I’m a Digital Nomad Hating Van Life

I’m sure that you have gone online and seen people with that awesome and glamourous van life. And I’m one of those people. A “van lifer.” And it is awesome. Every day is an adventure. I’ve learned so much about myself.

But it’s getting to the point where I’ve been bubbling with some resentment. Sometimes, living in a van just sucks. 

I started out doing it old school. I wanted a change of lifestyle and I write for work, so I could do it from anywhere. When I made the decision, I soon bought a van off some lovely man on Gumtree and converted it from scratch all by myself. And to be completely honest, I’m not a pro, so some of my attempts to fix up the van didn’t exactly go to plan. Some of the paintwork is peeling pretty badly. A couple of the panels of wood are loose. I also don’t have the best lighting situation, so it’s hard to take photos for my social media. I’m probably getting eyestrain from reading and working at night.

I regularly wish I’d planned out more storage space because there is nowhere near enough. I’ve got a lot of hobbies to keep me busy and it’s starting to feel a little cluttered. I love hiking but I do my washing once a week (depending on where I am, I miss some weeks), so my dirty clothes pile up without anywhere to put them – which isn’t great in such a confined space as I’m sure you can imagine!

But the worst part? No bathroom. I didn’t put one in originally because it was too expensive. Not that it would fit anyway. Even van life has its lazy days, and I don’t want to have to get dressed to go outside to use a public bathroom. I recently got a shower tent, but I usually prefer using a friend’s or a public shower when I can. Especially during ‘that time of the month,’ having an accessible bathroom would be amazing. As much as I love being on the road, there are definitely some luxuries that I miss. I’m so tempted to move back home when it’s raining or freezing and I’m busting for the loo!

I’ve been doing this van life thing for a while on the internet, and I’ve worked with some awesome brands that have made things easier on the road. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not leaving van life. But what I need is a proper upgrade. Not a big fancy motorhome. Just something made for my lifestyle. I just want to be more comfortable. I’m too young to have wrists this sore and back ache in the morning.

So, I’ve saved up enough for a towing car and small off road caravan. And I won’t need to renovate it! Of course, don’t worry, I’m going to deck it out with some eclectic décor and make it feel like me again. Just this time, it won’t be falling apart.

I’ve already checked my caravan out and financed it - I’m just waiting on it to be made and delivered. I’m honestly surprised to see how much can be included when it’s been expertly designed and decked out. There’s loads of storage, a big comfy bed, TV, external kitchen, and fridge and so much more that I can’t list. Basically everything! Everything I took for granted before van life. But my favourite? There is an internal ensuite! As a woman on the road, it makes me feel a lot safer and comfortable.

So yeah, van life is going to be good again. And I’m so, so keen.