It didn't take long to realize that a minivan is SMALL! Anyone who's attempted to live or travel extensively in one, can surely attest to that. Trying to stay organized is also a nightmare. Though I have always considered myself a minimalist - I lied. The obvious solution - or so I thought - would be a rooftop box. So Vandora got new bling.
With the addition of a Thule Force XT sport and a fancy new Kuat bike rack, I have now driven and camped over 40,000 miles. Vandora and I have covered the east coast and a bit of the mid-west. (And yes, I am BAD at blogging consistently! ) But honestly, until now, I didn't feel that what I was doing was a choice, or even a life-style.
I felt like I was running... and perhaps I still am, but the difference now is in my perspective.. When my father died by suicide in 2016, I quickly realized that he felt trapped in a life he believed he could escape in no other way. Perhaps my pursuit of #vanlife was my way of making sure that never happened to me.
About a year after his death, my desire to leave - to be free - to be in motion, whether on a bike or in a van, had become almost unbearable. I'd take off in the van, beat myself up for "running away" and return - only to take off again. I bought and sold houses (and vans), adopted and re-home pets, and generally avoided romantic relationships. Clearly that wasn't something to "blog about."
Or was it? More on this later, but for now, Vandora and I are off to Maine.
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