{"id":31661,"date":"2015-08-27T17:14:09","date_gmt":"2015-08-27T21:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=31661"},"modified":"2015-08-27T18:00:22","modified_gmt":"2015-08-27T22:00:22","slug":"living-the-van-life-what-to-know-before-you-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/pt-pt\/journal\/living-the-van-life-what-to-know-before-you-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Living the Van Life: What to Know Before You Go"},"content":{"rendered":"

This was our first foray into #vanlife<\/a> and, in a lot of ways, we kind of blew it.\u00a0I hate to admit it, but our van was a\u00a0mess.<\/em>\u00a0We thought we had packed light only to find that we were constantly battling our stuff for living space.<\/p>\n

Wine glasses? Whhhhaaaat? They broke within a week. Yoga blocks and straps<\/a>? Maybe if you used them regularly before you set out in your van. A salad tosser? Really?<\/p>\n

Before we set out, we were super enthusiastic about all of the things we were going to do with these things: Cook, read, write, paint. Cultivate our own yoga practice and self-massage with balls<\/a>. Start fire dancing.<\/p>\n

The irony of packing up our lives and seemingly trading down to live in a van isn\u2019t lost on us. We just didn\u2019t think about the implications of having too much stuff. We didn\u2019t consider the consequences\u2014heightened difficulties of otherwise simple tasks like\u00a0washing dishes.<\/p>\n

So when you\u2019re ready to try out your own #vanlife, don\u2019t make the same mistakes we did. Here\u2019s what we wish we knew before we went.<\/p>\n

Start Simple<\/h3>\n

When planning for an epic adventure, it is very easy to get carried away, whether that means planning every detail or packing\u00a0every little thing.\u00a0<\/em>There is definitely something to be said about planning intelligently (and planning for the unplanned<\/a>),\u00a0but don\u2019t get ahead of yourself. Start simple.<\/p>\n

When we set out, we were also\u00a0driving to every Wanderlust Festival<\/a> of the 2015 summer season. Our schedule was packed and we only had limited time between each stop. As such, we tried desperately to pack it all in\u2014both with things and experiences. At first, when we arrived at each new destination, we were exhausted.<\/p>\n

\"vanlife-know-before-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On our route from\u00a0Colorado to California we tried to see all that we could, hitting multiple hikes a day and logging\u00a0long hours in the van, catching up on work at night. A few weeks in taught us to slow our roll and enjoy the fresh air. At first we didn\u2019t know what to do with ourselves when we weren\u2019t pushing for the next destination. Setting up camp before dark and reading felt odd; staying in the same place for three days felt luxurious.<\/p>\n

If you find yourself on the road heading somewhere, slow down, take your time, breathe the air.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We finally figured it out from California to Whistler. We stopped here and there for no other reason than to enjoy ourselves and take it all in<\/a>. Once we got the hang of it and let go of the must-do\u2019s, real moments and experiences opened up both in our travels and in our relationships with each other and ourselves.<\/p>\n

If you find yourself on the road heading somewhere, slow down, take your time, breathe the air. You will get there when you get there, and there’s\u00a0much to see along the way.<\/p>\n

Pack Light<\/h3>\n

Living in a small space makes your stuff big and debilitating. Our van turned into a giant black hole the minute we moved in, and organizing and finding anything was a real challenge.<\/p>\n

Our first few weeks were spent smothered by our entire Brooklyn apartment\u2014at least everything we couldn\u2019t bring ourselves to leave behind. We realized very quickly how much of a burden excess is when living in a van, though this isn\u2019t a lesson exclusive to vagabond living.<\/p>\n

When we arrived in Colorado with a place to store what we didn\u2019t need, we emptied out the majority of what was in the van and still had WAY TOO MUCH.<\/p>\n

Here is a list of what we cherished while on the road:<\/p>\n