We started a series showing some of our stats each month to show you how possible it is and how affordable it can be to live the van life. You don’t have to be rich - you just have to know how to work it. 😉

Are there other things you’d like to see listed? Anything you’re wondering about? Let us know and we can add it to our month in review list.

Month in Review

Miles driven: ~2,500

States visited:

• Iowa

• Nebraska

• Wyoming

• Idaho

Longest drive day: 231 miles (June 9)

Shortest drive day: 6 miles (June 29)

Where we’re headed next:
We’re making our way toward the Boise/Meridian area for my company’s annual convention! 😍

Stays

• Visit with friends: 4 nights

• Nights in the van: 26

Of those 26 van nights:

• Campgrounds: 8 nights

• Harvest Hosts: 5 nights

• Parking lots (rest areas, big box stores, travel stations, etc.): 12 nights

• Dispersed camping: 1 night

Van Life Expenses

• Free nights: 22

• Campground costs: $142.79

• Savings with various discounts: $86.21

• Harvest Hosts expenditures: $108.43

  • (Donations, food, drinks, electricity)

• Average camping cost per night: $4.76

We spent more than usual on campgrounds this month because we chose to stay inside Yellowstone National Park. It was worth every penny!

Other Travel Expenses

• Groceries: ~$427

• Restaurants: ~$154

• Gas: ~$640

• Laundry: $20

• Entertainment & special attractions: $47

Total: About $1,539

Of course, we still have the regular monthly expenses that we’d have whether we lived in a traditional home or traveled full-time, so those aren’t included here.

Gas prices definitely played a role in our higher costs this month, and we also treated ourselves to eating out a little more often than usual.

Does this look like what you expected? Is there anything you’d like us to include in future monthly recaps? Let us know in the comments!

When you travel full-time like we do, spending money on extras has to be kept to a minimum. If you’re moving around a lot, it could be really easy to spend hundreds of dollars a month on food, drinks, attractions, museums, campgrounds, etc.

There is SO much out there that’s VERY expensive. 💰 😅

But there are also plenty of things that are inexpensive or even FREE! And let me tell you I’m the pro at finding free and cheap. 😏

So I figured I’d share my top 10 tips for saving money while traveling on a tight budget.

1. Do a Google search for “best free things to do in _____” for any town/city that you’re planning to spend time in. I’ve found some really cool things by doing this.

2. Purchase a North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association annual membership. It provides access to 1,500 institutions, including arts and history museums, botanical gardens, children’s museums, and more. It’s an upfront cost, but it saves hundreds of dollars over the year with that annual membership.

We’ve already saved $316 in museum visits this year by using that! They also have these for zoos, gardens, and science museums, so you can pick what you love and join. I want a zoo/garden one next.

3. If you can be self-sustained, don’t be afraid to boondock. Boondocking means camping without any hookups if you’re not familiar with the term. You can boondock in dispersed camping areas (federal land), rest areas (check state laws, as they vary), many big-box stores, travel stops, Cracker Barrel restaurants, and even hotels or hospitals sometimes. Asking permission is always ideal. Many places will let you park for free overnight as long as there aren’t laws restricting it.

And of course, Harvest Hosts is ideal for this as well. We have saved a ton with our membership and we love it! Please use our referral code to get a discount, which also helps us earn free time on our membership.

4. If you frequently use campgrounds, consider buying memberships that will save you money with discounts. Passport America offers an amazing 50% discount and you can find participating locations all over the country. There can be restrictions (weekends, holidays, peak season), but we’ve saved a ton with this membership. You can try it free for 4 months with our referral code.

Camping World offers its Good Sam program, and that’s one we’ve used a little. KOA has a membership, but its campgrounds are much pricier than those of many others. Just shop around and figure out what works best for you.

5. Use the GasBuddy app to plan for stops as much as possible. Sometimes the difference in gas prices from one town to the next can vary greatly. We got gas yesterday for $3.33 before we left town because the towns we would be going through were around $4.04 or more! (Honestly, we were SHOCKED to get that low of a price because we haven’t seen it below $4 anywhere in quite a while! It was a pleasant surprise!

6. Join gas station rewards programs. If you’re traveling all across the country, you’ll hit up all kinds of stations, so it’s nice to have them all. Some have better rewards than others, so know which ones will serve you best if you stop there. I have found Pilot and Love’s to be the best for fuel discounts.

7. Utilize brand rewards programs. Whether it’s a hotel chain you stick with or a credit card that offers travel credits, these types of things can save you tons of money.

We use Choice Hotels when we stay in a hotel because they’re budget-friendly, they’re everywhere typically, and they have different tiers so you can choose super cheap or splurge on a nicer place for the night. We also use a Capital One credit card to pay for everything. This accumulates points that we can use toward travel (or other things, but that’s how we choose to spend them). A few years ago, we almost completely paid for a trip to Alaska with credit card points. 🙌

If you want a Capital One card, we would love you forever if you use our referral link. We get extra points added to our account when you do!

8. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐢. These places are a great way to enjoy a nice, quiet, and FREE place to work during the day.

9. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝. You can find some cool stuff at thrift stores, including clothes, gadgets, and books! I found a pair of Chaco sandals for myself a couple of weeks ago for $1. Yep - one dollar. And they were in GREAT shape!

10. Make a meal plan and cook your own food. We always prefer to buy groceries (usually from Aldi, Walmart, and Sam’s) and make our own food. Eating out costs a fortune these days. And it’s so unhealthy to boot. Your waistline and your wallet will thank you for it.

That’s it! These are my top money-saving tips. Let me know if this helps you or gives you good ideas for saving! 🫶🏻

And if you have advice, what would you add to the list?

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As we’ve traveled all around the country and even parts of Europe over the last six years, one of the things we’ve heard people say most is that they’d love to do what we’re doing. Some say they only dream of it, some say they plan to travel “one day,” and some say they’ll travel when they retire.

I think it’s amazing to have dreams about the life we want to live but in order to make those dreams a reality, you have to do more than dream. It will never come true if you aren’t taking steps to make it happen. And I’m not saying that all those people aren’t doing things to make it happen - just make sure you are if this is your dream. 😉

This will look different for everyone, depending on the standard of living you want to enjoy while you travel, how you want to travel, whether you can work remotely, and whether you have children… all of those things affect the decisions you make.

But one thing I would encourage you to do - don’t wait if you don’t have to. Don’t put it off if you can make it happen now.

I know that’s not possible for everyone. But if you can shuffle things around in your life and make it work - do it! I can’t recommend this lifestyle enough. It truly is amazing.

We only get one life to live and it goes by in the blink of an eye. We might think we’ll do a whole list of things when we retire, but what if we don’t make it there? We spoke to a lady a couple weeks ago who shared with us that she and her husband had big plans to travel all over once they retired….but they didn’t get that chance because he passed away suddenly before he retired. And we’ve heard that story many times over the years.

That’s not shared to make you live in fear of death coming too soon but just to make sure you know that we aren’t guaranteed a life beyond retirement. And honestly, based on the way I feel at the age of 54, I can’t imagine how difficult some things might get by the time I get to the standard retirement age of 67. 🤣 Our bodies aren’t as capable of doing things as we get older. (As a general rule, that is - some people defy the norm and do amazing things!)

We dreamed of living this lifestyle for over 10 years before we could make it a reality. We had to sacrifice a lot to make the dream come true and we gave up many things that most people probably think they couldn’t live without. But once we did it, we felt so free and we have loved this life!

It’s not always easy and there are plenty of challenges that get thrown our way - plenty, let me tell ya. But overall it’s been such a huge blessing. There is so much to explore, and I’m already freaking out about what little I’ve seen, how much there still is to see, and how many years (or days!) I might have left on the earth. So I plan to try to live every day to its fullest.

Will you join me in that?

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Several days ago, when we pulled out of Hay Springs toward Alliance in Nebraska, I was fully convinced our last moments together would likely be spent arguing with each other in the tan van careening down Highway 87 on a terrifying ride into oblivion. This is NOT what I envisioned for van life, nor the end of my life!

As extreme wind gusts blew us all over the road like tumbleweeds and a large swath of sand blacked out everything ahead, I understood how Dr. Jo Harding and Bill "The Extreme" Harding must have felt while driving into those Oklahoma tornadoes with cows flying around in the movie Twister.

I broke down mentally and prayed to every god I knew of and even the ones I didn’t.

This was not one of those Instagrammable moments that sell the idea of van life—unless a picture of me holding onto a steering wheel for dear life with a Kung-Fu grip, gritting my teeth to the point of snapping, and the look of sheer panic does it for you. Dare I mention the severe butt-puckering that left permanent indentions in the driver’s seat?

Call me a sissy or whatever else, but nothing scares the 💩 outta me more than driving a high-profile tin can into hurricane-force winds. Tossing hand grenades and blowing up tanks seems like child’s play compared to this kind of road life adventure.

