Sam & Tom in a Ford Van

Sam & Tom in a Ford Van

Tom and Sam met in Indonesia in November 2013. Sam was traveling solo and Tom had planned to travel Europe and Asia after his father passed away. It was love at first sight, and they spent the next three months traveling Southeast Asia together.     

Tom, originally from South Wales, spent the next year with Sam in her home country of Canada. He received a visa for a year to live and work there. After a year, they drove around North America while they waited for another visa. They got back to Canada to continue the wait, and then finally received Tom's visa and went back to the border to activate it.     

While Tom was in Canada decorating Sam's apartment, immigration officials found photos of Tom with Sam and argued he was there working illegally and taking a job away from a Canadian. They gave him 10 days to leave the country.     

They spent almost five months apart before meeting up again in California. This is the story of their lives after Canada and the journey that brought them together on the road.

Megan & Michael in a Ford Focus

Megan & Michael in a Ford Focus

We spent a few days with car dwellers Megan + Michael back in November, and it feels good to be catching up with them again. We are inspired by their travels and hopeful that there are people out there making it work in something they might already own. Not only might a car get you places faster, but you also won't have to go out and buy a van and spend time converting it into an adventure mobile.     

These friends of ours are not only living this lifestyle; they are sharing easy-to-prepare recipes and encouraging others to eat off-the-grid meals. Their blog is designed to minimize the amount of stress, time and ingredients you have to bring when you're camping in order to fully enjoy the experience outdoors. We love the message they are spreading and can't wait for them to show up at our home or meet up on the road.

Jess & Jorge in a VW Van

Jess & Jorge in a VW Van

Leave it to Jess + Jorge to make us laugh throughout this interview with them. After three years living in their VW Vanagon, these two have tried out an Airstream, renovated a van, experienced breakdowns and almost bumped into a bear.     

This couple tells it how it is, through both the highs and the lows. And we still can't help but think their van is one of the coolest rigs we've ever seen.

Alyssa & Donnie in a Ford Van

Alyssa & Donnie in a Ford Van

Alyssa & Donnie's story is extra special to me because I have been following them and their adventures even before they began #vanlife. Alyssa reached out to me when they were converting their van. I have been able to watch their progress and planning come to fruition, and I have witnessed this newfound happiness with the freedom in living small.

I have been captivated by their creativity, which is both as beautiful individually as it is together. They have a vision to share how people connect with each other and with the natural world, and I can't wait to see their project unfold.

Kara in a Dodge Van

Kara in a Dodge Van

We all know the saying, "Life is too short," but what does it really mean? For Kara, that message couldn't be truer when she lost her parents three years ago. Since then, she's been determined to find healing through her travels. Living in a van allows her time for soul searching, self-love and self-discovery. Kara knows that not all parts of the journey are going to be happy but that there will be more than enough joy from the new adventures ahead.

Becky & Todd in a Yurt

Becky & Todd in a Yurt

Greg & I chatted with Becky & Todd on the phone in October, and we recorded their interview. My plan was to publish a written Q&A with the audio. But due to technical difficulties, I wasn't able to play it back afterwards. Luckily these two were understanding and helped me piece their interview back together.     

What I love about Becky & Todd is that they not only live this lifestyle, but they are building a community around it. They host travelers and share their passions for environmental stewardship and music with others.

Janna & John in a Sprinter Van

Janna & John in a Sprinter Van

What if someday is today? That's how Janna & John see it now, but that wasn’t always the case. They kept delaying their big adventure because something always got in the way.

Recently the two of them decided that life was too short not to travel. As they cruise around the States in their Sprinter Van, they’ve learned that sometimes having a plan is better than not having one at all.

Matt & Josh in Chevy vans

Matt & Josh in Chevy vans

How awesome would it be if you went on a road trip that never ended? Matt & Josh are two brothers on a self-funded trip. They stop when they find places to work odd jobs. Most of their jobs are found through social media, particularly their Facebook page and sometimes even as simple as starting a hashtag. Who they meet determines what they end up doing each day.

What started as one van for the two brothers has now morphed into two vans, one for each of them, as they race each other from coast to coast.

