What’s your name?
Virginia
Where are you currently based?
Canada. I visit the US for the winter months except in 2020 when I was unable to cross the border because of Covid. I am currently in Nevada heading north from Arizona towards Oregon. I’ll meet up with my buddy Janis and travel vanlife in Oregon. We’ve traveled together before and I always have a wonderful AdVANture with her.
How did you first become inspired by Vanlife?
A client told me about YT videos on Vanlife. As soon as I saw them I thought “I can do this”. It took 3 months to find my van then another year to build it. I was working 4 days and building 3. Which I really enjoyed.
Do you live in your van full time?
I still have a house that my daughter lives in and takes care of. This allows me to live in my van worry-free. I had to go home in October to have a hip replacement so I was there to convalesce. I have to say by December I was itching to get on the road again.
How long have you been living in your van?
Since December 2019
Why did you choose this lifestyle?
As I got closer to retirement I could not imagine the boredom of finding what to do each day. But living in the van gives me the variety of being alone in nature at times and meeting up with many of the wonderful people I have met along the way.
What do you do for work?
I am retired. I worked as a massage therapist for 38 years.
What is one of the most memorable experiences you’ve had whilst living in your van?
There are so many. Here is one. As I was driving around the north shore of Lake Superior I suddenly spotted a little lane way between the trees. I knew the lake was on that side so quickly made a left off the highway into it. It was a very tight fit. I had to continue down as I could not turn around. Suddenly I came out on a beautiful beach! There was a pontoon boat anchored in the lake. And three people an 2 children playing in the sand. As I set up my blanket to go for a swim we introduced ourselves and later they invited me to go fishing with them. Then they invited me to dinner further down the beach. We had a lovely evening. They drove me back to my van and I slept right there on the beach. I woke up to a gorgeous sun rise and continued on my way to BC.
What is the most difficult challenge you’ve faced living in your van?
I’ve been blessed nothing to difficult has happened. It seems as soon as a problem arises the solution is hot on its tail. Covid has been a plan changer as I planned to spend winters in the south but we were not allowed to travel across the border. Still I have been lucky to see my own country Canada from coast to coast more than once. The borders are open now so I left as soon as I could after my operation.
What is your favourite product you’ve purchased for your van?
My GCI rocking camp chair.
Have you had any negative experiences?
Not really. Life has ups and downs whether in a van or sticks and bricks. My nephew died in November 2020 and because of Covid I could not attend the funeral then in January/2021 a dear old friend died of Covid so I was grieving for a while. I would have been grieving no matter where I was though. Other than that I’ve not had any trouble on the road for long.
Have you saved money by living in a van?
No. I just spend it on different things now. Like gas.
Tell us about your blog/channel/business?
Other people have done van tours of my van which has given me a lot of followers on Instagram. I just love when these people reach out and I get to encourage them to follow their dreams. Don’t Just Dream. DO!
What piece of advice would you give to other women who aspire to live in a van solo based on your experiences?
You will be the same person in 5a van as you were in a house. It is not a fix all. But you come to know yourself a lot better traveling alone in a van. You find you can trust you to look after you! If you apply yourself. Being alone you have the opportunity to discover what ‘you’ really want to do. If you can step outside your comfort level you can interact with a huge variety of people which will help you discover more about yourself, and give you road friends. These are people you plan and meet up with along the way over and over. For me it’s better than anything I can think of.
What are your future Vanlife plans?
Keep on having AdVANtures. My plans these days are general things like go east or head towards Baja. I don’t always end up where I intended. And my favourite part is to meet people so if I click with anyone I might change my plans and travel together for a short while. For me it’s never about the destination it’s about the adventures.
How can our readers keep up with your adventures?
On Instagram I’m VeeVanVoom. On YouTube as well perhaps soon I’ll learn to put up videos of my travels.
You can also head over here to meet Lori, our featured member in Florida here.
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