Browsing: Vanlife

Vanlife is a popular form of alternative living. And yet, more often than not, vanlifers appear to take on rather classic gender roles. What is the typical gender-role division in vanlife, and why is it so predictable?

Traveling means constantly adapting to new environments. To always move forward and find something new. But sometimes, in order to move forward, we simply need to stop. After almost a year on the road, we knew we were ready for a break – but it was ourselves who were the hardest to convince that this was the way to go.

Traveling on Baja, my favorite days are the ones where we get to stay put, where we simply have time to go through the routines of daily life, where I can study Spanish, and watch the sun set into the ocean. When it’s simply another day living in my bus, with the time and the calm that can’t be taken for granted.

Vanlife is a free and beautiful way of alternative living. It’s also rapidly gaining popularity, but our society is not made for it. We can only live in our van because most other people don’t. What does the rising popularity of vanlife mean? And what would happen if we all moved into our vans?

For the past two weeks, we’ve been on vacation with my parents in Florida. We’ve spent these weeks primarily relaxing, and it feels very different from our usual vanlife. Despite what one may see on Instagram, vanlife is anything but a vacation.

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