When Alec showed up to model for our 2024 Fall Knit shoot he mentioned that he had been living in his van for the past year traveling around the country and I was dying to know more about it. Simplicity and being on the move are two aspects of life that drive me so naturally I was curious to know more about what day to day life was like when you live on four wheels.
Run me through a typical day during a trip like that, what is your routine in a nutshell?
My day to day varies on location. If I'm in an outdoorsy area, like most of Washington, I'll make breakfast in my van at my camp spot then find a good hike nearby. If I'm driving some distance that day I'll pick a hike that's some miles in the direction I'm headed. If I'm somewhere like Oklahoma, I'll wake up in a rest stop or cracker barrel parking lot, make breakfast, and find what thrift stores are worth stopping at along my route. Chores day is a whole other thing.
How do you pick out what spots you’re going to park at, is there some sort of mental checklist that you follow?
There is an app I use that I’d rather not disclose but it has done me very well and has done me dirty. They have camp spots listed and people will comment on any problems they faced while camping there. The spots are not always legal but they are always free. I like to get to the camp spot before sunset in case I need to go somewhere else, be that a locked gate or it's already taken by another camper. I love spots along a river or on a cliff so I can open my side window and have a view to look at while I read or listen to music. Much better than TV.
What are your top pros and cons about van life? Are there certain aspects of the lifestyle that are more inspired by, are there certain aspects of the lifestyle that feel really difficult sometimes?
Pros:
⁃ I see places that are not ‘worthy’ of being fly-to destinations but have amazed me nonetheless.
⁃ It forces you to be way more go-with-the-flow or else you will drown. My whole cross country route could change in one morning's decision and that's just how it goes.
⁃ Conversations with locals in small American towns will teach you how to listen and how to respond. Sometimes it's best if your opinion is not heard but it's good to hear others.
⁃ Bathroom is outside
⁃ No wifi
⁃ Seeing new things constantly
⁃ Simple living
⁃ A lot of uninterrupted time to learn about yourself
Cons:
⁃ You have to go to a gym or a hike to a lake to shower. It's easy to get used to this.
⁃ Car problems
⁃ Choosing a route means other potential routes are not happening. Sometimes this is a really hard decision. Forest or ocean. Desert or city. It's not always easy to choose which fork in the road is best.
⁃ Bathroom is outside
⁃ No wifi
⁃ Parking a van in a city is scary because that is your house. If it gets stolen it's more than just a car and a few things. It's everything.
How has being in community changed for you since you became more nomadic?
It's so different and so much more valued. I love deeply and, now the friends I make I am so appreciative of. Now that I know what it is like to be alone for weeks on end I have come to be so grateful to the folks I meet. I've gotten better at making real friends fast because I don't always have the time to foster a friendship that most people have. I'm here for real friends, true love, not just people along the way.
Quick fire questions: What is your go to road snack? Do you collect anything? Do you drive fast or slow? What is your favorite piece of clothing to drive in?
⁃ I always have Trader Joe's Rainbow Trail Mix next to my driver seat. It's a traditional trail mix and the chocolates have natural dyes!
⁃ I collect photos! I always have my film camera on me. I intend on making a photo journal of my travels these past years.
⁃ I actually have a saying ‘life in the right lane’. My van cannot go fast. I am always passed on the highway and I do not envy those going faster than me.
⁃ I love my Birkenstock's. If I need to step out I can slide on shoes. If I need to climb over to the back of my van, I can slip them off.