through social media sites on this same subject, you’ll find tons of images of campers and RV’ers sitting by campfires. Some are just gazing intently into the fire while some are roasting hot dogs or marshmallows. These images give the impression that these folks are truly enjoying the campfires… and some are. However, the real truth is, not that many people out in the wild have campfires. Why? The smoke! Smoke can get in your clothing, your eyes, your van – everywhere! Forgetting about the campfire will leave you feeling cleaner and your clothes smelling fresher and save you the hassle of finding wood or carrying your own. It’s also illegal to gather wood on BLM Land; at least the BLM Land that I’ve camped on. Fires, for the most part are fine, but you have to carry your own wood in.
It’s all about the journey, not the destination…
The first thing I wanted to do when I began my vandwelling was to hit the road and visit all the National Parks and as many (interesting) State Parks as possible. After a short few weeks in one state, I realized the impossibility of that plan. Do you know how many hiking trails, state parks, small historic towns and other hidden gems are out there just waiting for you to come explore? This is a very big country and there is just so much to see and enjoy. I could spend months in one small area and still miss out on so much.
The one thing I will leave you with here is this…
I have learned to appreciate where I am!!
Until next time…
