One of my favorite things about being out in the van is the ability to step out my door and suddenly be immersed by nature. It's refreshing after a long day of working away to just step back and take in the fresh air. When Lylah and I were on the road we often would pack the van up and go for a hike. Spend a few hours in the air enjoying the scenery and getting some movement in. She loved to run ahead and sniff the trail while I slowly made my way towards our "destination". For us it was peaceful. It was a step away from the real world and all its troubles. It was a chance to breathe in the air and live this life that we were given.
For me its always a reset to the day. I never thought that I would be traveling as much as I do, seeing the world, and enjoying my life in the way I am today. Thirteen years ago I would have thought I'd be married and have a kid or two. I pictured what every woman probably thinks of at least once in their life. A picture-perfect home with a boy and a girl running around and the love of their life by their side. I thought that I wanted that and in a few years time my mind switched completely. I decided I didn't want to go to college, get married or even have kids. I just wanted to live my life and enjoy it. I wanted to be free (in whatever capacity I could have) and finally break out of the mold that everyone falls into. At 18 I started traveling to new places, staying at campsites, and just trying to get a sense of this world I was in. Slowly I traveled more and more. I took Spice with me to a few places, showed her little bits of the world, and eventually graduated to traveling overseas a little bit and mixed in trips with my father to see wonderful places together. Before COVID started I bought my Van, adopted Lylah and, now I travel a lot in the U.S. I did my first 8 months in the van and I took a year off of Van life to get everything situated with my job. Now I'm here again looking at another 8 month's tour in the van. Looking at all the possibilities.
It's funny how you can change an image of your life in such a short time. I went from a very shy, reserved, and mold-ready human to a wild, adventurous, and curious human. I'm not great with people and I can be a quiet human but I love the taste of adventure. I love being out and enjoying our world while it's here and I'm so happy to have landed where I am. Every day I got to step out of my van and see a new place, was a day that I treasure with all my heart and I can't wait to do that again and share more of those moments with those I love.
