Once I bought my first Sprinter van in 2016, I keep in mind feeling excited concerning the freedom of the open highway. I couldn’t wait to lastly go and discover all of the mountain cities, seashores, and desert canyons I had on my bucket listing.
After the primary six months, I noticed that shortly bouncing from place to the subsequent led to my days feeling jam-packed and rushed. Between testing all of the spots within the place I used to be at present in and making an attempt to plan for my subsequent vacation spot, I not often had time to decelerate, loosen up, and respect the great thing about the current second.
Now that I’ve lived in three completely different Sprinter vans on and off for the previous 8 years, I’ve discovered to embrace the advantages of gradual journey throughout van life. Today once we are touring, Ryan and I normally discover a place we like and keep for a number of weeks, and that capability is without doubt one of the greatest advantages of full-time van life.
Going too quick is without doubt one of the most typical errors new van lifers make. I hear tales of van lifers making an attempt to go to each Nationwide Park in a single 12 months or driving from Florida to Washington and again in a matter of weeks. I’m right here to encourage you to rethink your plans and present you why gradual journey as a van lifer will assist you to expertise extra.
On this weblog put up, I break down the advantages of gradual journey throughout your van life journey.
This put up might include affiliate hyperlinks.
1. Much less Anxious
In my first 3 months on the highway method again in 2016, I visited 6 large states out West. It was exhausting. Each second that I wasn’t out exploring and checking issues off my to do listing, I used to be sitting on my telephone making an attempt to determine the place I used to be going to camp and go subsequent. I additionally spent a ton of time packing and unpacking the van and driving quite than stress-free and having fun with the place I used to be at. I used to be all the time enthusiastic about the longer term, quite than appreciating the current second.
It left me bodily and mentally exhausted, which undoubtedly results in the one factor most van lifers need to keep away from… burnout.
Over time, I discovered to ditch the quick journey mindset. Fairly than making an attempt to go to so many locations and experiencing them at a floor stage, I choose 1 or 2 and plan to remain some time. This manner there’s much less stress round planning as a result of there’s much less planning general.
A gradual journey mindset permits me to be current and make choices primarily based on how I really feel, giving me the liberty to shift my plans to accommodate my (and my member of the family’s) temper and vitality ranges.
Additionally for every part you may predict whereas touring, there are fully unpredictable predicaments that may be actually worrying should you’re touring on a inflexible schedule. Having the additional time in a spot permits me to cope with them with out ruining my total journey.
Save this put up!
Enter your electronic mail & I will ship this put up to your inbox! You may additionally obtain my weekly publication filled with useful recommendation for planning your adventures.
2. Extra Time for Serendipity
One in all my favourite issues about touring gradual in my van is it leaves room for extra magic. Van life presents me with new and sudden experiences however, for these to occur, I should be open to them.
One time, Ryan and I had been up in northern Idaho biking the Hiawatha Path. At the start of the primary tunnel, we met this tremendous good group of individuals. I forgot my gloves within the van, and with the wet climate, my arms had been freezing. One of many guys within the group graciously supplied to let me use his gloves, and we ended up biking your complete path collectively.
As soon as we had been achieved biking, they invited us to return camp with them for the evening. We adopted them down some stunning forest service roads alongside the Saint Joe River that we’d have by no means found in any other case. We had an ideal evening and even joined them for lunch at a brewery the subsequent day.
Sluggish journey permits me to say sure extra usually when enjoyable alternatives like this come my method.
3. Deeper Connections with Individuals
Once I look again at my van life recollections, the very best tales are normally those that contain different folks. Maybe the very best a part of gradual journey is the best way it allows me to forge actual and long-lasting connections with folks alongside the best way.
A pair years in the past, Ryan and I had been climbing in Telluride once we met an area man named Mike on the path. We bought to speaking, and we advised him how we had been doing van life and deliberate to camp within the space for a pair weeks.
Subsequent factor we all know, we had been planning to go on a hike as much as Columbine Lake in Silverton. He supplied to choose us (and our two canines) up in his FJ cruiser so we wouldn’t have to fret about transferring the van. He drove us over Ophir Go, which we unsuccessfully tried to drive as soon as earlier than in our van, and we felt fortunate to benefit from the trip and surroundings alongside the best way.
We ended up assembly up for an additional hike and even went out for dinner a couple of times. He shared all types of ideas for exploring Telluride that we wouldn’t have discovered on-line, and also you higher wager that we’ll be reaching out to him subsequent time we’re on the town.
This is only one instance how touring slowly makes it simpler to speak to strangers and ask them about all the issues that make their residence so particular.
4. Immersion into the Meals Tradition
Once I’m in a rush, it may be straightforward to commerce authenticity for comfort and eat no matter I’ve available within the van or shortly seize some meals to go.
Probably the greatest elements of touring is attending to expertise new locations via my tastebuds. Ryan and I comply with a plant-based food regimen, and we love making an attempt out all the regionally owned, vegan-friendly spots.
Sluggish journey permits us the chance to take action, and typically we love a restaurant a lot, we turn into short-term “regulars.” We additionally wish to make buddies with the servers and bartenders, who usually present options for off-the-beaten path issues to do.
