Van life attracts people from all walks of people and not just those who have been enough of their regular life and not want to experiment as they would be getting old, Not just retirees are drawn to the pull of the open road but millenials too are The van life is a new style of life that millennials are embracing. On Instagram, there are more than 6 million posts with the hashtag #vanlife. Numerous factors, including the gig economy, flexible work schedules, and the Marie Kondo (a Japanese consultant and author) inspired minimalism trend, have certainly contributed to the rise in popularity of the nomadic lifestyle.
We see today that moving on from the boring 9 to 5 and living the #Vanlife is so cool and in trend right now. Since the term “van life” just didn’t exist prior to social media, particularly Instagram, becoming popular. Since the 1950s, people have been living and travelling in their vans, but in recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of young people who wish to try the nomadic way of life.
While a large portion of the auto industry is struggling as young people switch to Uber, public transportation, and used cars, one sector—recreational travel—is experiencing a generational uptick.
Vanlife is a hashtag that appeals to people because it so perfectly represents what the majority of people want. And that is a feeling of liberation and kinship with oneself and our own planet.
The #Vanlife movement is made up of young individuals who have taken away all the extras and gone down to the basics. So that they may concentrate on their surroundings, they prefer compact, straightforward travel and living.
Nomadic living is the newest social media-driven Millennial travel craze, with over 3.5 million photos using the hashtag #vanlife on Instagram alone. As more people choose to leave (or take a break from) their 9 to 5 employment to pursue their passions via the open road, the viral lifestyle option is capturing the attention of Generation Wanderlust. And it should not be surprising that people are recording their travels.
We thus bring you to some young travellers who word their van life and how they got into it:
After graduating from college, Ivy Garrett, 25, worked for a year, but she discovered that “corporate life can rob you of your creativity and you forget what it’s like to have your own unique thing.” She also desired to travel and acquire new skills.
Ivy Garrett was driving her Vanagon at the time.
No one discusses whether you’ll genuinely enjoy the work, she told USA TODAY. “Many of my friends complain that they are unappreciated and bored. A degree no longer carries the same weight as it once did. They desire more fulfilling jobs.”
Garrett and her partner Kasey Truong felt it would be more cost-effective to purchase and renovate a 1993 Eurovan as they were opposed to purchasing an RV. The pair put a lot of effort into saving money from their corporate careers so they would have enough to live on while travelling. They also exchanged their initial van for a more affordable one along the route.
Garrett and Truong claim that at first, their families were anxious yet supportive. They didn’t comprehend the couple’s choice to downsize their possessions in favour of a more nomadic way of living.
Garrett acknowledges that his existence in the van hasn’t been entirely Jack Kerouac.
1993 Eurovan owned by Ivy Garrett in Point Reyes National Seashore
She discovered that sharing such a little place and the unpredictable nature of living on the road were the most difficult aspects.
It was occasionally difficult to get a parking spot and a place to sleep. In addition, they had to consider such necessities as access to water and grocery stores, which were once taken for granted.
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Alaina Ann, 38, has travelled alone for the most of the last eight years. “Now that I’m healthy, I can go on challenging hikes and spend a lot of time outside. Being alive at 60 is not always a given.”
She made the decision to attempt living in a van full-time after seven months of intermittent travel. She let her lease expire and sold the majority of her possessions. She gave the purple van she had personalised the name Dandy.
Ann claims that the support of her friends and family for her decision to live in a van full-time has been unfailing: “People are occasionally initially shocked to find that I primarily travel alone. Many ladies claim they could never handle it alone or are surprised to learn how simple it actually is.”
She works from home as a marketing consultant, graphic designer, and photographer to maintain her financial stability.
Since my bills have decreased, I’ve been able to concentrate on passion projects, adds Ann, who was even motivated to write a children’s book. She anticipates that “Dandy the Van,” which will be released in December, will help children learn about travel through the perspective of Dandy, a precocious purple van, and her pals.
