Is living the van life just a fad that’ll vanish in a few years? Did it really just start with social media? And what about the lifestyle that goes along with it, is it something new? We’ll be revealing all in this article, so dive in and find out where vanlife really comes from!
Hey-hey everybody, Stephen here! Today I’m going to talk about something close to many of our hearts here in the Campiri team… I’m going to talk about the lifestyle that often comes with travelling in a van full time. That picturesque, liberating feeling of knowing you have adventures ahead of you. The feeling of having the time and freedom to explore… It’s a very powerful sensation for those that have experienced it.
But first, let’s get really specific on what vanlife means before we get too deep. Language is a funny thing… the same words can have a completely different meaning depending on where you’re from and how you say them. They’re informed by culture, by beliefs, and by life experience.
So when I say “van life”, do I mean the ability to live out of a van? Well, yes… but also, there’s something deeper than that. The actual lifestyle behind “vanlife”. Constantly being on the move… living day to day, without a place to call your own.
And that in turn leads to many other things… things like living on the fringes of society. Things like needing to come up with a more personalised, unique approach to life, instead of the more common, more easily understood way of living.
Now THAT is what van life means to me!
So with that spirit of vanlife, let’s take a look back in the past, to see where this lifestyle comes from.
Let me ask you a question: when do you think “van life” started? It might surprise you to read this, but vanlife isn’t a new trend, not by any means. It’s simply got a new name… the idea of living and working on the road has been a thing for a very long time.
After all, it was there during American counterculture in the 60s, as images of “hippies” living in vans swept across much of the western world.
So was that when it started? Perhaps if we mean living in a van, yes… but if you think of it just as living while travelling full time, absolutely not. 100 years ago, you could have done it as a travelling salesperson, as a performer or entertainer in the circus, travelling by horse and carriage.
But what about much further back, before even travelling entertainers and performers were a thing? The Romani people might be considered the oldest living examples of something similar to van life, as they’ve been around for many centuries, often living on the road…
And what happens when you go back millennia? If you want to go back that far, we’ll quickly arrive right at the beginning; this was the time when you could take the “digital” out of “digital nomad”.
Being a nomad was where it all began. Hunting, gathering, trading resources and moving with the seasons… So if you want to look at the current trend of vanlife, you’ve got the same situation, really. We’ve swapped the horses for a motorhome, we’ve swapped hunting and gathering for remote office jobs. But still, when you take away all the modern bells and whistles… you’re left with the roots of a lifestyle that easily predates civilisation.
You’re still moving from place to place, often thinking about basic things like if there’s freshwater, if this spot is good to sleep for the night. You’re still in nature, and ultimately, you’re still experiencing many of the same things that your ancestors did by engaging in vanlife.
So think about that when you next go on a road trip!
Hopefully this has given you a different perspective on the rich and long history around vanlife. I’d say that it’s been there for thousands of years, on the edges of civilisation in one form or another.
So, will vanlife be there in the future?
Absolutely!
Vanlife is just that same, ancient need for nomadism represented in a different way. Now, you can still be a nomad… even if it’s only for a weekend. The bonus is, you don’t have to miss out on any of the modern comforts!
To me, vanlife presents a much-needed alternative for some people out there. It seems almost as though people question aspects of their lifestyle more and more. Or perhaps it’s just more visible now with social media.
It’s a great alternative for people that are curious about other ways of living. It gives people a choice, and that’s empowering. If nothing else, it gives people more contrast in life by seeing the other possibilities that are out there. You know, something to compare their lives to.
At its best though, it’s a completely new way to navigate through the world.
And to me at least, simply being aware of alternative ways of living is a liberating feeling.
To me, this is the ultimate way of living, it’s the perfect mix of old and new. And of course, I’m not alone: it’s an alternative lifestyle that’s already been proven by hundreds of thousands of fulltimers. That’s not to mention the millions of people that have already tried it.
One way or another then, vanlife is here to stay. The only question that remains: what does that mean to you?
I’d love to here what you think about vanlife, nomadism, and living life on your own terms in the modern world.
And of course, if you’d like to give the van lifestyle a test run… you’ve got to check out the Campiri website to find your dream campervan.
We’ll be seeing you on the road then!
