In pursuit of a better future: Why we chose a home on wheels

The van-dwelling movement exploded during the Covid-19 pandemic, and has been growing ever since. Social media is plastered in people ‘living the dream’ on the road, but the reasons behind their decision to take the plunge is often left out of the conversation.

Whilst van living is fairly new to us, the idea has been years in the making. Living in a mobile home provides an abundance of obvious freedoms, but we want to get to the nitty-gritty of why it works for us as part of a long-term pursuit of a better future.

Whether you’re about to embark on your very first adventure, or you’re simply curious about alternative ways of living, here’s an honest reflection on why we chose a home on wheels.

Finance

I was apprehensive over whether to cover this topic first, but decided it’s an important and often overlooked discussion that we need to be more open about! For many years, I romanticised the idea of having a little place to call my own and being able to pack up and explore, taking all my belongings with me. Whilst this appeal still rings true, the cost of living strains that millions of us are experiencing were intensifying. We got to a point where rent was becoming unaffordable and getting on the property ladder was out of the question. Ultimately, we were finding it difficult to see how we’d be able to generate any long term savings to secure the future we’d started planning.

Our long-term goal is to be able to live simply, self-sufficiently and off-grid – so after months of calculating, scrimping and debating, we finally came to the conclusion that van life was the next logical step for us. It could provide a home and a method of transport, but crucially, it could serve as an introduction to living more consciously, in line with nature whilst being aware of our consumption and genuine needs.

Skills

A massive pull for us was the doors this lifestyle could open up in terms of skills. Being at an early point in our careers, we felt challenged enough at work, but really began to notice the gap in practical knowledge we had when it came to building and making. With very little savings, we knew we’d have to complete the build ourselves, and relished the opportunity to learn new skills along the way – from wonky attempts at wood working to cutting fan-shaped holes in the roof of our van…

Life skills development and nurturing personal growth was also top of the list. Building our home enabled us to collaborate more with other people who shared their wisdom and knowledge that we hope to pass on one day. This, paired with the knowledge we’re gaining every day in how to live a more sustainable and minimal life, will hopefully contribute to us being more rounded human beings!

Freedom

We can’t fail to mention the freedom that comes with this way of living. Having somewhere to call home that accompanies you wherever you choose to go has brought a real sense of comfort. We work remotely knowing we’ll be able to live much more frugally, allowing us to save whilst seeing the world – something we couldn’t access living in rented accommodation.

Reconnection

Freedom aside, one of the most important reasons why we chose a home on wheels is in pursuit of reconnection. Living in cities in our early twenties was fun, but a serious disconnect came along with it. We wanted to get to know the beauty on our front doorstep, whilst exploring new places, all without the pressure of having to squeeze a holiday into the allotted time we got for annual leave.

We recognise the impact driving a vehicle that relies on fuel has on the planet, yet with limited (but growing!) infrastructure and the price point of electric vehicles way out of reach for us – we decided to take extra care to commit to an eco-build, whilst utilsing solar to generate our energy alongside dramatically reducing our water consumption.

Reconnection in this sense also means we rarely fly. We instead explore lands closer to home, as slowly and as responsibly as possible – with no pressure to race off to the next place. This allows us to buy local as well as engage with and contribute to the communities we visit. All of this is in hopes that we’ll find somewhere that feels more like a rooted home for us – where community-building, self-sufficiency and regeneration will be priorities.

So, if you’re interested in learning more about conscious living and slow travel – stick around as we share our lessons from the road!