Hi guys,
My husband and I live in a van full-time. We move around every 2 days on average. Vans are very good for moving around in often and I would recommend them if you want to travel around a country at a reasonable pace. Although it can be rewarding it is mostly just a lot of VERY hard work.
My personal experience is that it can be very easy to get caught up in the romanticism and authenticity of nomadic living, but when you’re suffering from severe stomach cramps and shitting into a bag - I can tell you that there is nothing romantic about it.
Although we love Van Hausin and the freedom that he gives, it is a different type of prison! You have to accept your days as they come because you will be shocked at how little control you have over them. Tiny things determine your daily life. I can only describe it as ‘sever bipolar’ days. You can have great highs and lows multiple times in a day. It is fun at first adapting and figuring things out, tweaking things to work for you but it eventually erodes and leaves one feeling exhausted.
My best advice is to do it for the experience but to immediately stop when you wake up feeling anxious. Because being a nomad in these times, as we are, is very difficult without vaccine passports. We need health passes for every place we go in France. We aren’t allowed to go into swimming pools, camp sites, cafes or bars and a whole array of culture and social places. Perhaps your country is more tolerant and you won’t have the same issues as we have. When you’re a nomad you rely on society and structures more, so when you’ve been banished from them it’s very difficult to function at the base level of the hierarchy on needs.
If I were considering a moving structure I guess I would have to ask myself how often I want to move and what the purpose is? A bell tent that you move twice a year is going to allow you more stability and the ability to create structure and routine, which certainly has its benefits for mental stability and mood. Personally I would do that.
With love from France