Unfortunately, there’s no van life manual to explain the terror of driving 45 mph in brutal conditions as you struggle to keep your vehicle from tipping over while locals angrily speed past you and give you the middle finger. There’s no warning about how driving in bad weather like this, along with traffic and mountain climbs, will wipe you out physically and mentally — and increase your alcohol intake to alarming rates.

Maybe it’s just me, but as larger rigs shot by me like a rocket, I started to think perhaps I’m just not good enough to be the pilot of this ship and that it would be better to downsize to living in a Prius, which is more fuel efficient and isn’t a wind sail on wheels, or take up running with the bulls in Spain instead, because it might be safer. All real thoughts as I stared the Grim Reaper in the face.

But this isn’t the first time we’ve faced death while traveling in our truck or with our new camper van, and sadly, it probably won’t be the last.

Back in January, as we camped at Big Bend National Park for the second time, I was awake at 4:30 am one morning, thinking about survival and what we’d do in case of an emergency, like a fire. Moments later, I started to smell something awful, like wires burning. Then I saw smoke begin to fill the cabin.

Lo and behold, I spoke it into existence! (If only I could do that with money!!)

Within seconds, two fifty-somethings evacuated a bed four feet off the ground and escaped the van, unplugged the shore power, and started to grab what we could save. Thankfully, the burning stopped. As we “laughed” about our near-death experience, Donetta mentioned she was glad we weren’t naked. I was ambivalent about it. 🤷‍♂️ 😝

Anyway.

We soon discovered that the shore power battery charger, which had been plugged in all night, had overheated and almost caught on fire despite its safety mechanism. Despite it ending well, the damage was done. Even with a smoke detector and fire extinguisher now by our side, the PTSD from that incident keeps us from using the new charger unless it’s necessary, and every new weird smell, including farts, puts me on edge.

That said, there have been many sleepless nights of worry and anxiety for me.

It doesn’t help the fear when our daughter anxiously, yet jokingly, mentions that she could lose both parents at once because we’re always in the van traveling together. That really puts things in perspective. Thanks, Kayla! 😘

Perhaps for two people in love, who are as passionate about traveling and van life as we are, it could be a fitting way to end our journey together, but I’m not ready for a Thelma and Louise movie moment just yet.

Hopefully it won’t be this Wednesday either, when the Sturgis, South Dakota, winds are forecast to hit 60 mph, because I don’t want to die on hump day after all, unless, of course… well, never mind!

In all seriousness, it’s sobering to think about these dangerous possibilities, but also that I might just actually be stupid to worry about being crumpled up like a tuna can.

Am I the only person who suffers these kinds of crazy fears???

Please tell me.

It would be interesting to know if others feel the same.

P.S. I later found out that a couple of highways were closed due to extreme winds, and that high-profile vehicles were strongly advised to shelter in place.

I remember the first time I talked with Nelson Jenkins while serving as a youth pastor (shocking, I know) in a small Oklahoma town called Kingfisher.

My church had partnered with a national company for a summer mission trip to Denver, Colorado, and somehow this fast-talking guy with a Boston accent found out we’d be there, got my phone number, and decided to call me to introduce himself. And for whatever reason, he thought we should get together when we all arrived. It was a bit odd and creepy, but it’s been said that God works in mysterious ways.

I was like, OK, whatever. Our conversation was good, though I was skeptical, and when we hung up, I mostly forgot about it.

On the day of our arrival, this goofy-looking older guy with an excited, ADHD-type behavior came up to me and gave me a hug. It was Nelson from Rochester, New York, and he boldly proclaimed all of our guys were gonna be bunk mates. Again, it felt weird, but I was new to ministry and figured this was how people did things, so I just shrugged it off because I was tired from a very long, stressful drive.

By the way, if you’ve never hauled a dozen junior high and high school kids in a 15-passenger church van for 680 miles, it will certainly test and stretch your faith!!!

Over the next few days, as my wife and I served alongside him, I really got to know Nelson. He had a wife and four children and was a devout Christian, but despite his seriousness about all things God, he was also like a 12-year-old boy, filled with energy and fun. We were constantly cracking jokes and doing things that ministers typically don’t do.

When we were asked to preach at a soup kitchen serving homeless people in the area, Nelson crafted an incredible sermon from scratch, while I, on the other hand, talked about how life sometimes kicks you in the balls, but you gotta keep going. The look on his horrified yet giggling face was priceless!

We were so different yet similar, and after a week, we had built a solid friendship.

Several months later, our paths would cross again at a national youth conference in North Carolina, where we met his wife for the first time. Somehow, we all just clicked, and it felt like we had been friends for decades.

Just like Donetta, Susie Jenkins was a quiet and straight-laced woman with a gentle spirit. Her demeanor was much different than Nelson’s, and I had to laugh that both of us guys had managed to marry the complete opposite of who we were.

During our time together in North Carolina, Donetta and I had mentioned we felt like leaving our church. We loved the youth and the people, but the new pastor was causing problems, and the joy of serving in Kingfisher was quickly eroding. Without missing a beat, both Jenkins looked at us and said,

“Why don’t you come to New York and stay with us until you find your next place to go?”

Keep in mind, I had only met Nelson once, we had known Susie for a few hours, and none of us had any clue if any of us were serial killers in some twisted religious cult. Now they are inviting my entire family to move across the country to live with them. OY!

And as good Christians do, we said we’d pray about it.

Weeks later, as we were literally considering their offer and had a call about this prospective move, I tried my best to make them aware of what they might be in for with the Dalman family, but they were undeterred. We asked questions. Asked more questions. Then we said YES. It was both scary and exciting to think about this adventure.

Only days later, I realized I had forgotten to mention the fifth member of our band, a Siberian Husky named Nikki. Ooops! That could be the deal breaker. They were still crazy enough to let us stay.

On January 3rd, 2004, we arrived in Walworth, New York, in a fully loaded Honda Passport after days of driving through snow and ice. It was like a grand homecoming, filled with joyful wonder and incredible excitement, as we were welcomed into their home and lives.

Because they had an in-law edition downstairs, with a separate living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, it worked for us all. We gelled in a way that most families will never experience, and we had the ride of a lifetime.

And what was supposed to be a short stay turned into 14 months of fun.

I think Nelson is still getting counseling for that decision. LOL

. . . ♥️ . . .

While my days of ministry are long gone and I feel much differently about religion, without a doubt, I can say this friendship was a blessing orchestrated by a divine power that knew exactly what we needed and when we needed it. I’m truly grateful for it.

To this day, we are still close friends, and we spent last week with them at their parsonage in Meriden, Iowa, where Nelson is the pastor of Meriden EFC, and Susie continues to serve their community. They took us out to explore, stopping at Backdraft Bar & Grill in Holstein for some of the best pizza we’ve ever eaten, as well as the Regatta Grill in Storm Lake, where we enjoyed delicious wings and appetizers.1

I also might have gotten him fired!

One evening, the worship band was practicing in the church, and I told Nelson I should go in and test them by pretending to be a homeless person looking for food. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge prankster. He agreed with one condition — no cursing. The prank was on.

As I slowly walked into the sanctuary where they played, I started to dance slowly in a cosmic circle, waving my arms and swaying to the music, hoodie and hat over my head. I saw a woman smile before the guitarist and bassist looked at each other with eyes as big as softballs. Then someone said, “Nice interpretive dance; can we help you?”

In my worst redneck drunk voice possible, I responded.

“I’m hungry. Can you get me some food? I want a Big Mac. Can you get me a Happy Meal? Jesus said that all who are hungry and come to Him shall be fed!”

Silence. Wild stares. Fear in their eyes.

The guitar player asked me, “How did you get in here? Where are you from?”

I said, “Jesus sent me from the fields,” and as he reached for his phone or pistol, I started cracking up as Nelson came running up behind me, realizing it was his boss. Of course, it never occurred to me that this could be a bad decision on my part. Ask for forgiveness, am I right? We haven’t heard back from him since he preached on Sunday. Maybe they’ll be living in the tan van with us.

But what I really want to share is how much I love the Jenkins.

They adopted a bunch of misfits from Oklahoma and gave us a home, fed us meals, helped us when we were in pain, and loved us regardless of who we were. They have shown us a faith that is real and true, have been generous with everything they own, and have never judged me (remember, Donetta is a saint) for being who I am. In my lifetime experience, this is rare in the Christian world, despite that lifestyle being the very gospel that Jesus preached for His people to embody.

The Jenkins are not perfect. But they are close.

Well, except for Nelson.

That guy IS off the charts! 🤪

In all seriousness, we are fortunate to have them as friends, especially when real friendship is almost impossible to find these days, especially while living in a van. We appreciate them more than they know. We are lucky.

