"Liberation"
Sometimes we don't realize how many things we actually collect on our way through life. We're pulled in by the allure of the latest and greatest. A constant recycle of materials cluttering our homes and we still feel the need for more.
May 2013, at the age of 21, I bought my first home. To have myself set up in that situation felt great in the beginning. Young, no debt, house, toys, you couldn't ask for any more really. Although when it comes to a measurement of happiness, I was on a downward slope. I felt constricted by the things around me and felt an urge to break free.
I moved to Calgary, July of 2015. Renting an apartment in the SW was an easy adjustment. My house back in Newfoundland was being rented and I let go of a few things that I couldn't travel with. After a little while I began to collect things and clutter up the apartment and the empty feeling was brought on again.
6 months flew by and my lease was up. That, combined with some major life changes, I decided to take the big leap and follow a dream I have had since I was a teenager. I decided to say "screw it" to the norm, I'm packing my things, throwing most of it away and moving into my favourite possession on this earth... My Van.
First things first, van-dwelling is definitely not for everybody. 40 square feet of living space can make you feel like you are trapped inside of a sardine can... sometimes it can smell worse than one. Finding a place to park/sleep can be a major hassle. The looks that people give me when I drive past a school are almost as if I were convicted of distributing child pornography. You quickly grow tired of played out jokes like; "Does it say 'free candy' on the side", "Is that your rape van?" and my favourite, "Does it have a cage in the back?".
On the other side though.. the van life is pure liberation from confines of a static dwelling place. My home is where I park it and let me tell you, the views can be absolutely incredible and extremely diverse. I have lived in the mountains, the deserts in BC, the lush forest of the Olympic Peninsula, beaches of Merica' and yes, I do live "in a van, down by the river".
The things I am most excited about though, are the life lessons I have learned. Here are a few:
- Less is more in most cases of life
- we are here to live out of our homes, not in
- Acquiring experiences > Acquiring things
- Beers freeze in the van at -8°C
In the beginning I was hesitant to let people know that I was living out of my van. The thought of being pegged as "homeless" was not something I would prefer. Now I openly express that I live a van, usually met with "ohh you live in Vancouver".
I am very proud of what this lifestyle can bring; The friendships with world travellers and fellow van dwellers, the beautiful landscapes I get to call home (if even for just one night), the mental clarity that comes with a major toss of possessions and last but not least, a true taste of self fulfillment.
