Life On The Road For One Year
My Unfiltered Thoughts
Freedom
I hit an important milestone this year. June 24, 2023 made one year living in a van on the road full time. Let’s dive into a tale that is my life on the road thus far.
Living in a van not only enabled me to embrace a more spontaneous life, but it allowed me to further detach myself from a chaotic and unpredictable society we call America. Just the mere thought of breaking societal norms by living in a van instead of a house is the very definition of unparalleled freedom. Making the choice to live on the road instead of being constrained by a 9-5 and mortgage was the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve discovered hidden gems, interacted with many different people and persevered through situations I thought were impossible handle.
Minimalism
I went from being a half ass minimalist still emotionally attached to a lot of my things because I didn’t have those things as a kid, to donating 99.9 percent of the things I owned and opting for a minimalistic and frugal lifestyle. Living on the road changed me and I fully embraced that change. There is no better feeling than having little to no possessions.
As of now, I only buy what is necessary to survive. I buy what I need, not what I want. Some people may not understand that, but at this point in my life the only thing I want is to be content. Not happy, but content because happiness is a temporary emotion while contentment last forever. Possessions, things, property is not what’s important in my life. Not anymore.
Challenges
Living in a van is undoubtedly a decision I will never regret, but it’s not without its challenges. The biggest challenge I faced were a combination of a several of things. The harsh temperatures, finding a place to sleep and the mountain of van problems. Dealing with the cosmetic and mechanical side of my van tested my patience. At first I thought I was experiencing the many issues with my van because I bought a van that was poorly assembled during the pandemic.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand my van being assembled during the pandemic played a major role in some of my van issues, but I realized that a lot of the problems I experienced with my van came from me driving it almost everyday. RVs weren’t built to be driven as much as I drove it. The longer I live on the road, the more I’m learning to travel smarter not harder. I’m not where I want to be in terms of how much I drive in a month, but I’m working on it.
I’ve been living on the road for a year now, and I’m still not adjusted to finding places to sleep for the night. I’m better at finding somewhat safe places to sleep and it’s getting easier, but keeping it honest, I’ve come to grips with always being a little stressed when trying to find safe places to sleep outside of BLM lands and National Forest.
Community
The one thing I learned during my time on the road was how important community is in my life. As a loner and introvert, I value what the community has to offer, not who is in it. I understand the people who make up a community are very important to how much or how little that community thrives. However, my sense of community is being able to go to my favorite grocery store, chill at my favorite park and run on my favorite track.
What I consider community are simple places, nothing thrilling or exciting, but they give me that warm, cozy, homey feeling and that is something no other state has been able to offer me since leaving Michigan. Living on the road doesn’t provide me a sense of community. What it does is satisfy my curiosity for what is out there, reinforces my belief in God through what I’ve seen, and pushes me to embrace a more adventurous side. All things that I’m grateful for.
Look at it this way, I’m constantly on vacation able to explore a lot of cool places and interact with a lot of nice people. On the flip side, when you go vacation, eventually you get tired and exhausted and you’re ready to go home to recharge and be in your element. I know that’s how I am. That’s the best way I can describe my current life on the road.
I’m blessed to have the freedom to go and do a
s I please, but eventually I want to go “home,” and recharge. Michigan provides that sense of home/community that I can’t get know where else. I miss that and without it, I feel lost. I’m grateful for my life, but without a sene of community, my life doesn’t feel complete. I feel that’s why I’ve been on the road so much, I’ve been searching for a place to call home for the summer to recharge, but nothing has given me that warm, cozy, feeling quite like Michigan.
Conclusion
Living on the road has taught me the importance of self reliance, adaptability, and embracing the unknown. I discovered strengths I didn’t know I had, and pushed myself to brink of giving up, but opted to keep fighting. I not only built a connection with nature, but I strengthened my relationship with God. I did all this in one year. My journey has only just begun. Living on the road is not easy, but it’s a lifestyle I want. I enjoy the good days and push through the bad ones. Life doesn’t stop because you’re having a bad day.
Grief On The Road
On April 2023, just 3 months ago… My dad died. I take comfort in knowing he’s with God. Thanks in advance for your condolences.
-Nomadic Introvert
Oh Nomi,
My heart goes out to you. My mother died on March 31st.
I have been with you from the beginning and I have loved being witness to your journey. I admire your capacity for adjusting to the ups and downs of living in your van and I appreciate that you are not a "van lifer", but a "day in the life of a woman who lives in her van."
You have grown in strength, courage, and beauty. You literally glow from within.
I feel privileged to be one of your subscribers (co-pilots?) and part of such a positive community.
With that said, happy anniversary!
Shine on Nomi, shine on. 🐢❤️
Very proud of your accomplishments! You’re a strong young lady. My condolences too you on the death of your father 🙏🏼 I lost my parents also. My mom passed in my arms in the yr of 2021 and I was with my father when he passed also. Much love and blessings too you🫶🏻