Summary

The author reflects on the valuable life lessons learned from the experience of living in a van while road-tripping through New Zealand, emphasizing the impact of minimalism, adaptability, enduring discomfort, and resourcefulness.

Abstract

Living in a van in New Zealand taught the author critical life lessons that continue to influence their lifestyle. The necessity of minimalism was a key takeaway, as space constraints required regularly discarding unneeded items and detaching from material possessions. The unpredictable nature of the journey fostered resilience, as the author learned to remain calm and solution-focused amidst stressful situations like the van hanging off a cliff or frequent breakdowns. Discomfort was a constant companion, from sleeping in cramped conditions to finding unusual shower spots, but it was offset by the adventure's rewards. Resourcefulness became a vital skill, with the author learning to creatively navigate challenges such as finding camping spots, doing laundry, and grocery shopping, often leading to unexpected detours and experiences. Despite the hardships, the author cherishes the memories and the personal growth experienced during this unique travel experience.

Opinions

The author values the simplicity and freedom of minimalism, recognizing its ease and practicality.
They advocate for adaptability and a calm approach to unexpected challenges, focusing on solutions rather than problems.
The author acknowledges that living in a van can be uncomfortable but believes the temporary discomfort is outweighed by the adventure's value.
Resourcefulness is seen as a beneficial skill developed from the necessity of managing limited resources and adapting to unforeseen circumstances.
Despite the difficulties, the author expresses a willingness to repeat the experience, with the caveat of investing in a more reliable van.
The author recommends van life as a unique and enriching travel experience that offers lessons and memories that last a lifetime.

What I Learned From Living In A Van

Valuable lessons that I still hold on to

When I was living in New Zealand, one of my friends and I decided to take a long road trip together where we would travel both the North and South Islands. And we would do this whilst living in a van.

Van life is actually quite common in New Zealand as there are a lot of backpackers there and it is an accessible way to travel around on a budget.

Living like this taught me a lot, lessons that I still to this day implement in my life because they were so valuable. Here are just a few of those lessons that really have impacted my life.

Minimalism

As obvious as it may seem, you can’t take many things with you when living on the road. That meant constantly having to throw out things that were no longer of use, and sometimes sacrificing things you so badly wanted to hold onto but it just wasn’t practical.

Learning to not need so many things or to not be attached to having a lot of stuff is something that I have incorporated into my life now. It just makes life easier when moving around and I like not feeling the need to be attached to every little thing.

Roll with the punches

Things don’t always go to plan and mishaps happen. It's all part of the journey. But some things feel more inconvenient than others.

For instance, there was a time that due to an unfortunate maneuver on a cliff-side road our van was hanging off the side of the cliff with two wheels over the edge which was a very stressful event.

There were also multiple times that the van broke down, the battery stopped working, and the list could go on. But this taught me how to be calm in certain situations and to focus on the solution rather than the problem.

Discomfort

There are many aesthetic campervans on Pinterest that would have you believe that every single campervan is a luxurious slice of paradise but the truth is when you are a backpacker on a budget those images just remain a dream on your vision board.

The van my friend and I lived in was a good size but it wasn’t the height of comfort and luxury. Sometimes we would wake up with our muscles in pain from sleeping awkwardly but we ended up getting used to it. You also have to find very random places to shower but that was all part of the experience of living on the road.

This was just a reminder that the discomfort was temporary and the adventure we were having greatly outweighed that temporary discomfort.

Resourcefulness

Living in a van definitely made us more resourceful. We had to be creative when it came to finding places to camp, planning our routes so that we could squeeze in getting our laundry done, and getting groceries to cook.

It often meant taking detours and going to places we had never even planned to visit but it was a necessity. We were able to work with what we had and plan accordingly which is something I still find helps me in my life to this day.

I really loved the time I spent living in a van, but it also made me appreciate comfort so much more when I finally had an apartment and a clean shower.

I would definitely do it again, but I think I would invest in a slightly more expensive one next time around so that we wouldn’t have so many van troubles!

I highly recommend trying out van life, even if it is for a short amount of time. It is unlike any other travel experience I have had, but it was one that will stay with me for a lifetime.