When Jon & Janessa were 17, they fell madly in love with each other and with the goal to explore the world. Now, they are living out of their Casita trailer with the freedom to be anywhere at any time. They follow a four-hour workweek and the rest of the time they spend writing, reading, surfing, hiking and laying in the sun. To them, time will always be greater than any amount of money.
In 2014, Julie & Christian sold their home and letterpress equipment, put the bulk of their belongings in storage and bought a 1990 Volkswagen Westfalia Vanagon with the idea to travel around North America and Central America for a year. That year quickly turned into three, and now they don't plan on stopping.
Before Anik & Tom moved into their rig, they had a simple life. And although it was simple, they found it boring. Doing the same thing every day of the week had them on edge and restless. The small trips they were doing each year were never enough.
So in the summer of 2015, they decided to hit the road in their vintage van. In between van travels, they live in an off-the-grid trailer that acts as their home base and keeps them warm in the winter months.
Julien, originally from Quebec, grew up traveling to Maine and New Hampshire to surf. These were long road trips, and being trapped in a small car had its limitations. So he bought a van to be more comfortable. His first van was a 1989 GMC Vandura, but in April he upgraded to a 2015 Safari Condo. Even when Julien owned an apartment, he would still stay in his van, so now he lives in his van full time.
He funds his adventures through the online magazine Go-Van and partners with tourism bureaus and brands he supports. This weekend, he will be hosting a van meetup in Quebec. Be sure to check it out if you're in the area.
Many people go into nature and take it for granted. But there are some people who play in the woods, using traditional methods to forage so that they can be more connected to nature and its wild spaces.
Raphaelle + Mark's van acts as their tiny home and their business. They chose a vessel that could take them deep into the wilderness. Their workshop on wheels allows them to make natural products free of toxic chemicals and inspired by nature's wild beauty.
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.
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.
