Eight months of full time travel is done and dusted! We are still together and still like each other. So what’s the secret to living in a caravan and surviving van life?
1. Extreme Patience.
It helps to have Def Con Level 10 patience to survive van life. You’ll need to dig deep and whip it out when giving & accepting directions reversing the van, delivering school work to the kids and when the weather gods are not in your favour. Travelling with kids presents challenges you never knew existed. Like having a kid who kicks their shoes off in the car every time they get in and then they mysteriously disappear into the backseat abyss, every time!
2. Never allow the crew to get hangry.
Hungry x Angry. Its never fun at home in normal life and you sure as hell do not want to go there when you’re living in a caravan. Luckily for us we have our Waeco portable fridge on the back seat of the car. It gives us easy access to snacks and drinks whether we are driving or away from the van and we reckon it is well worth every cent.
3. Be kind to each other.
Every person has a different expectation of what living full time in a caravan means. There is no doubt you’ll have a few Barneys over some things, but if you strive to be kind and move on, it will make for a happier experience for the whole family. When things are getting a bit rough for us, we always remind each other that if that is the hardest part of our day, then it aint so bad. We could be working, after all!
4. Be unscripted.
There is no need to make definite plans of where you are going or you will be. Plan your next destination as a general direction, not an exact location. You will feel so incredibly free and it allows you stay a little longer when you come across a crackn spot to camp.
5. Be in the moment.
At every moment. Travelling full time is an incredible experience that needs to be gobbled up whole. Imagine it is like an apple – delicious and sweet with the occasional blemish at every bite with bitter seeds that are a part of it too. There will be moments when something goes to shit, like busted water tanks but its all a part of the glorious experience. Just Eat. It. Up.
We aren’t just survivin’, we are thrivin’ – check out our Remote Travel Checklist and start planning your next road trip to Australia’s Outback now.