That said, I hope you have your own “Jenkins” in your lives, people who allow you to be yourself and will be there for you when you need it most, no questions asked, regardless of your beliefs or lifestyle. Who loves you no matter what.

If you don’t, I hope you find them.

And if you can’t, show up on Nelson and Susie’s doorstep. Tell them James the Great sent you for a Happy Meal and a hug. They’d love it. ♥️

When I was a teenager, two of my friends and I decided to go swimming in a river not far from my home. It had been raining for days, and with the sunshine back and summer in full swing, we decided to get in the water.

The South Canadian River is a place we knew well. We had partied there hundreds of times in the summer, climbing to the top of the old bridge at night while being drunk, or noodling for catfish along the banks during the day. It was a place to escape and get high with friends, but it was also very dangerous for many reasons. Only we were young and believed the rules didn’t apply to us.

It almost cost us our lives.

Despite the quicksand and the fast-moving river, and the adults standing there telling us we shouldn’t attempt to swim, we ignored all the warnings. Within minutes, the calmer waters turned into an unstoppable force, dragging us to the deeper water under the bridge. We were good swimmers, but nothing could have prepared us for the moment we were violently taken under and forced against the loads of debris trapped around the bases of the bridge support columns.

It felt like being hit by a truck while being stabbed by dozens of sharp branches. I was trapped, almost out of breath, and it was then that I realized I was going to die. The only thing that saved me was remembering to stay calm.

So I felt my way around in the murky and strong currents, navigating a relentless patchwork of trees and garbage, while pulling myself upwards towards the top, and finally, before I lost the last bit of air in my body, I surfaced.

As I climbed to the top of the pile of debris smashed against the huge concrete base, I noticed that both my friends were stuck on other bridge columns. We were spent and scared as hell, but we were alive.

But the battle was far from over; we still had to make it back to shore.

After waiting what seemed like an eternity to regain our strength and composure, we figured out our best shot at survival was to pick a landing spot downriver and jump out into the raging water at a 45-degree angle while holding onto driftwood like a life preserver, hoping the current would carry us to our destination back on land. The three of us summoned the courage and leaped out in faith.

We cheated death and lived to talk about it.

…

When I think about how many times I’ve needlessly put myself in danger, it’s amazing I’m still alive, and as stupid as those decisions were - many I’d never choose to make again - those moments have also led me in overcoming some of the greatest challenges of my life. They’ve also left me with some very memorable stories!

Isn’t that the point of adventure, though? To experience those moments where we embrace the unknown, setting aside our fears to try something many people think is stupid, and hoping we don’t die in the process.

It seems foolish now to put ourselves in harm’s way to achieve something we’ve set our minds to, but then what would life be like without ever taking any risks?

Jeanne Baret. Ernest Shackleton. Amelia Earhart. Jacques Cousteau. Jenny Tough. Felix Baumgartner. Gerline Kaltenbrunner. Alex Honnold.

These are just a handful of courageous people, past and present, who set aside their fears to attempt the impossible for the sake of adventure and who have cemented their legacies in history. I admire them all for their daring feats, and I’d argue that without their accomplishments, we’d never believe the impossible is possible.

Still. I don’t have the guts to attempt the kinds of things they did.

I have no desire to push myself in that way anymore because I love life too much to take that kind of risk and I’m OK with that. However, I can still take other kinds of risks that make for great adventures and stories.

You can too!

…

As we age, we tend to make smarter decisions based on our life experiences, and more often than not, we’ll go out of our way to reduce our risk, which is understandable given how much we’ve learned since our youth. Yet I also believe doing so robs us of the adventures our hearts continue to seek and the stories we could be telling today. It often feels tragic that our “best days” are behind us.

Here’s my case in point.

In my conversations with older people from all walks of life, I rarely hear exciting tales of modern adventure. There’s no discussion about them doing something dangerous yesterday, unless it was forgetting to take a medication, nor is there any mention of them doing something exciting on the road less traveled. I can see no spark within their eyes as they strive to remain comfortable.

Then, when I ask them about their past, these same people will spend hours telling me about the harrowing adventure stories of their youth with such passion and energy that it’s intoxicating. The spark is reignited as they remember those days when they faced crazy challenges or came close to dying. They felt alive again.

It’s both funny and sad. Interesting really.

We spend our earliest days doing stupid things that are scary, yet exciting to the soul, but as we get older, we stop taking any risks, while our souls cry for more adventure.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

…

In The Dark Side of Van Life, I shared a bit of the drama we’ve experienced lately in our little world of travel. It really resonated with readers, which surprised me, and it was amazing to receive all the comments and advice! Interestingly, the responses that really stood out were from people who didn’t think it was worth the adventure.

I totally get it.

The thought of traveling in a wind-blown box all day, every day, with your significant other can seem a bit self-abusive, especially with the added stress of driving into a city under government siege or wondering if all the crazy ass drivers in Florida are going to kill you before the humidity does. It sounds risky, right? Of course, our challenges are nothing compared to the real dangers the adventurers mentioned above faced, but hey, we could still die.

However, how would we know if van life is worth it without ever trying it?

The same could be said for when we started our full-time travel adventure in 2020, when, despite all the warnings and dangers around us, we decided to go for it. People shook their heads, said we were stupid or irresponsible for going out in a pandemic, and feared it could potentially kill us or others.

In both instances, the risks were absolutely worth it.

Our road life adventure has been far from perfect, but we’ve faced some of the greatest challenges of our lives while making new, exciting memories almost every day, and rather than sitting around thinking about the past, we’re focused on the future. We’re still creating sparks. That’s a huge difference!

Now let’s talk about you.

I believe some of you are constantly dreaming about adventure and your soul is crying out to experience it, but you’ve convinced yourself that it’s not worth the risk and that it’s better to be safe than sorry. You’re letting fear control every decision about moving forward with your own story.

Here’s the irony in it all.

You can do everything possible to avoid the shitty consequences in life and still end up in a shitty situation. All the planning, preparation, and precautions won't guarantee you’ll be safe, and it certainly won’t keep you from dying eventually. So why not take those risks and enjoy this life to the fullest?

Here’s one thing you should also know.

Adventure doesn’t require you to be dangerous.

We often romanticize the idea that real adventure involves summiting the tallest mountains, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, or rafting down a raging river, and though they are inspiring feats, you don’t have to put your life in harm’s way to make it count.

Adventure is what you make of it. The important thing to remember is to challenge yourself by doing something uncomfortable or difficult, or by achieving a goal you didn’t think was possible. That’s what matters and makes for a good story.

Now for the big question.

Maybe it’s finally time for you to take some risks before it’s too late.

With so many problems in our country right now that could prevent us from pursuing our dreams in the future, and with life getting shorter every day, it could be a great time to let go of the fears holding you back so you can experience the joy your soul longs for. And rather than thinking about all the bad things that could happen, start focusing on the good things that are likely to happen.

Going for it could will change your life. You owe it to yourself to try.

For me, living out the rest of my days just trying to be comfortable in the safe zone sounds boring, and I’d rather die pushing the limits of what I think is possible, rather than allow fear to keep me from experiencing more adventures. I want more incredible stories to tell. I hope you do, too.

Remember, the best days are not behind us if we don’t want them to be.

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I was scrolling through Substack recently when I came across a great note by Brandi Wiatrak. It had some great discussion in the comments as well and it really started me thinking. She was saying she doesn’t like sharing her article links on Facebook for the people she knows in real life - that it’s easier to write for strangers on the internet, basically.

I can 100% relate to that. I’m a fairly private person and I don’t necessarily want to bare my soul to people I know in real life. But sharing with people who don’t know me is much easier! I told her I used to have a blog many, many years ago, and not only did I name it something else, but I also didn’t put my real name anywhere on it. I wanted it to remain anonymous so that nobody could search and find my writings. I felt like it was easier to write about the things on my mind and be truly authentic if I didn’t have to worry about what people I knew were thinking of my words.

So what does this have to do with travel and why am I sharing this here?

I discovered early on in our travels that that’s one of the things I love about our lifestyle. Being able to go to a new place where nobody knows us and we don’t have to live up to any expectations, act a certain way, dress a certain way, or anything like that is so freeing. I kind of felt like I could truly be myself and even reinvent myself if I wanted to.

It was an amazing feeling. One that I didn’t even know I was missing.

While community is great and it’s amazing to be around friends, I think we sometimes end up in a rut and just do what’s expected of us, without bringing any sense of adventure or spontaneity. I love that our travels allow us to do just that. It’s not like I’m out there being a completely different person and I’m totally inauthentic when I’m around people I know, but the pressure to follow the status quo disappears when you’re around people you don’t know and will probably never see again. I feel like it truly opens your eyes to things you may not have seen or experienced before, when you don’t have to worry about what others think of you.

