The First Lessons Learned in Our Traveling Home

We’re on our way back to the cold after 2 (mostly) amazing weeks living and traveling in Flo.

We’ve learned a lot in a short time, and while some of the lessons are specific to van life, most can be applied to many situations in life!

This trip involved a lot of driving because we wanted to get to Florida pretty quickly and back to Boston for Christmas. We were able to spend time in Virginia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Our three favorite spots this trip were: Skyline Drive in Virginia, Wild Florida Safari in Florida, and Nights of Lights in St. Augustine Florida. The views on the drive were so beautiful, the safari was a blast for all (especially Kona! video here!) and the lights in the charming town of St. Augustine really put us in the Christmas spirit!

Organization is a key.

This one probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but even for me, someone who loves and has built businesses around organizing, was thrown for a bit of a loop! There’s a whole other level of organizing that needs to be done to ensure two humans and a dog can flow through a small space with ease. Everything has a home in our van, and these are some of my favorites:  Sweatshirts and jackets in pillow cases (you can see more on this in our reel here! ), using small bins in the upper cabinets for small items like socks, underwear, and toiletries, and our seat organizer that hangs over the passenger seat (it’s like our “office” holding our computers, papers, and pens, and cords).

If you don’t live in a van, following the “everything has a home” rule can definitely save you time too!

We need to clean A LOT. 

It’s a small space so it’s not that hard to clean, but that also means it gets dirty really fast! Since we don’t have laundry, and can’t have too many clothes in the van, we have to reuse things a decent amount in between washes. We also go to the gym a lot, so I decided keeping gym clothes and “not gym” clothes separate was a must. We also have been trying really hard not to wear “outside” shoes in the van. I keep my shoes up in the cab where we drive for the most part (they even fit in the pockets on the doors!). And Sergey has been keeping his on the step between our floor and the sliding door. We also have a huge back drawer coming off the back door of the van that fits a few pairs, too.  Cleaning supplies we use every day multiple times a day: wipes (all kinds), a broom and dust pan, a small vacuum, and a lint roller (Kona’s fur gets on everything!)

Van life is better in warmer weather.

I’ll always be a Boston girl, even if I complain about the cold all the time. But, in a short time on the road we experienced all types of weather and decided that van life (like a lot of things… getting preschoolers ready for recess is one that’s coming to mind quickly…) is definitely easier in warmer weather. The van gets less dirty, it’s easier to let Kona out to exercise, and less to think about when we are getting out for a hike or an errand, or really anything.

You can make new routines and adapt to anything if you’re open to it.

I’m a planner (duh) so I prepared all of us quite a bit for this experience, but you can’t fully create new routines until you’re in the moment. Like anything, you can only plan so much until you just need to go for it and figure the rest out on the fly.

But routines, not matter when you figure them out (PS it’s never too late!) make everything go more smoothly, and they’re not as hard to create as you may think, especially if you have the right attitude and energy going into it.

Unexpected things are always going to happen.

There were a very challenging moment on our trip and I won’t get into the details, but we did everything in our power to get through it. We felt the feelings of frustration. We tried our best to fix it. We felt stuck. And ultimately we had to let it go, leave it up to the universe, move on and trust that something really great would take the place of this seemingly bad situation.  My advice for moments like this is to feel whatever it is you need to feel, but be able to accept when things are out of your control, and focus on controlling the things that you can.  For us this meant choosing to keep going and make the most of the rest of our trip!

Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and Planet fitness are almost everywhere. 

We did learn that you cannot park overnight at ALL Walmarts and Cracker Barrels, so it’s best to call ahead to check, but for the most part they are a great option when you need a quick place to park and sleep for the night!  Sleeping in cool private areas with amazing views is obviously a more fun option, but having a back up plan when we haven’t planned enough always made us feel good! As for Planet Fitness, we loved keeping up with our workout routine by always finding one in our travels to exercise and shower in.  But, they’re definitely not all created equal! Some are cleaner and newer than others, some have private changing areas, etc.  But they all get the job done when you prefer not to workout and/or shower in your 70 square foot home. 

We’re certainly out of our comfort zones, but it’s turning out to actually be GOOD for my anxiety. 

Funny how when I have to worry about where we’ll park our van to sleep at night, I have less time to worry about irrational fears that generally cause my anxiety. I’ve felt more relaxed than I have in a while, and inspired to work and share and create. 

Sometimes you need a reset. 

The other day we spent the night in a hotel.  We had a day that threw us for a loop and realize we needed more space, a real bathroom, laundry, and a TV.  There was a hotel near by that checked all the boxes (plus allowed dogs!) so off we went! And we felt so amazing the next day. 

Reminder: give yourself what you need! You’ll feel better if you do.  

In general, this lifestyle is reminding me of the importance of being organized but open, of having a general plan in place, but being present to anything that comes up in the moment, of being focused, but also able to go with the flow.

These are the exact practices I teach about in my coaching, tutorials, and design work, and I’d love to help YOU be your best version of focused and free, too.

We’re excited for a few weeks at home with family for the holidays, and then we will be heading out again, this time making our way out west! Keep following for more adventures, travel tips, and ways to create space for joy in your life and business!