Counting down the days 5, 4, 3, 2…….and 1, we’re on the road!

It is difficult to put into words what it was like getting prepared for a trip and lifestyle change of this magnitude.  Now that we are officially on the road, all chords attaching us to stable life severed, we can now look back while breathing easy.  Despite the romanticism involved with traveling around in a van with no job and little responsibilities, it was one of the most difficult things we have ever experienced.  Two aspects are worth noting of this process, one being the pair-down of stuff, and the other involving prep for the vehicle.

We literally picked through every aspect of our lives, both materially and emotionally, and made decisions of where they will go and what they will mean to us down the road.  Although we had lived humbly in an 800 square foot condo, we were overwhelmed by all of the ‘stuff’ both of us had acquired over 30 years of life in America.  From having 2 garage sales, giving away as much as we could to friends (sometimes against their will), and shamefully trashing things in our condo dumpster, we finally paired our lives down to live in 60 square feet on wheels.

Preparing the van for the trip was another challenge that will likely remain for the entirety of the trip. Having chosen an older german made VW van that has a reputation for problems, we knew we would need a lot of parts and tools.  With the help of several seasoned VW vets, we acquired and stored a small treasure chest of ‘hard-to-get’ parts and tools.  We are optimistic yet realistic about what we have, and what we may need to source once we’re out of the country.  We also opted to paint the van a few months before the start of the journey, which we’re very excited about and must note, it was some of most labor intensive work we’ve ever done.

So with the ‘stuff’ we could’t part with safely tucked into a closet at our folks house, and everything else in our little home on wheels, we will push forward into the unknown with as much optimism as we can muster.