Do you feel that way as well? Whether it be with your writing or while you’re out exploring the world, do you get a sense that you can truly be yourself and feel a little freer when you’re writing for strangers, or when you’re in a place where nobody knows you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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When I published my frustrations with van life earlier this year, I never expected it to resonate with so many people!

The responses we received were insightful and deeply appreciated, but we also we feel like we connected with a group of adventure travelers we’d love to meet in person someday as we continue our journey. There is so much we can learn from each other and having a community of kindred spirits is priceless. So thank you to everyone who has shared their thoughts so far.

…

As a writer, I used to struggle with the idea of being real because so often in society, we are taught to only share the good life with our readers. Afterall, the feel good stuff is what sells whether it’s about business, health, wealth, or travel. The idea is to make people believe in the fantasy and get them to buy into it. That just isn’t me.

While I never want to come across as pessimistic or negative, there is a reality of life where things don’t always go as planned, contrary to what those beautiful, glossy magazines or Instagram photos lead us to believe, and having traveled full-time for almost six years now, I can say the good life isn’t always so good.

Therefore, when we get the opportunity to share our experiences with you, we certainly want it to be honest and real because you deserve the truth, which is why I think this article did as well as it did.

But I don’t want the conversation to end there either.

In thinking about our overall experience so far, as well as some of the comments from readers, I don’t want it to come across as in I hate traveling because that’s not the truth either. I absolutely love being a digital nomad couple and having the freedom to explore no matter what the mode of transportation might be, even in times it feels uncomfortable or stressful, or when I’d really prefer a hybrid approach1 instead.

However, there are great benefits of van life, too.

In February for example, we visited Navarre Beach, Florida, while boondocking in a guy’s backyard only five minutes from the beach. We’d get up in the morning and drive over to the mostly empty parking lot to spend the day overlooking the ocean, while working from the comfort from the van. Aside from the gas and food we paid for anyway, this was all free. A hotel there would’ve easily cost $150 per night or more.

Thanks to Harvest Host, (affiliate link) we’ve crashed at breweries, farms, a military museum, and a church parking lot, mostly for free or from purchasing beer or food that we’d buy anyway. They haven’t all been epic experiences with great views or perks, most of those moments have been memorable and fun.

Along our routes, we’ve also camped at several state and national parks, all for less than $30 per night for full hookups and facilities, while being very close to beautiful places to explore. The most memorable ones this year so far were Quartz Mountain State Park in Oklahoma, E.G. Simmons Conservation Park in Florida, and Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. And that’s only a few.

So there is a huge benefit to van life in this way because you can easily find free or cheap places to stay that are close to epic destinations.

Aside from the angry and impatient drivers on the road, or the high winds blowing us around like paper and making my butthole pucker, traveling in the camper van has been mostly easy.

Unlike the bigger rigs or trailers, we can park in a standard parking spot, and when we figure out where we want to stop, the most difficult thing we do is getting the van level and plugging into shore power if we need it. It’s just that simple.

I certainly don’t miss having to shimmy myself under a hardshell tonneau cover and rooftop tent on the truck for what we need or lugging in a full rolling cart of supplies like we did while staying in hotels.

Living in the camper van has made my life a hell of a lot better in that respect, especially now that we’ve figured out what we need and where to store it.

I’m also very thankful for our van despite those challenges I wrote about before because without it, we probably would’ve had to settle down and live a conventional life, and I can’t even begin to think about how much that would suck!

When we started our journey, we lived in hotels and resorts, which were a lot cheaper then. Now, the standard rate in a fairly decent hotel is $100 per night, but if you want a better experience, those rates are a lot higher without any added benefits. Even our Hilton Vacation Club points don’t bring us the crazy value we used to get, which saved us thousands of dollars and earned us weeks of free stays between 2021-2024.

With the cost of everything rising and income fluctuating, the van provides a solid living option. Even if we couldn’t continue to drive around the United States full-time, we could park it at an RV resort like Southern Aire, and manage to survive in a nice community. Additionally, we could also rent out the van for income to offset the costs.

All that being said, there are bright sides to van life, and I don’t want everyone to think it’s horrible, because it’s not. It’s nowhere near perfect (nothing ever is) and there are those things I wish could be different, but I’m mostly glad that we took this leap of faith. We would’ve never known what van life was like if we didn’t do it, plus it gives us more content to write about and share. LOL!

In conclusion, I’d like to give you this advice if you’re thinking about going this route as a solo traveler or as a couple.

Spend the money and rent a camper van for at least a week or a month if you’re able. Take it somewhere where there are hills and wind, and do it without much planning in advance. Drive it on the highways and backroads. Cook in it and poop in it, preferably not at the same time. Park in a secluded place and close to railroad tracks. Pack only what you need and don’t take a shower for days. Then, you will have a small taste of what van life is like. Maybe this will be better in helping you decide.

As for us, we will continue on. We’ll get more comfortable with it and learn how to adapt as we go. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Thanks for reading! 🚐

From the vibrant streets of Barcelona, Spain, to the scenic charm of Estes Park, Colorado, travelers from all over the world will visit incredible destination cities like these every year to make memories of a lifetime – and they will collectively spend billions of dollars to make it happen!

Without this steady flow of visitors and the money they bring, many popular tourist destinations would not survive. Local businesses would struggle to stay open, entire communities could face economic collapse, and once-vibrant places might eventually become ghost towns. Tourists are their lifeline.

So it’s perplexing why these places are starting to threaten their survival through the choices they make about the tourism industry as a whole.

If you travel full-time like us, you have likely experienced these seismic shifts, mostly in the form of asinine price increases or hatred towards tourists, but also in other ways, like restricted parking or entry to National Parks.

Understandably, some of these cities must rethink the challenges of tourism, such as overcrowding and disruptive visitor behavior. These unforeseen problems can cause a wide range of hardships for local communities long after our visit is over – something all travelers should be aware of.

But it’s the growing trend of greed and exclusion that’s most concerning.

Price gouging is becoming widespread.

With the average vacation cost now at $7,249, most Americans can no longer afford to travel, and for those who do, it often requires going into debt.

It’s easy to blame inflation for this problem, but the reality is that the tourism and hospitality industries have become extremely greedy, doing everything possible to squeeze every last dollar from your bank account.

Hotels are notorious for this.

Weekly rates are cheaper for the average room, while weekend rates are at least 50% higher. If there’s an event in town, these prices can soar to 300% more than the typical daily rate. Same room, same service.

But it doesn’t stop there.

In the most desirable locations, hotels are now charging extra for things that used to be included. Parking, breakfast, WiFi, and other amenities are being tacked on as ‘resort fees’, inflating the final price far beyond what was advertised. And that $2 can of Pringles in the lobby will cost $5. It’s not about inflation but about exploiting customers.

Tourist destinations are no different.

Walk into almost any shop or restaurant in a popular destination today, and you’ll feel it immediately. Everything is grossly overpriced! A beer that should cost $3 is now $10. A simple burger? $20. That t-shirt, which probably cost $7 to make, is marked up to $40. Except for Brownfield’s. They do it right.

You might even have to pay to park just for the privilege of spending more money.

As Americans continue to face economic struggles and income inequality grows, we hope the greedy tourism and hospitality companies will suffer long-lasting consequences for price-gouging their customers, because it’s uncalled for.

Of course, the capitalists who run these businesses probably don’t care.

Elitism and exclusivity are growing.

Take a good look around some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations today. You’ll notice a huge shift in demographics.

Towns like Lake Tahoe or Vail have become playgrounds for the wealthy, built to serve the elite few. The average American isn’t just being priced out; they’re being pushed out. Worse yet, this trend is spreading.

Cities and towns around the world are following their lead, turning once-accessible places into exclusive havens for those with money and status. Even our public lands, which were meant to belong to everyone, are no longer exempt.

Beaches along the coast now require special permits and expensive parking. Hiking trails that were once free and open to everyone now come with costly permits, if you can even get one. Mountain regions, scenic lakes, and wilderness areas that used to be accessible to all are being closed off in favor of the locals or those who can pay for the experience.

Can you imagine the day when Yellowstone National Park will only be available to the wealthiest people? The current administration would like it that way.

Bit by bit, access is being restricted, monetized, and taken away. And if we don’t speak up and push back, we may soon find that the natural beauty of this country and the right to enjoy it belong only to those who can afford it. There won’t be any space left for ordinary people to rest, explore, or belong.

Silence today means exclusion tomorrow.

How do we keep tourism alive for all?

We believe it begins with you. We need more travelers who are willing to push back by speaking out, choosing alternatives, and demanding that these unscrupulous practices change.

• Boycott hotels that price-gouge customers by charging resort-type fees.

• Stop supporting restaurants and breweries that overcharge customers.

• Write to the local government officials taking away access to our public lands.

