Traditionally, I am a year behind on blogging but y’all know 2020 was a hoot. Thankfully many miles were still traveled safely both pre and post pandemic. White Sands, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Valley of the Gods. This is the trip that was supposed to take place in the winter of 2019 but due to van repairs it was postponed. This is also the last blog post featuring a van for the foreseeable future. In July of 2020 the van was sold to a new young family from Chicago and it will continue to adventure on. 

Hashtag VanLife has transitioned to #RVlife. Over the summer I purchased and renovated a twenty three foot pull behind travel trailer. Then I bought a truck to tow that trailer, bought a house in Nashville with a driveway to park it, and for the first time in six years I will be spending more than three consecutive weeks at HOME. 

I am feeling nostalgic reviewing old blog posts. From the first night spent alone in a parking lot outside of a Kentucky truck stop to finally reaching a place that felt secure enough to sell my never permanent rolling home, I have grown up in these vans. I have found the deepest and scariest and most beautiful parts of myself in these miles and I will always be so grateful for the opportunity and desire to explore. 

I still obsess over van conversions and people living off of the grid. I have already blue printed my next build and I casually (daily) check classifieds just to stay up to date. But I am also embracing sitting still. Planting some roots. Literally, building a huge garden in my full one acre backyard. And getting chickens. Spending time with new soul friends, hiking with my dogs, reading books and even washing my face. Regardless, and as always, filed with so much gratitude for this life. 

The adventure will always continue. Winter, 2020. Kodak Portra.

It has been a wild year, and I have fallen behind my typical on top of everything work ethic for a number of reasons. You might notice a few changes in this post. The first and most obvious being that I solely shot my adventures on a beat up Nikon film camera that I acquired from a 1973 Detroit Free Press reporter. The second and most important is that I have a DOG. And lastly, that I was back to traveling solo, again.

2019 began with a broken heart and a broken van. I had big plans to be spending the majority of the winter further exploring Utah with my five week old road dog, Sequoia, but after a few months and many thousands of dollars trying to repair an unidentifiable problem in the Sprinter, I had to abandon that plan and make a new one. The new plan included spending time out in Marfa, Texas; the Florida Keys; and of course my beloved Savannah, Georgia. 

I’ve had this need to explain myself for some time now and I am not entirely sure why. Maybe because parts of me care what people think, or how I feel they might think. It is my decision to be active on social media and make my life and relationships public knowledge and that can bring feelings of shame or embarrassment at times. 

For anyone that has been following these journeys over the last five years, it is no secret that there have been a few romantic partners a long the way. You have witnessed our love grow in new cities and on mountain tops and then you have seen them disappear and then all of the sudden someone new emerges. And for whatever reason, the fact that surprises people the most is that literally every partner I have had in my adult life has broken up with me. I know my contributions to this end result and where I fall short, and to summarize - travel and distance in relationships is HARD. I could imagine that I would make a similar decision if I was in their shoes. To have the person you love most tell you that they would rather be somewhere else. Definitely unfair. If I remember correctly, in one ending argument the words, “All you care about is the van,” were spoken loudly and that was the truth I needed to swallow. I wasn’t ready to sacrifice this dream for companionship. 

Hearing that truth was what I needed. It is what prompted me to finally sell my house and move into my van full time. It also fueled me to step outside of my literal metal box and to seek new friendships with like minded individuals. I started a hiking club, found love again in Tennessee, and spent more hours than I ever have during a wedding season (mostly)enjoying my family.

I took pictures on film because I still needed to take pictures, but I needed to also be present. Which is clearly why it has taken me nine months to blog. It was my busiest and most beautiful work season ever. Not only have I experienced tremendous growth as an individual, but as an artist and entrepreneur. The lessons have been abundant, but that could be because I am finally paying attention. 

It is almost time to get back on the road, and to be honest my heart is starting to feel a pull for something new. I can’t say that this will be the last winter in the van, but I am feeling really empowered and proud of the miles covered over these last five years. Maybe a little tired, but that could just be October talking. I plan to always feed this restlessness and that could be in the form of maybe a new house on wheels, or something overseas, or a new business venture. Regardless, and as always, filled with so much gratitude for this life. 

Winter, 2019. Kodak Portra. 

After spending ten days in Alaska, we were ready to head back down to Prince George to reunite with our van and rid of this blasted mini-van. Despite consistent daylight, mosquito swarms invading our sleep, and trying to pee in a porta potty while in the fetal position, we really did find a reason to laugh, and laugh HARD, every single day. 

Getting back to our van felt like Christmas times one thousand. I remember looking back while we were driving and just feeling so much gratitude that all of this space came equipped with everything we could ever need and that we had made it. Thankful for Corbin and his ability to create such high quality amenities, thankful for my job and the freedom and flexibility that comes with it, and thankful for all of the dirtbags that have been living out of vans and station wagons for years, paving the way to this life and these adventures.

However the thrill and pure bliss was short lived. Two hundred miles after leaving Prince George, we spent a few nights in Jasper National Park in literally the most perfect free and hidden campsite there ever was. We pulled the van in down some two tracks and up near a glacier creek. We ran naked into the freezing shallow water and back to the campsite with out any regard for indecency because there was not another human for miles. It took quite a bit of convincing to drag me out of there, but thankfully we left when we did, because about half a mile from our little mountain paradise, the transmission that we just had rebuilt, failed. 

We were towed into Banff, which in all honestly is truly one of the best places to ever be stranded, where we spent eight days waiting on a new transmission to be delivered and installed. Even through some shit, the universe still has such a beautiful way of taking care of us. All of the repairs were covered by the first mechanic and we ended up with a brand new transmission and an incredible warranty. 

While in Banff we celebrated Corbin’s birthday, hiked a few mountains, floated down the crystal blue river, spent time getting to know a few locals, and visited all of the tourist shops, bars, and art exhibits. We made it home three days before needing to shoot a Michigan wedding, and despite all of the stress and anxiety of travel mishaps, we had an incredible adventure. 

Recently I read a quote that stated, “If you are going through an experience, it’s because you need the lesson.” Here are a few lessons and takeaways I took from this trip:

1. As long as I have the people that I love and my health and an open road, there is absolutely nothing that can bring me down. 

2. Be flexible and trust the process. You are never trapped, there is always a way out, always a way home, and everything will happen exactly the way that it is supposed to. 

3. Corbin is my rock. These little bumps have proven to me how strong our bond really is and how much weight it will take to ever break us. Between his positivity and my abundant gratitude, we’ve got a lot of full glasses to pass around. 

4. There are so many good people everywhere. The kindness I am constantly shown in all of these places I visit is evidence of that. 

5. I’m not tired yet, and we are going to keep this train rolling, regardless of obstacles to be faced. 

Until next time. Much love.