Whereas we love consuming out and that’s one technique to assist the locals, it’s not sustainable to take action each single day. As a gradual touring van lifer, nonetheless, there are different alternatives to combine into and assist the local people.
If you happen to’re dashing via, you’ll seemingly miss native occasions like farmer’s markets, summer season out of doors music sequence, and different enjoyable happenings. Whereas touring at a slower tempo although, you may stick round for one thing that’s taking place subsequent week with out feeling strain to maneuver on to the subsequent place.
6. Spend Much less & Save Cash
Touring continuously isn’t low cost. Once I’m on the transfer, the worth of fuel actually racks up, including put on and tear to my van with every mile.
Sluggish journey permits me to lower your expenses whereas dwelling in my van. If I discover an superior free campsite, I can keep for per week or two and never spend a dime on tenting! And the extra you get to know a spot, you be taught little methods that lower your expenses like the place to replenish your water at no cost or the place you may rating a vast scorching bathe for a couple of dollars.
7. See and Expertise Extra
Once I first began van life, I underestimated how a lot of my day could be consumed by driving from one place to the subsequent. Add within the time it takes me to pack up the van each morning, and there went my entire day! For a lot of van lifers, spending lengthy hours on the interstate looks like a traditional a part of the approach to life, but it surely doesn’t must be.
Now that I’ve embraced slower journey in my van, I go to fewer areas, however I now have the time to discover absolutely anything that piques my curiosity. A number of years again we bought a tremendous campsite in Olympic Nationwide Park that was proper on the ocean. As a result of we had nowhere to be, we maxed out our 14-day keep.
Our each day routine consisted of lengthy walks on the seaside with our canines and watching the whales spouting offshore and otters taking part in within the waves. We actually bought to know this part of shoreline and its nooks and crannies.
8. Much less Environmental Influence
It doesn’t matter how you chop it – quick journey consumes extra sources. The sooner you progress, the extra gasoline you burn via. Whereas at this cut-off date, it’s unimaginable to keep away from utilizing fossil fuels in your van, transferring slower saves fuel (and cash).
Additionally by spending extra time in an space, you may discover ways to make the most of different modes of transportation. I can stroll or bike round a city and see what I discover alongside the best way or make the most of native shuttles to get round.
9. Keep away from Overcrowding
Having extra time in a spot permits me to be extra versatile on the subject of visiting well-liked sights, making it simpler to keep away from them after they’re at their busiest.
A number of years in the past, we spent your complete months of August and September in Colorado. Staying there so lengthy allowed us to go to the busiest locations, like Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park, after Labor Day weekend was over.
Overcrowding has turn into an enormous downside in lots of locations, particularly within the Nationwide Park system (should you plan to go to a number of of those in your van, take a look at my ideas for visiting overcrowded Nationwide Parks).
By visiting well-liked locations throughout much less busy occasions, I’m not solely guaranteeing that I’ll have a extra pleasurable expertise, however I’m additionally doing my half in making the crowds extra manageable for the employees and the expertise extra pleasurable for different friends. This additionally mitigates a number of the ecological pressure that vast crowds can create.
10. Revisit Locations
Probably the most vital features of the gradual journey mindset is working below the idea that, wherever I’m, I’ll be coming again.
With this mindset, it’s alright to to not cram all of it in throughout a single fast journey. In truth, I understand I in all probability shouldn’t do all of it so I save a number of issues to do for subsequent time.
Experiencing the identical place throughout completely different seasons, with completely different folks, as a distinct model of myself, and even in a distinct car gives a totally completely different expertise.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Sluggish journey means spending extra time within the locations you go to to expertise them at a deeper stage. As a substitute of dashing from place to put to examine them off a bucket listing, you decelerate, see fewer locations, and spend prolonged time there. I’ve discovered that gradual journey permits me to type connections with locals and fellow van lifers whereas gaining a deeper appreciation for the locations I go to.
It depends upon your targets of touring. Do you like to journey to see as many locations as attainable? Or do you journey to make new connections, get a really feel for a brand new place, and uncover native gems? I fall into the latter. If you happen to really feel your travels all the time contain dashing to locations with out time to loosen up or respect them, you might discover that gradual journey is price it.
You can begin embracing gradual journey now – even should you haven’t traveled this manner earlier than. Attempt staying in the identical spot for longer than you usually would. For some, this may occasionally imply staying someplace for an entire week – or perhaps a entire month (or longer)! On this prolonged time you’re there, push your self to speak to strangers, attend native occasions or markets, and attempt to go to much less well-liked locations you won’t have visited in any other case.
The great thing about gradual journey is there aren’t any guidelines! You get to determine how lengthy you need to keep on the locations you go to. So long as you’re deliberately slowing down sufficient to stay within the second and expertise a spot… you’re doing gradual journey!
Save this put up to Pinterest
I’d love to listen to about your gradual journey experiences or reply any questions you could have about it. Go away me a remark under!
This text was initially written by Jono Melamed and was rewritten by me in 2024.