It’s been a while since we posted anything on our blog, and we have some big news to share. If you saw the title of this post, you can probably guess what that is. We have made the exciting (and scary) decision to step away from our careers for a little while and pursue full-time van life.
This decision was one that was not easy for us. For months, we asked ourselves questions like:
- What does this mean for retirement when we are older?
- What will our friends, family, and co-workers think?
- Am I abandoning my work team?
- How will we afford this lifestyle?
- How long will we be able to do this?
- What if something happens while we’re on the road like a medical emergency?
There were probably a hundred more questions that kept us up for nights as we worked towards making this decision and taking the ultimate leap.
All those hypothetical questions aside, there were also some very strong forces pulling us to do this now rather than wait for “someday” that may never happen. Over the past few years, we have seen family leave us too soon. It’s amazing what a profound impact those heartbreaking experiences can have on your life. The darkest moments can sometimes teach us the most beautiful lessons. None of us are promised tomorrow and as cliché as it may sound each day truly is a gift.
Going through the tragic loss of parents and loved ones really made us realize that if there are things we want to feel like we truly gave our all to when our time is near, then we need to go out and do those things now. While we had hundreds of questions holding us back, there was one question more important than any, which propelled us forward. If we don’t do this now, will we ever have the chance later?
We’re not really sure how long this season of our life is going to last, but we are out here living each day for what it is. The day we have right now is the day that matters most. There are so many things in this big, beautiful world that we want to experience. Sure, we’ll likely return to the corporate world at some point in our lives, but we are taking the opportunity to make the most of what we have right now.
One of my favorite quotes that has been a source of inspiration through this decision process comes from John Muir, “The world is big, and I want to get a good look at it before it gets dark.” It’s sad to think, but the world will get dark for all of us at some point. We will never know when that is—could be today, in a month, or in years—but that’s one gamble that we don’t want to take. The only thing we can truly bet on is what we have today.
As I write this, we are on day 75 of our full-time van life adventure. It’s just after 3:30 pm and I am sitting in a motel. The van is in the shop for some repairs, but we are eager to hit the road tomorrow and continue exploring Alaska. It may not be perfect, but I have everything I need, and I am proud of how far we have come and the sense of accomplishment.
I’ll share more of our journey and how we got here and what some learnings have been along the way in future blog posts. I’d love to have you follow along by subscribing to the blog. We also have a series of YouTube videos that show more of the day-to-day living in a van and exploring new places. I’ll leave our first in the series of van life videos below.
If any of this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Thanks for reading and take care!
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