• Avoid destinations that grossly exploit tourists.

• Tell others on social media about those who do all of these things.

No one should have to go into debt just to enjoy a weekend getaway or visit a National Park, nor should they be excluded from public lands that were once free and available to all.

Take a stand against these injustices!

Finally, there’s one more critical part of this conversation: we have to be better tourists.

In a culture increasingly defined by self-interest and entitlement, travelers themselves often contribute to the very problems we complain about. When we abuse public spaces, disrespect locals, mistreat hospitality workers, or act like the rules don’t apply to us, we become part of the reason access gets restricted and prices go up. When tourists behave poorly, communities respond—often by pushing people out, raising barriers, or limiting access entirely.

So please, travel with respect. Be mindful of where you are, how you behave, and the impact you leave behind. Because if we want these places to remain open and accessible, we have to earn the right to enjoy them.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had a sense of adventure. Whether it was exploring the old creek behind our house or gazing out the car window as we drove in the country, my spirit has always longed to explore the unknown.

I immersed myself in travel and adventure publications, envisioning one day becoming a vagabond, making my way around the world, discovering new cultures and experiences that would provide a lifetime of epic stories.

But I never believed it could really happen.

Everything I read about traveling painted an obvious picture. Unless you were on a family road trip or summer vacation, you had to be rich or a hippy to find your adventure. It just wasn’t possible for the middle-class American.

So I could only dream and hope for one day.

A renewed awakening.

Ten years ago, my passion for adventure and seeing the world was reawakened with a fervency I hadn’t felt since childhood. I had a thirst for travel that could not be quenched. I must live a life on the road.

It didn’t matter how it happened; I just knew it had to happen.

Like pouring gasoline on a flame, my dream was ignited, and there was no stopping the raging fire burning inside me.

The only things keeping me from achieving it all were convincing my wife to sell everything we owned to travel, and having the money to actually do it.

Making the dream a reality.

There was no need to hone my sales pitch for a life of adventure because Donetta was entirely on board for becoming a houseless wife in a pickup truck. Now all we had to do was figure out a plan.

We owned a house but were buried in debt. We were self-employed and without any savings. We lived paycheck to paycheck like many other Americans. So retirement felt like nothing more than a fantasy, and our running joke was, “We’ll be hustling until we fall over dead.” How the dream could ever come to pass was beyond us, but we did find a solution.

First, we had to eliminate our debt.

This was really hard because we had credit card debt and owed the IRS a hefty sum for accidentally filing our business taxes incorrectly. It was strangling us to death. But we fought our way out of it and put it all behind us.

Second, we decided to sell our home.

We wanted to sell our house for years, but the circumstances were never right–until 2020, when it was a seller’s market! Within a day of listing our property, we received a dozen offers. We were finally free from home ownership.

Third, we started selling everything else.

The road life affords you no space to take everything with you. No matter how you travel, you will be forced to become a minimalist. So we sold or gave away almost all our stuff, keeping and storing only the most essential things in our lives.

There’s a valuable lesson in all of this.

Choosing to follow your dream will require hard work and difficult decisions. There’s no way around it. And while it feels insurmountable to overcome all the things you must do to travel, once you have a plan, it’s not as difficult as you think.

Travel doesn’t require financial wealth.

It’s good to have some savings in the bank to rely on before you head out on the adventure, but being wealthy is not a prerequisite for traveling. You might have to adjust your expectations based on your budget, but you never have to give up the dream because of money. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

When we meet other digital nomads on the road, most often they’re ordinary people like us who don’t have an endless income stream. They live below their means, work from the road, make their own food, stretch their dollars, and often live like modern-day hippies. And rather than waste their money on stuff, they invest it in experiences.

It’s not always a glamorous lifestyle, but it definitely works.

Of course, there are the retired folks with discretionary income who own fancy trailers and can afford to enjoy steak and craft beers every night, but don’t let that discourage you from chasing your dream because traveling full-time does not require that level of standard to make it a reality.

Don’t believe me?

Right now, we earn about the average American salary from our business ventures, and we have a little savings in the bank. Our only debt is our camper van, and we have the typical monthly expenses, including vehicle insurance, food, gas, phones, and WiFi. We have no retirement funds, no investments, and no backup plan. There are times we can’t do everything we want, or when we have to sit still to save money, but we’re living our dream and seeing the world.

So if we can do it, so can you!

For ordinary, everyday people.

I recently watched a YouTube video by an amazing van-life couple I admire. They’ve been on the road for a while now and have amassed over four million subscribers by publishing their content online. They get invited to exotic places to do review videos and have monetized their brand with excellence. I think they’re doing quite well.

Anyway, a follower’s comment inspired me to write this post.

So what about the ordinary, every day people?

This sentiment was echoed many times in the comments, and it reminded me of how I felt years ago, when I believed adventure travel and exploring the world were only for other people.

Most people believe they will never enjoy the things this couple has done without lots of money, luck, and an elite influencer status. While some of this might be true — and to be fair, it took them years to reach this level — you don’t have to be like them to experience your own epic adventure.

It was at that moment that it occurred to me that most travel publications focus on the affluent crowd. They market to people with the means to enjoy fantastic destinations or experiences. This unattainable side of adventure is utterly meaningless, since most Americans cannot afford it. It’s depressing. And I hate it.

Road Life Adventure is about doing the attainable.

When we create content, we want it to feel real and tangible to most people. We want you to feel like living your dream IS possible, and that with some hard work and outside-the-box thinking, you’ll also be on the journey of a lifetime.

If your goal is to hit the open road in 2026 and beyond, we want to encourage you to go for it—and we want to offer ideas and advice to make it a reality—because the dream you have for traveling is within reach!

We look forward to sharing more with you in the days ahead. If you’re in the planning stages for next year, let us know. We’ll do what we can to help.

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¡Buenos Días! Guten Tag! Konnichiwa!

Today, I’d like to write about the experiences of meeting people from all over the world and from all walks of life because I believe it’s essential in our understanding of humanity, as well as separating facts from fiction.

So often, a family member or friend will tell us, “I wouldn’t go there,” or “that seems to be a dangerous place with those people,” and it always perplexes me. My response is always to ask them why they believe that.

“Well, haven’t you seen the news lately?”

At which point, there is a long explanation about whatever tragedy is happening in any particular city, country, or border at that moment, or how the people are rioting, protesting, robbing, or killing the visitors in their region. Even family members who were born in Europe will tell me what it’s like there now, even though they haven’t been back in decades.

I don’t blame them.

After all.

They watch the news.

While we genuinely appreciate everyone’s concern for our safety, and it means a lot that people care about our well-being, what they see from the media isn’t always the whole picture. Sometimes it’s not even reality.

In the past decade alone, we have been to numerous countries, including Mexico, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and many of the Caribbean Islands. We’ve crisscrossed the United States multiple times, as well as visited Hawaii and Alaska.

When I think back to all of the places we’ve been, I can count on one hand the times I’ve felt in danger or uncomfortable1.

This doesn’t mean criminal activity and dangerous circumstances don’t exist; it’s just that these things aren’t running rampant everywhere you go. Yes, you gotta be careful, but don’t be so scared that you miss amazing experiences.

Many of the people I’ve met along the way have been welcoming or friendly. Whether they were Afghan, Hindu, Palestinian, Colombian, Navajo (Diné), Portuguese, Mexican, Dutch, or Parisian, we’ve been treated well.

Here are a couple of examples.

A few years ago, I was walking around our hotel near Mexico when I came across a large group of men who were drinking cervezas and having a cookout. I simply waved and smiled. Within minutes, they motioned me to come over and join them. Only one person spoke English, yet we spent an hour drinking beer, trying to converse about LaLiga and Liga MX futbol. I was welcomed into their community.

A similar thing happened in Sweikhuizen, Netherlands. We would visit Cafe Meels several times a week, and every time, the Dutch noticed my American accent and engaged me in conversation about politics, travel, entertainment, guns, and whatever else came to mind. It was a great time, and even though I spoke horrible Dutch, the people were nice and respectful.

Friendliness has been a common theme on our adventures.

Maybe it’s because we personally respect others and their cultures, but it’s amazing how many beautiful moments we've shared with people unlike us.

I think the reason why many Americans often struggle and are fearful of others is that we’ve all been indoctrinated to believe the worst about those who are different. It doesn’t matter if it’s related to politics, race, gender, sexuality, or religion; we are taught to see the negative biases and then to act upon them with hate or ignorance. So we never get to know the good in the people around us.

While we might look different on the outside, we’re mostly the same on the inside.

We share the same hope for freedom and liberty. We desire to be loved unconditionally and to love others the same. We hope to keep more money and pay less taxes. We want to enjoy life and make great memories. We pray for peace and stand against war. We mistrust the government and those in power.

That’s what I’ve learned in my conversations with people around the world.