Monica in a VW Van

Monica in a VW Van

I've been on Instagram as "Tiny House, Tiny Footprint" for a little over a year now. Since the beginning of that time, there have been a few people I've been interacting with that I have grown quite close to. Monica is one of them—someone I would call my "tiny living soul sister." We've been rooting each other on for the past year, supporting each other from afar. Even though we've never met, we have no trouble feeling bonded by our love for traveling and nature.

Danielle & Mat in a Ford Van

Danielle & Mat in a Ford Van

Danielle and Mat reached out to me a few months back and asked if we had any video footage of our camper trailer. At the time, we did not. So while I procrastinated sending them some videos, Danielle and Mat were quick to answer my questions, send me photos and get back to me. Below is a look into the lives of two creative individuals who spill raw reflections into blog posts and capture incredible footage of people living alternative lifestyles.

We can't wait to meet up with these like-minded people in our travels and share experiences together.

Ben in a VW Bus

Ben in a VW Bus

I always love interviewing couples who live small, but lately, I have felt quite empowered by the solo adventurers. It can be difficult when you're on your own to make ends meet after quitting your day job or traveling solo for months on end.

But Ben shows us that it can be a rewarding way to live. He lives off his savings, doesn't have a serious itinerary and only stays in one spot for a long period of time when his van break downs.

And as for an adventure sidekick? All Ben really needs is man's best friend.

Shelby & Simon in a Dodge Van

Shelby & Simon in a Dodge Van

I'm not sure how I found Shelby & Simon, but I'm happy I did. Just recently, I ended up spending a few hours watching van life episodes on their YouTube channel. I learned things like how you can park under the radar and how to give adorable deer kisses.

Reading through their blog, I can't help but experience the raw nature of van life. It isn't always as pretty as we paint it, and it's important for people out there to get out the real story. Shelby & Simon are those people. They make light of the bad and move on with humor, which reminds us that life is too short to get hung up on things not going our way.

Eva & Victor in a Dodge Ram Van

Eva & Victor in a Dodge Ram Van

It's funny how you connect with some people and then you can't stop talking about them afterwards. That's how I feel about Eva. We've been emailing for two weeks now and I learn something new each time we correspond or I look at one of her illustrations.

Eva & Victor follow the same story you've already heard before: a couple leaves the city to travel and live in their van. The difference is that they haven't stopped being dedicated to their crafts. Eva paints vans and illustrates a travel journal. Recently, she took a collection of painted vans from her travels and put them into a calendar that she is promoting through a Kickstarter. While Eva paints, Victor runs as a competitive mountain and ultra runner. He also surfs whenever they are close to the ocean.

The two of them are unstoppable and their photography speaks to that. Try to keep up with them as they use their talents to capture the world around them.

Travis & Shay in a Dodge Ram Van

Travis & Shay in a Dodge Ram Van

I found Travis through his photography, and once you see the photos below, you'll understand why. While I was double tapping Travis's photos, I discovered I was also following his partner, Shay. As a Divemaster, Shay's photos feature her in crystal clear beaches and deep within rainforests. You can't help but want to escape with her into the water and swim among sea creatures and coral.

But for now, I will sit back, camera in hand, while I learn from two of the best on how they are able to live their passions on land and underwater.

Angela, Jason & Bode in a VW Bus

Angela, Jason & Bode in a VW Bus

Do me a favor and think back to what it was like to be nine years old. Maybe you had a favorite teacher or a favorite memory on the playground during recess.

What if we replaced your schoolteachers with your parents and the playground was actually anywhere you could drive to between North and South America?

That's what it's like to be Bode, who has already visited 22 countries with his two parents, Angela and Jason, in a 1971 VW bus.

For Bode, school and home are both on the road.

Lauren & Calum in a VW Van

Lauren & Calum in a VW Van

There might be correlation between living small and taking pretty pictures. Or perhaps, coincidentally, the people I interview have a knack for finding beautiful things to photograph on their travels and are able to capture their own joy living this lifestyle. Either way, it’s hard not to want to escape to Europe to meet this lovely couple and caravan with them on the coast and throughout the countryside.

Lauren and Calum share through their writing and photography that the simple things in life are much more enjoyable.