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As most of you will already know, Emma and I move to our little motorhome permanently on New Year’s day. We both agree that it is the easiest way to explore Australia, but, at least for me, there is something else.
If you’ve been on Instagram this last hour, you probably have seen a million and one of the publications promoted by #vanlife with those perfect scenes. A beloved couple, fairylights, mountains and a sunset. It seems that every man and his dog are selling their belongings in search of a lifestyle that may or may not exist. For me, those images were the icing on the cake. How could I say no to the endless trips of Summer Road and awaken the waves that crash on the coast? While we have not spent too much time next to the coast, we have seen enough to know that it is not exactly as those images do. The motorhome is often too hot to feel comfortable, the sleeping areas are more resting stops with truckers than beaches with dolphins and, yes, it will share the truck with many strange insects. Then there is the endless amount of washing and land that reaches everywhere. If you are doing it only for the moments worthy of Insta, why?
The concept of living in a motorhome, being a nomad, is one that resonates with me. As I said in the first publication of this blog, I grew up in a family of forces that meant packing and moving to the next city/country with a drop of hat. I guess I didn’t realize so far, but this call Vanlife is one that I have been waiting for. I read a status of a major lady who grew up in a family of forces the other day she said that “Although we have the most surprising memories of our childhood, we are all looking for a sense of belonging … we are also looking for our roots … we belong everywhere, we did our best to fit where we were.”
Today we are always moving, eager to explore the next city, the next beach or the next mountain. We have already traveled more than 4,000 km in just four weeks. It has already taken us to some beautiful places and there are still 30,000 km. At least for now, my life is not destined to be lived in one place.
Living in a motorhome means much more for me than capturing those photos that everyone wants to see. We do not possess much, everything we have that we have fits the small space that we call our home. I love minimalism, but I am too willing to accept that small spaces are not the ideal life environment. However, life is much simpler and it is experiences instead of possessions. Far from social networks and technology, we can connect more between us in what seems to be a much deeper level.
This lifestyle, although it might not last too long, is liberating. Gone are the days that numb the minds of looking at the registration units of a computer and updating spreadsheets. Life advances at a much slower pace without established routine. I am much better.
As Jay of the Inbetweeners said, it is a sense of freedom that you do not get with other vacations. It is not like Will’s answer that it is a feeling of shit in a cube in a closet. It is more a great hole in the ground.
I’ll see you on the way!
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