One of the best shows ever to highlight these kinds of experiences is the Long Way series with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. While I’ve not done the cool things these blokes have, the friendliness principle remains the same. Another great video series comes from Mike Okay, a YouTube creator who visits countries like Afghanistan and North Korea.

These are wonderful reminders about the beauty of humanity!

Of course, there are exceptions, and we’ve encountered the worst in humanity as well, but a majority of people we’ve met on the road have been fantastic, and we don’t see all the bullshit the media is telling us.

Do me a favor.

Next time you feel fearful of strangers you’ve never met, ask yourself why you feel that way. Are those feelings based on reality or personal experience? Or are they based on fiction or perceived biases? This is important.

Now I encourage you to get out there and meet people from all walks of life.

It will be rewarding to your soul.

I hardly feel qualified to write about van life, only after four months of this new lifestyle, but it’s been quite an experience!

We’ve spent years fantasizing about buying a camper van and living in one, probably because of all the amazing photos and videos we see about it, but I’m gonna tell you: the honeymoon is over. There are things to it that I never considered.

Don’t get me wrong.

We are fortunate to take our home with us now and park it in beautiful, welcoming places, but it’s not always that way. So please allow me to share the dark side of van life to put it in perspective.

Where in the hell do we go?

With great freedom comes great responsibility — along with the stress of deciding where to go next. I know, real-world problems. 🤷‍♂️

Since I’m happy to drive almost anywhere, Donetta often spends countless hours researching possibilities, discussing routes and ideas with me, and then plans out our trips. It’s an overwhelming task, for which she deserves much credit. But the reality is that just because you can go anywhere, it doesn't mean it will work out. Even the best travel plans can be easily thwarted by unforeseen circumstances.

Finding good, cheap campgrounds or RV parks is a pain in the ass. Staying in desirable places is chaotic and busy. And chasing great weather can be totally wrong.

Speaking of.

What happened to the great weather?

Our first month in the van took us to Ohio to see our amazing friends, Brent and Michelle. It was in October of last year, when we believed the fall temperatures would be amazing and the season would change slowly.

We. were. wrong.

In a matter of days, the winds shifted, the rain came, and the temperatures dropped over the course of a few weeks; it was a bipolar weather experience. By the start of November, we were forced to haul ass southward as winter approached and campgrounds were shutting down for the season. We were constantly moving.

After our holiday stop in Oklahoma, we made our way back to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Because, you know, it’s warm there in January and a great time to hike. Only it didn’t work that way because the temperatures dropped to above freezing, and our van almost caught on fire, which I’ll discuss soon.

After our van repair back in Oklahoma, we chose to go to Padre Island and Galveston. Lo and behold, an Arctic blast was on its way. Within a week’s time, we had to make the decision to drive long days to reach the warm beaches of Florida.

Only now, the record-breaking frigid temperatures have caught up to us in Tampa.

Nowhere seems safe.

I guess that’s karma after I gloated about our amazing decision to chase warm weather while poking fun at all the people suffering in the cold. Damn it!

Why are we doing maintenance already?

In the first month of camper van ownership, we broke a part of our bench because it wasn’t properly installed, and I drove over my extension cord while it was plugged in, breaking the shore power connection. We also had to replace TPS sensors on two tires, replace tag lights, and clear warning codes from the vehicle. It wasn’t the worst that could happen, yet, but we got it all fixed and were back on the road ASAP.

Then, a few weeks ago, as we tried to run from the cold and camped at Big Bend, the worst happened. 🔥 💨 😱

At approximately 0430 one morning, I was lying awake thinking about emergency preparedness and what we’d do in case of a fire in the van, and I don’t really think I can speak things into existence — if I could, I’d have a million dollars — but all of a sudden I smelled something burning and saw smoke. I immediately got us out of the van and unplugged the shore power. The smoke cleared, and we could see no clear evidence of a fire, but our nerves were frantic!

Hours later, after the same experience, we realized the Ardroit battery charger had failed and was overheating. Apparently, these things aren’t supposed to be hooked up and running 24/7, something we weren't told, and since we couldn’t use shore power anymore and no longer felt safe sleeping inside, we drove two long days back to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to have it replaced.

And as they say, when it rains, it pours!

Last week, we were staying at Galveston State Park when a torrential downpour hit, and water began seeping in beneath our refrigerator because the window was not properly sealed. Now we have to go back to Tulsa to have our van guy fix the issue and possibly replace the insulation and flooring. Seriously???

When you spend this much money on a camper van, you’d like to think it would take a while to have maintenance problems.

Next.

How will we survive living in a box?

Years ago, I wrote a post, How to Survive as a Travel Couple. At the time, we were living in hotels and resorts, and Donetta and I were no strangers to being around each other most of the time. But something about van life made it different.

When we’re in bed, someone has to climb over the other to get down. When we get on the dance floor (the walkway between the bed and the front seats), we have to shimmy past each other. When she’s cooking, I have to be in the passenger seat or on the bed. Plus, we’re constantly shifting things around in such a small space. It’s not that these things are horrible; they're just very annoying.

Van life rage exists and is very real! 😜

I’ve learned to pee sitting down on a plastic toilet and can manage living in the same clothes for a week without a shower, but living in a small box is a real adjustment.

It could be worse.

Right now, it feels wrong to complain about the dark side of van life when there is so much turmoil going on in this country. These hardships are insignificant compared to what’s happened in other places over the past several weeks, and it’s difficult to write about traveling or adventure when people have been murdered in cold blood. We are sickened and angry with our government. But I don’t want to dive into that here, as this is not the right place to discuss these tragedies.

That said, it could be a lot worse for us, and I’m grateful to just be alive and healthy.

In wrapping up, I just wanted you to know that van life is far from perfect, and that every day presents new challenges or frustrations. We don’t want to sell you on the idea that being digital nomads is always hunky dory, because it’s not, and it’s better to know the good and bad before embarking on a journey of a lifetime.

Still, there are no regrets, and that’s the important part.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our publication here. It’s free entertainment and advice, and it helps show us you like what we do. Thanks!

As a kid I always loved being outdoors. Staring at the sky for hours would unleash my creativity and imagination, while playing in the creek behind our house gave me a great sense of adventure. When I climbed the tallest trees in our neighborhood, it provided a sense of accomplishment, while allowing me to escape the world below.

Those days spent outside were always rewarding and over the years and I’ve missed that feeling, because when you disconnect from the comforts of being inside, it has a way of enriching your soul. It awakens your spirit in ways you can’t imagine. So my new love for hiking is not unexpected.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir

When Donetta and I started traveling fulltime, we knew being outdoors would be a part of that lifestyle. Besides, you can’t drive by all the majestic scenery in the mountains without immersing yourself into its beauty. The wilderness must be experienced, and there’s no better way to do that than hiking.

So in our first couple of months on the road, we invested in expensive hiking boots and a couple backpacks, grabbed my survival gear, and we just started walking.

Now, I’m not an expert at hiking in the mountains, and even though I did plenty of wilderness activities as a teenager and in the Army, there is still a lot for me to learn, but I vividly remember what a Marine friend once told me. He said, “you can read everything you want about living a life from the road, but you won’t know shit or understand it, until you actually do it.”

Sometimes the best way to conquer your fears is just by doing it.

And we did.

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
Sir Edmund Hillary

Choosing a path and walking into the woods is scary. You don’t know what lies ahead on the trail or in the forest. There could be an insurmountable elevation to climb or hungry black bear having a bad day. Yet traversing into the unknown is where your mind and body become one, and eventually you start to realize your life really is insignificant against the magnitude of nature. It is here where you begin to change, inside and out.

To many, it might seem foolish to just go for it, but facing danger or the unknown makes you stronger, and it will allow you to become more confident, while feeling fully alive.

We accepted the totality of it all and that is freeing.

Hiking has now become a spiritual and healing part of our lives, and it has transformed us, mentally and physically. It is a calling that must be answered and we’re always glad to do it.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Henry David Thoreau

Our love for hiking grows every day, along with our insatiable thirst for new adventures. And for the first time in a very long time, I have rediscovered a peacefulness I thought would never return. Can taking a path into the unknow really make a difference? It absolutely can!

When we sold everything and took a minimalistic approach to life in order to pursue our adventure travel dreams, it was scary, but it’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made together. The freedom to explore has been exhilirating and hiking has elevated that experience we encounter every single day. Sometimes you have to venture into the unknown to find the happiness and joy you are seeking.

Despite the dangers the wilderness or a life on the road can offer, we will continue our journey because it’s better to live fully and die, than to die half full.

“To travel, to experience and learn: that is to live.”
Tenzing Norgay

As the end of 2025 arrives, it’s fun to look back over the year and see what it held for us. We had so many great adventures and we’re so thankful for them all!

