We got our van!

You’re looking at the peak in 90’s roadtrip luxury: a 1996 Chevy Express with a high roof and Vortec engine.

For y’all that don’t know, Stevie and I are currently pursuing a dream to live out of a van for a bit of time until we find a good spot to settle down. Lots of folks do #vanlife for the appeal of being off-the-grid nomads or the glamor of instagram influencers waking up to pour-overs on the beach. I don’t think either of these will represent our van experience. I’m opting for a few years in the van because:

1. People I love dearly live far away. I want to be able to see them. For the ones that have kiddos, I want to be a part of their kids’ lives. Vanlife isn’t a way for me to run away from my community, instead its allows me to finally spend time with some of the people I love — in a way I couldn’t when I was stuck in an office and with a mortgage and no time off.
   

2. Learning, unlearning, relearning. One project I’m committed to while in the van is learning more about the history of this land and her people, from the First Nations to present day struggles for liberation. I hope to learn more about the past as well as meet folks that are currently organizing. I have a dream – who knows if it will come true? – of doing a little DIY journalism and interviewing organizers I meet along the way. Additionally, I want to learn more about myself and my family: what do we need and what do we want? What gives us life and what holds us back? Finally, I want to become more handy! I expect things to break all the time on the van. I want to get good at fixing them.
   

3. Go outside. Having a small, maybe even uncomfortable living space (2 humans, 2 dog, 1 cat) means we’ll be incentivized further to go outside. I’m looking forward to more long walks with our pups, more trails through the woods, more adventure. Capitalism produces a constant state of precarity, which forces us to prioritize safety and security above all else. I want to take a little time to live. 

Next week we’re leaving for her maiden voyage: a week down the gulf coast of florida, with plenty of time for spying manatees in clear spring water, hiking through hardwood jungles, and urban excursions to Tampa, Ybor, and St. Pete. Bright sunshine. Warm days. A good visit with our pals Rachel and Conor. And a Happy Birthday to our one-year-old friend Cecelia!!

Our initial trip will be petty bare bones – just the essentials + a solar generator. When we get back, we’ll start building! I’ll keep you updated regularly, I promise!