I am a writer, podcaster and traveller fascinated with what it takes to thrive in a more alternative lifestyle. After years of trying to fit the mould, I ditched the 9-5, moved to Canada to work as a ski instructor, and have been living a little differently travelling the world ever since. I now live in a bus with my partner and our pup, exploring Canada and the US all while discovering what it takes to thrive in this unconventional nomadic lifestyle
Whenever anyone asks me, “what is vanlife really like” I remember one moment vividly.
It was about a year into life on the road with my partner Jake and our pup Maya. We had finished work for the day, and we decided to drive to the next town before dark. So we packed up our desks, locked the drawers and off we went.
As we drove down the highway, I couldn’t help but think, “how lucky am i?”. We had started our day with a swim in the local thermal pool and worked on projects we loved all day. I had spent time with my partner and our pup, and I had the freedom to move at a moment’s notice (something I had dreamed of for years!). I stuck my head out the window, the cool afternoon breeze rushing past as I watched the luminous red glow of the sunset fade over the horizon.
As if struck by a wild karmic joke, the engine light suddenly pinged onto red, and smoke began emanating from under the hood.
Shit.
We did our best to pull off the road, but this outback Australian highway was slim with hardly any shoulder. I grabbed my phone to call a tow truck, only to see the dreaded dots where there should have been service bars. There we sat, parked on the side of the highway, our van swaying with every car rushing by. Hoping that we wouldn’t be hit by a passing truck, we waited for a kind stranger to pull over and offer some help. I felt the deep gratitude from only moments earlier, engulfed by this sick-to-my-stomach feeling of the uncertainty of what would happen next. I couldn’t help but wonder, is this what vanlife is really like?
Fast forward two years. I have finished my lap of Australia and moved across the world to begin vanlife (or rather, buslife) in Canada and the US. Safe to say, I’m not finished yet. After almost three years on the road, I can safely say that this lifestyle comes with the good, the bad and the ugly. Let’s talk about what vanlife is really like.
Vanlife isn't always cheap
Everyone talks about how vanlife is cheap, and it totally can be. I know people who travel for less than $1000 a month. However, it is not the default. In short, your lifestyle choices will carry over into life on the road. Do you value eating 2-minute noodles and cheap eats? Do you like a glass of red at the end of the day? Or prioritize organic foods? Those things will still be true on the road.
In the two years my partner and I lapped around Australia, we spent roughly the same that we would have if we had stayed in our apartment paying inner city rent. We love good food, coffee and experiences, and that didn’t change on the road. The difference? We were able to see the country, and we actually worked less than in our old jobs. That isn’t to say you can’t save money if you travel. It just requires being mindful of lifestyle choices, working along the way and sticking to a budget.
There are so many ways to make money on the road
While there are many rumours that to be a vanlifer you must be a trust fund kid, YouTuber, or influencer – for most, this is simply not the case. Since being on the road, I have worked as a cleaner, managed a spa, and most recently as a freelance writer. I know many people who work remote jobs in customer service, marketing, and as virtual assistants, as well as an equal number of people who work seasonal jobs along the way. There are so many ways to make money to fund a life on the road.
Your relationships will flourish or fall away
A big reason people get on the road is to spend more time with those they love – be that a partner, puppies, or to rekindle a relationship with themselves. For the most part, vanlife is a great way to do all of the above. However, when you pack up your life, you will also say goodbye to people. With this distance, you may notice a natural purging of circumstantial friends. The upside? The ones that stick around really count. Better yet, connections on the road are usually tenfold deeper than most of your old day-to-day acquaintances. Take off the layers of societal expectations, and you’re left to talk about the real and raw things that matter in life.
If that wasn’t enough, vanlife also has an uncanny way of exposing all your relationship wounds. Those small things you once hid from? There is no hiding or running away in vanlife. Try taking intentional space and renting an Airbnb now and then.
Life on the road can be exhausting
Back in 2019, a life of full-time travel was just a pipe dream. I worked full time, commuting to my job five days a week and escaping with $5 daily coffees and expensive weekend getaways. Like many, when I imagined traveling full time, I pictured a life of leisure. The reality was a little different.
Finding places to sleep each night, places to dump your toilet, fill your water – all things that were simply available at a moment’s notice in my old apartment life, suddenly were a daily task. My best advice? Travel slowly where you can and when you can’t – well make sure you book a holiday from your life. If your regular life is full-time travel, book in a few holidays of lounging at ‘home’. Catching up on laundry, chilling on the couch and watching Friends’ reruns. Your mental health will thank you for it.
Prepare for your home to break down
If you are traveling short-term, this may not apply to you. But if you are planning any sort of long-term overland trip, a breakdown or vehicle maintenance is inevitable – it is just a matter of when. That breakdown we had on the side of the highway in the desert? That was one of four we had during our time on the road. The easiest solution? Come prepared with a breakdown fund.
That being said, our van was no spring chicken. So buying a new or near-new second-hand is a great way to minimize this risk. But if that’s not in your budget, just make sure you have a little extra for those moments.
Get dirty and back to nature
Whether it’s pooping in the woods or having a wet wipe ‘shower’, living in a van isn’t always glamorous. The trade-off for all these grimy experiences? You get the unbeatable experience of mother nature as your back garden. Vanlife has a way of getting you into the thicket of the glory of mother nature herself. Nothing compares to a cold water ocean swim to start the day or an afternoon hike through the forest after a long day of work.
So, is vanlife worth it?
Living and traveling in a van has been, hands down, one of the best experiences of my life. Yes, vanlife is no walk in the park – it can be messy and chaotic at times, but vanlife has also changed me in all the best ways. I would have never experienced morning coffee while watching the sunrise over Uluru, spent weeks parked up in paradise turning strangers into life-long friends, or broken out of the grind and discovered new ways of working.
Is it worth all the downsides? One thousand times, yes.
But that’s just my experience. The only real way to know what vanlife is like is to try it for yourself.
Claire Taylor
Author