As I look back over the things we did this year and the places we went, I’m amazed at all the incredible experiences we had. There were some challenges this year, but overall, we were incredibly blessed to have some great adventures.

We headed west at the beginning of 2025 and spent January and February in northern New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado. This part of the country seems to draw us in over and over again, and we enjoy seeing new things every time we visit.

Some of our favorite things from this part of our adventures:

• Petrified Forest National Park

• Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

• Canyon de Chelly National Monument

• Enjoying Pagosa Springs in the snow

We made a quick trip “home” to Oklahoma for a visit, then headed to South Texas to explore the region in March. We enjoyed so many things in this area.

Some of the highlights were:

• Dinosaur Valley State Park

• Hiking to the top of Enchanted Rock in Enchanted Rock State Park

• Visiting the towns of Luckenbach, Fredericksburg, and Wimberly

• Camping on the beach at Padre Island National Seashore

• Visiting Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

• Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park

• Waco Mammoth National Monument

Honestly, most of those stops really surprised us with how much we loved them. We didn’t expect to enjoy all those places as much as we did, but they were all amazing!

After that, we headed out west again on (what was supposed to be) a huge summer adventure. We were going to venture all the way to the West Coast and up into the Pacific Northwest, then work our way across the north to Minnesota. We spent May and June traveling around New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. It was the best time, but for a variety of reasons, we ditched that summer itinerary and made new plans.

Spoiler alert - one of those reasons was that we started the process for buying a camper van! 🥳 That ended up taking quite a bit of time, so we decided to change our plans and do something a little different to make that dream a reality.

While we were out this way, some of the things we did and absolutely loved were:

• Riding the train from Durango to Silverton in Colorado

• Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic & Historic Byway

• Colorado National Monument

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

• Valley of the Gods in Utah

• Monument Valley, Arizona

• Horseshoe Bend

• Antelope Canyon

The list for this area (northern Arizona and southern Utah) is so full of amazing things that it could go on and on. Needless to say, we absolutely LOVED this whole region. You could spend weeks in Page, Arizona, alone, to explore the surrounding area and never run out of places to see!

From there, we headed farther north into Utah and explored many other areas of the state. There is so much to see in Utah that you could spend months there and still not see it all. 😂

Some of the highlights from this part of our trip would be:

• The scenic drive on Highway 12 through Utah

• Capitol Reef National Park (Bryce Canyon and Zion are a must, too, but we’d done those before and didn’t take the time to see them again on this trip)

• The mountain pass between south Salt Lake City and Heber City, Utah

• The town of Vernal

• Dinosaur National Monument

• Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Eventually, we made our way into Colorado, spending time in Loveland and Estes Park. Loveland has an amazing sculpture park that I absolutely loved exploring. Definitely recommend it if you’re in the area. And Estes Park is a place we never tire of returning to. We absolutely love it there. We love the people, we love the scenery, we love the town, we love Rocky Mountain National Park, we love the hiking trails - there is so much to love about that spot. ♥️

In July, it was off to Minnesota for a business trip, making stops along the way. We explored a bit of Kansas, stopped in Omaha to see the place where my family lived when I was born, and then visited some very dear friends in Iowa.

I attended my company’s annual convention in Minneapolis, where we rented an Airbnb with a bunch of friends and had the best time. Our convention is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I always look forward to spending that time with dear friends. Once the convention was over, we explored more of Minnesota and Wisconsin before working our way south.

Some highlights from this part of the country:

• Visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota

• The Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in the Minneapolis area

• Stillwater, Minnesota, and the St. Croix River

We then headed back to Oklahoma to wait for our van to be delivered, but the first deal fell through, and we had to find another solution. Luckily, we discovered Next Chapter Camper Vans in Tulsa, and we purchased our new home. Woot woot!

This all took a bit of time, so we hung out with our daughter in OKC and visited family while we waited for it to be finished.

Once we got the van, we headed northeast and made stops in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

We loved exploring in our new van and the freedom it offered us. We stopped at campgrounds, stayed in parking lots through Harvest Hosts, and even hung out in Walmart parking lots occasionally to get some work done. Additionally, we made some new great friends at one of our stops in Illinois.

After arriving in Ohio, we stayed with amazing friends of ours in the Cleveland area and had so much fun catching up and hanging out at their house. They took us to see a handful of really cool places and we enjoyed staying in their peaceful oasis away from the city.

Some of our favorite places to visit in Ohio:

• Toledo Botanical Garden

• Cleveland’s West Side Market

• Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Even though it was only early November, winter was moving in fast. Temperatures were dropping overnight, and snow was in the forecast, so we bugged out to find better weather!

Heading south, we enjoyed visiting West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia—stopping at several National Parks along the way and having fun despite some areas in each park being closed because of the government shutdown. Our stops included Cuyahoga Valley National Park, New River Gorge National Park, and Congaree National Park. In case you hadn’t noticed, NPS sites are something we love. 😊

The new friends we made in Illinois invited us to meet up at Jekyll Island, Georgia, so we made our way there. We were introduced to a whole new group of friends thanks to them, and we had a wonderful time camping, exploring the island by car and bike, and hanging out with all of these great folks.

We finished up there in mid-November and began our way back to Oklahoma to spend the holidays with family, stopping in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas before arriving home.

As you can see, it’s been a very adventurous year and we’ve had an absolutely great time exploring different areas of the country! We are so thankful for the opportunity to live the way we do and can’t wait to see what 2026 holds for us.

But before we end the year, we have to say how thankful we are for the old friends we've seen and the new friends we’ve made along the way. Here are just a few photos of the fun memories we made with them.

In wrapping up this long post — thank you so much for reading — I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year, as well as encourage you to get out and explore in 2026, if you can. This country is filled with incredible places to visit and make new memories.

And if you had the opportunity to travel this past year, let us know where you went, or if you’re planning a trip next year, let us know where you’re going. Maybe we can meet you along the way and have some fun.

See ya next year! 🎉 🥂

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On September 26, 2025, Donetta and I entered into a brand new phase of our lives together, one that could test our resiliency as a digital nomad couple and the strength of our marriage.

We moved into a camper van.

Having spent the last five years of our road-life adventure living in hotels and a rooftop tent, it was finally time for the Next Chapter of our journey.

Van life has been a dream of ours for years. Whenever we saw someone passing by in a camper van, we always thought, “Those lucky bastards.” We believed that experiencing such freedom would significantly improve our lives.

So, has this lifestyle lived up to our expectations so far?

A resounding YES!

The stressful days of spending hours searching for a good and reasonably priced hotel, as well as the constant struggles to set up and tear down our overlanding gear at campsites, are finally over. Traveling is so much easier now.

I know our van life adventures are still in their infancy, but it has been a game-changer for two Generation Xers on a budget.

The camper van experience so far.

In full disclosure, I’d like to say living in a camper van has been far from perfect, and there have been a few times I’ve wanted to scream violently into a dark abyss.

Learning how to drive a new and tall vehicle has been tough, especially in high winds, and pissing people off because I’m moving so slowly has been stressful. Negotiating with my wife about how to organize or pack things has been even tougher. Learning to move around each other in tight spaces while constantly shifting our belongings to different sections in the vehicle has been maddening.

Van life has been an adjustment for me.

But I wouldn’t change it for anything! I know Donetta feels the same.

In the last week alone, we’ve camped next to the water at three beautiful lakes, a fantastic brewery, and a woodsy KOA at Lake of the Ozarks, and we’ve spent an average of $28.47 per night for 11 nights so far. That’s a hell of a lot cheaper than hotels, plus we’ve had a way better overall experience.

Additionally, we park in our spot, plug in when power is available, and settle in to work or relax. It’s been glorious.

I know it won’t always be this way and that there will be other challenges, but having our home self-contained and ready to roll at a moment’s notice has been worth it all so far.

Even as I write this, we’ve pulled into Three Story Coffee to work and get an Americanno. The van fits easily into a regular parking spot, and when I get tired, it’s a short walk to the bed for a nap. Living in a camper van is not a bad way to go!

If you want to see more about our van, here’s a video from our YouTube channel.

What’s Next?

I’m currently working on a full review of Next Chapter Camper Vans, including what we like and don’t like so far, as well as the rest of our camper van buying experience. I can’t wait to share that.

But I want to wrap up this article by asking you a couple of questions.

Have you ever lived in a camper van? What was your experience like? We’d really love to know. Please drop us a comment below. Thanks!

A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated my 55th birthday on this planet, which feels so crazy because my mind still thinks I’m in my early 20s. The years seem to pass much more quickly these days!

Regardless, every day is a gift, and I’m incredibly grateful for each moment I’ve been given, even as days grow shorter and the aging process sets in. And although I move more slowly and have more pain, life is good.

Yet things are changing, especially when it comes to travel.

