After twelve plus days of living in the van, I can’t help but jot down a few parting thoughts of the experience. The first being that at least once a day, I quoted the notorious line from SNL “living in a van, down by the river”
At less than 90 square feet, I am surprised at how well we were able to manage and navigate the limited space in the van. We did need to teach the kids the concept of a bottleneck, and I think we would have been more cramped if the kids were a bit bigger, but we managed. It might have also helped that the van wasn’t a big change in living space from our current 900 square foot apartment.
I really leaned into the #vanlife with my everyday appearance. I bought birkenstocks to wear on the trip (to allow me to slip in and out of the shoes quickly while still wearing socks on cold mornings) and I might have gone more than a few days without a shower
Between Las Vegas and Moab, we did not pass a single McDonald’s but did see a lot of Subways.
The stars are a lot brighter in Utah and the silence is so complete.
We had a winnebago and the kids brought their stuffed lion Clyde. So our mascots quickly became Winnie and Clyde
Over the two weeks, we experienced new and different landscapes that changed each day, each of which were dramatic in their own way. And yet by the end, they all seemed the same: red rocks, canyons, mountains, beauty.
The daily hike wasn’t complete until Martin told at least one bad dad joke. He averaged at least five a mile. So while I might make jokes about his lack of enthusiasm for certain parts of the trip, he really was all in for the experience.
We met a lot of amazing people along the way and everyone was incredibly friendly. We met a young woman from Florida in Zion (and again in Bryce) who was living the van life for 3 months while working remotely. I had a great chit chat with a mom from San Diego at Fruita where we compared notes about where we had been and the benefits of the van vs camping. And the kids had so much fun hanging out with Jack and Hailey in Moab.
Our trip was fueled by ham, salami and cheese sandwiches, Pringles and Fruit Loops.
I loved the convenience of having everything come with us everywhere we went. I was able to make sandwiches for the day in the parking lot of the visitors centers or gas station while the family was doing other things. There was no fear of leaving items behind in a hotel room. There was no hassle of having to pack up every two days and set up camp.
While we did a lot, there was still plenty we could have done. Throughout the trip, we met a lot of different people and always asked for any recommendations outside of the National Parks. We received a lot (including Petrified Forest and Escalante) but didn’t make it to most. A few that we would have loved to see: Kanarra Falls, Dixie Rock and Turtle Canyon Wilderness.
And finally, this was the first trip that I can remember that I didn’t want to end. On most vacations, around two to three days before it ends, I start mentally packing and organizing and getting ready to head home. This trip, I wasn’t ready. I could have enjoyed another two weeks of exploring and hiking and spending time with the family
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