🚛 I am constantly being asked, “Isn’t van life hard?” Though the fact that more things in the van are held together with wood glue and velcro than I care to admit, the reality of my experience in the van is one full of incredible and awe-inspiring views which far outweigh any hardships I face living in the van full time.

🐬 Currently my view is atop a wildflower and grass covered bluff on the remote Channel Island of Santa Cruz. From my perch, I can see the pier, kayakers, ferry boats, sailboats, hikers, and snorkelers. I can also turn my head and absolutely view no one, should that be my preference. Both the absence and presence of people comfort me. To arrive on this secluded hillside, I had to hike uphill and mostly on my own for almost two miles.

🏝️ For many of you, two miles would be quite a moderate hike, and it is one of the easiest ones on the islands which is why I chose it. However, for me, I don’t particularly enjoy “exercising” on my own due to the hypochondriac-type fears I have about experiencing medical emergencies while on my own. It doesn’t help that both I and those I love have experienced getting lost after sunset in the pitch black redwoods (not once, but twice), a leg has been broken when a brother leapt off a cliff in the remote canyons of Utah, and blood clots have hampered the breathing of several of the Wilsons. Therefore, when I say that this spot on a hillside at “Club Exclusive” was hard-earned, I am not exaggerating.

😱 Yet, facing one’s fears and essentially saying, “WTH,” is what van life is all about. Driving to a city on a whim will reward you with a pleasant morning in stunning harbors like Oxnard and Ventura, for example. I stumbled upon a Brazilian restaurant that sent memories of past Brazilian excursions with favorite friends rushing upon me. These memories helped me feel a wave of gratitude for the life I have led in the past, and was still leading currently.

🤑 If you have considered trying van life, even for a long weekend, I highly recommend it. The amount of money I save by not having to pay rent permits me to focus on fun, but also the ability to change locations daily, without worrying about reservations, is quite freeing. At times, decision fatigue can hit me hard, and I then have to rely on friends and family to make some of the decisions for me. For example, I only happen to be spending my spring break at the Channel Islands because a dear colleague happened to recommend kayaking there for a future vacation, and I decided to visit the islands a few days later. Though I used to love planning out every detail of my trips in the past and even used to start packing my suitcase a couple weeks before the trips, living in the van has taught me to live more in the moment and I certainly don’t have to pack so far in advance since my van is my suitcase on wheels.

⏰ On the other hand, because I don’t want to make a lot of decisions these days, I suddenly have freed up a lot of time that I used to spend deliberating about travel details. Instead, I now am more open to receiving recommendations from acquaintances I meet along my travels which has led me to encounter restaurants and other hidden gems en route. 

🌪️ When living on the streets, there are far too many variables to account for that makes planning difficult. You never know what the weather might be, the road conditions, or when you might happen to wake up in the middle of the Half Moon Bay Wine Festival (true story). So I have embraced living in the moment with both hands and have been extremely pleased with my ability to avoid being hit by the tornados in Santa Cruz by using my trusty weather Drive Weather App, to escape to San Francisco when I want to be closer to writing events, and to arrive early at the Harajuku Foodie Festival being held in Sunnyvale in order to earn a free handbag for being one of the first 150 customers in line. So, yes, there are a few aspects of van life that can be considered hard. But make no mistake, my recent zip codes and views are far more glamorous and jaw-dropping than any of those experienced by many of those I have met while working in Silicon Valley.