I have always been drawn to the philosophy of taking the road less traveled and pursuing the dream of romantic adventure travel. Like many other brave adventurers, I yearn for the opportunity to explore the wilderness with reckless abandon and wonder, testing my abilities to overcome arduous challenges in the quest for self-sustaining and self-reliance.

So when we first began our adventure five years ago, I envisioned spending most of our time on remote wilderness roads, utilizing my survival skills, and boondocking in isolated spots, all while taking epic 15-mile hikes to explore the beautiful summits of mountains throughout the country.

Of course, the mass commercialization of the overlanding industry only helped fuel this dream. Watching the high-definition YouTube videos of off-road gurus, along with the brilliant advertising of outdoor brands, cemented the belief that I, too, could embark on an adventure of a lifetime.

I bought into it fully—hook, line, and sinker!

The billions of dollars spent on gear and vehicles confirm that we, as humans, are eager to discover a thrill that we will likely never experience again. The thirst for adventure speaks volumes to our souls, convincing us to be entirely in, no matter what the cost, because it is our destiny.

The story is so beautiful, so mesmerizing.

Only the stories told by marketing departments and brand influencers don’t tell you the whole truth: the epic journey can be challenging, especially for those of us over 50.

It’s been said that age is just a number, and for the most part, I would agree. With proper nutrition, strength training, and the benefits of modern science, we can prolong the effects of aging and enjoy more opportunities to pursue our desires. We’re not done until we are done.

But that only goes so far.

There are moments when our bodies can no longer withstand the physical demands of driving through rugged terrain, hiking steep grades, carrying heavy equipment, or sleeping on inadequate camping mats. There comes a time when the exchange between pain and adventure is no longer worth it.

Over the last several months, this has been my reality as I battle severe arthritis and nerve pain in my hips and legs, likely brought on by years of abuse in sports and the military. And while my youthful mind tells me I can still endure the extreme adventures, the truth is my body cannot.

It’s why we’re adapting our travel lifestyle and buying a camper van.

Accepting this fact has been difficult because I’m not ready to give up on the dream that those marketing campaigns sell me. I’m the Generation X guy who didn’t wear a helmet or seatbelt, who lived and breathed Red Dawn, and the self-trained ninja who jumped off roofs and out of trees. I did the crazy shit and lived to tell about it.

Unfortunately, those days are gone.

Yet all is not lost!

The truth is that I, and people like me, can still discover the thrill of adventure travel, even if it requires giving up living in a rooftop tent for more appropriate comfort, or not taking that 8-hour climb to the summit of Twin Sisters Peak and riding a bike around the lake instead.

When I consider our plans for the future, they're not focused on significant accomplishments like summiting Mount Hood or hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. Instead, I think about enjoying the activities I can do, like watching elk in Estes Park, taking an easy hike in Sedona, snorkeling in Aruba, or sharing beers with friends around a campfire at an RV park. That’s good enough for me.

So, the journey is what we make it.

My encouragement to those of us over 50 is to embrace our age and any limitations we may face, without feeling guilty or less than for not being the poster child for the extreme adventurer sold to the youth. It’s normal and acceptable to set aside those crazy dreams for simpler ones.

Perhaps there are still opportunities to push the limits, but it’s OK if there aren’t.

What do you think?

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A couple of months ago, we announced that we’re in the process of buying a camper van — a place to call home and ultimately to help us travel more effectively.

While I’m super stoked about this new opportunit…

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Five years ago, I remember sitting in my home office, sorting through large boxes of collectibles, tearfully upset and anxious as I decided their fate.

Each item represented a part of my life or the people I loved dearly; decades of personal keepsakes, all with priceless memories attached. They included pictures of my children, love letters from my past, drawings from my dad, immigration documents from my mother, and even wooden puzzles over a hundred years old.

There were pieces from all over the world, memorabilia from wars fought, and my childhood toys and gifts since birth, each with something meaningful about it, all with wonderful stories.

And it was time to decide whether to keep or discard it.

The quest for less.

Before selling our house to travel full-time, I read Packing Light by Allison Vesterfelt, along with other essays advocating for the “less-is-more” ideology, and I quickly became obsessed with the minimalist philosophy. It all made perfect sense to me!

As Americans, we’ve been indoctrinated to believe that stuff will make us happy. Our desires for consumption and materialism are so strong that we’ve been trapped on a never-ending hamster wheel, relentlessly sprinting to find joy and happiness, yet never realizing we’re killing ourselves in the process.

Rather than spending our time and money on great experiences, we throw it away to accumulate things that will ultimately be sold at a garage sale, donated to a thrift store, inherited by someone we hate, or discarded as trash in the city dump.

Damn!!!

So, in this process, I realized the following truths:

All this stuff didn’t make me any happier.

I had been severely depressed for years, some of which was brought on by excessive debt from buying crap we didn’t need or have anymore.

All this stuff couldn’t travel with us.

There’s only so much space in a pickup truck or travel van, so options are limited, and why pay for a storage filled with things we won’t need again?

All this stuff doesn’t matter when I die.

In the end, we can’t take it with us, and as already stated, it’s likely to end up on eBay or in the dump.

All this stuff is holding me in bondage.

The mental drain of keeping the special memories alive and protecting these assets was also taking a toll on me. It was time to start letting go.

The painful process of liberation.

It all started by getting rid of the things we no longer needed or wanted, like furniture, decorations, tools, clothes, and household items. This was the easy part, and it also helped us make extra money.

Then we scanned thousands of family photos and documents, saving perhaps a third of them before burning or shredding the rest. There were tears, but at least we had copies.

Next, we worked through our childhood collectibles; some we donated or sold, but the most important ones were set aside in buckets for later. We did the same with our kids’ toys, asking them what they wanted and what they didn’t.

Finally, we had to focus on family heirlooms and keepsakes, with some being easier to say goodbye to, while others we refused to let go of. This was the most painful part!

Each time we went through the process and purge, we experienced mood swings, but we also noticed how lighter we felt. It was as if heavy burdens were lifted from our shoulders and we became much happier. And over the years, I’ve discovered I neither miss nor want any of those items back! There’s never been a day of regret or sadness for letting those things go, and in fact, I wonder why we never started that process decades ago.

However, we still had some unfinished business.

The final purge.

When we left Oklahoma in the summer of 2020, we had no idea how long our journey would last or whether things would work out in the long run. What if we ended up hating the road life?

So we decided not to sell everything. We filled a 10x20 storage unit with our bed, small pieces of furniture, household items, tools, and dozens of buckets of items we weren’t ready to part with yet. Given that we downsized from a four-bedroom house, a two-car garage, and a shed filled with stuff, it felt pretty good.

But with no plans to quit our adventure anytime soon, and $5,000 in storage fees down the drain over five years, it was time to make the final purge.

Months ago, we started the painful process again.

First, I sold my entire G.I. Joe collection — toys that were the center of my universe for many years. Gulp! Within 12 hours of posting it on a collector’s Facebook page, every piece was sold, regardless of whether it was in excellent condition or broken, netting me $800 in sales. I was sad but excited.

Then I turned my attention to the last bit of collectibles, comic books, tools, and antiques in my possession, while Donetta did the same with all her buckets of keepsakes and holiday decorations.

How did it all turn out?

Right now, we have a total of 36 buckets of various sizes, neatly stacked on metal shelves, half a dozen pieces of small furniture, and our bed — all stored in our daughter’s garage and guest bedroom. While we hope to eliminate more of these things, it takes time to work through, especially since we travel full-time.

Parting words of advice.

It’s not easy going through decades of belongings and momentos when you decide to downsize or embrace the minimalist lifestyle, but in the end, you will be better for it.

You will feel sadness and guilt, partly because you are saying goodbye to things that mean a lot to you, and also because you or others invested so much time and money in collecting them. Getting rid of it doesn’t seem right at its core. But it also doesn’t make sense to pay for storage or to hoard items you may never use again, especially when most of it will end up elsewhere eventually.

There’s another reason to consider purging these things from your life: you aren’t getting any younger, and one day you will be gone.

I’ve watched numerous family members, including my dad, die early in life from unexpected causes. These tragic deaths are devastating, but then you add to that the hardships of funerals and settling estates, and it’s unbearable. Seeing your family fight over the things left behind is not pretty either. This is why I highly recommend attending to your end-of-life details before it’s too late.

Maybe it seems morbid to think about, but I promise you, the stress and unhappiness it will bring to your loved ones is more than they might want to carry.

If your dream is to travel full-time, whether you’re living in a small vehicle or a 40-foot trailer, you’ll need to adopt a minimalist mindset. You can’t take everything with you on the road, and you definitely can’t take it with you when you die.

So get started now.

“That’s an interesting and unique way to do it”, was a comment from an older RVer at our recent stay at the KOA in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The man, probably in his 70s, was admiring our grit and spirit for …

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