Vanniversary!

It has officially been one year since I officially moved myself, my dog Sanchez, and all my things into my van and started 'This Vanlife Thing' - one whole year of full time van dwelling, living, travelling, and working on the road. Happy Vanniversary to me!! 

I started this blog at the time with every intention of writing frequently, as some sort of personal diary but also as a real life reflection of the reality of what living in a van entails, because it's definitely not all Instagram filtered sunsets and beaches - it's a lifestyle that's certainly not for everyone, and I wanted to capture some of the compromises and hardships that come as part of the package deal of choosing to live like this. Now I'll put my hands up here and say that I haven't blogged anywhere near as often as I had set out to, BUT, I have fully embraced this lifestyle and learned a few things on the way, one whole year down the road. So here are the top ten things I've learned about life in a van;

10. There are more of us than I realised

You know how when you buy a new car, you suddenly see that same car everywhere? Same with van dwellers. Since moving into my own van and travelling around, scouting out park up spots etc, I have realised there are far, far more people living in vans than I had ever previously noticed, or given much thought to. I have no idea what the official figure is, if there even is such a thing, but as an estimate I'd say it's somewhere between a fuckload and a shittonne (metric).

9. There are two types of people that live in vans

I'll make a huge sweeping generalisation here, and break these down into two groups; those that want to, and those that have to. What I mean by that is that the first group have made an uninfluenced lifestyle choice and have chosen to move into their vans, usually have a bit of savings behind them, and have set off travelling. The second group have typically found themselves in a situation where it's the van or the streets, usually as a result of political and economic factors such as the state of the housing crisis and the employment market. Then there are those that are somewhere in between.

8. Knowledge is power

It pays to have a basic knowledge of the law, particularly regarding sleeping in a vehicle on a public highway, and overnight parking in private carparks. Sleeping in a vehicle on a public highway (which includes lay-bys and council owned, public car parks) is not nor has ever been an offence, where you are not causing obstruction. Trespass is a civil matter, not a criminal one, and "no overnight parking" signs on private car parks (such as nature reserves, forestry commission, etc) are simply a request to comply, not an enforceable demand, where no penalty is clearly detailed. Read the signs properly, know your rights, and you're covered for any late night knocks on the door.

7. We've got it easy in the UK

As above, the law in the UK makes living in a van remarkably easy, in the sense that that are currently no laws prohibiting us from living in a vehicle, and actually a few that protect us. Its easy to get off the main road and find quiet park up spots, drinking water is considered a human right and easy to find for free when you know where to go, and we're pretty well set up for freely available public conveniences such as bins, toilets and showers.

6. I don't need much

People always ask me if I need anything, which is lovely but the answer is invariably always, no I'm good thanks. "Need" is a subjective term, but im terms of necessities versus luxuries, rather than Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, I've got everything that I actually NEED in my little van - and a lot of stuff that I don't. As long as Ive got food in my cupboards, juice in my batteries, gas in my tank, diesel and firewood, I'm all set. Oh and coffee. Fuck you Maslow I need coffee. But I do genuinely have everything I need in here, and then some. And some more. I don't know how I previously convinced myself that I needed enough "stuff" to fill a house with, but I certainly have way more than I actually need just in my van!

5. I did good

My van build turned out alright, in terms of planning to live off grid full time. I'm constantly tinkering with it purely on a cosmetic stance, but from the perspective of planning ahead for what I'd need from a functionality level in order to no only survive but actually enjoy living like this, I nailed it. There isn't anything I've struggled to cope without (ok maybe an oven, but hello Omnia pan!) or had to change / add since moving in here. I'd convinced myself that there would be something I'd overlooked, but one year in, if Ive made it this far then I obviously didn't need it. It also turned out alright from a cosmetic stance too I guess - sure it's a little rough around the edges in places, but the number of positive comments I get about how it looks in here has made me accept that, despite not having a creative or artistic bone in my body, I did good. 

4. I'm tough as old boots

I've survived! I haven't quit, I haven't even felt like quitting at any point. It hasn't always been easy - it's NOT easy, ever, living this way, going from living very comfortably in bricks and mortar with every convenience available at the push of a button or the turn of a tap, to living in a very basic, minimalist fashion where nothing comes without a little effort - but that just makes you appreciate the fruits of your labour, so to speak. When you carry your own water, you don't waste it. When you cut your own firewood, you put a jumper on. In fact for the first four months I didn't have gas or running water, and cooked / boiled water all on my log burner. I've been skint, down to literally pennies in my bank account. I actually like being skint - I grew up poor as chuff as a kid, like genuine poverty at times, so living frugally is not something I resent, in fact I'm quite fond of it. When you're broke you learn how to make do, to fix, mend, and find a way round - they say necessity is the mother of invention, well then poverty is the mother of innovation - I've learned what I know how to do because I've not always had the money to pay someone else to do it for me. No aspect of living in a van is ever going to be as easy as it is living in a house, but the rewards far, far outweigh the graft, and I've never found it "too hard", even when I got stuck for nearly 3 weeks unable to move and with no electricity, I made do with candles.

3. I have a strong support network

From family, to friends, to complete strangers - if I have ever needed help with anything, I've had it. I don't like asking for help, it's probably some weird pride thing where I struggle to accept that I can't do something on my own or with what I have. But at the same time, I'm not so stubborn to refuse help where it's offered. I've needed a hand a few times over the last year, help fixing something mechanical on my van, or finishing off some of the things I'd not got done before I moved in, space to park up, tools, a helping hand with unexpected blips on the road, work etc - I've never been short of someone offering what they have to give. It does not go unrecognised or unappreciated.

2. "I wish I'd done it"

I meet so many people who, when they see my van or find out that I live the way I do, say that they wish they'd done it, or wish thet could do it. From successful business owners, to million pound property owners. This awlays surprises me, because the commonly accepted definition of someone being what we'd call or certainly what society has conditioned us to believing to be, "successful", generally isn't someone who aspires to live in a tatty old van.

1. This is the best thing I've ever done.

I'm going to be blunt and say that I've not just adapted to this lifestyle, or that I've enjoyed it, but I've absolutely fucking loved the last 12 months and embraced everything that comes with it. Yes it's been hard, it's been a learning curve, it's not an easy lifestyle. It's definitely not all Instagram filters and scenery (and yes, I'm guilty of that too with my own Instagram), it's gritty and tough at times. But I've thrown myself into it feet first and run with it, mud blood sweat and tears, and would not change a single thing over the last year. I am happy. My only regret is that I'd not done it sooner, and my only worry is my van catestrophically shitting it's self. There's no end goal in sight for me - I live entirely day to day (often not knowing what day it is), and can be anywhere in the country on any given day of the week. I don't know where "vanlife" will take me, where I'll be next year or what I'll be doing - but I do know it'll be in a van. You can hold me to that.

Happy Vanniversary - here's to many more to come!! ✌️