Just about everyone has heard of “van-life’. It’s a lifestyle that has captured the curiosity and fascination of people from all walks of life and is being adopted as a way of life for more and more millennials. Van-life is essentially when you give up your home or apartment and move into a van or school bus full-time.
We of course live in the 21st century and these are by no means your average vans or school buses. People invest thousands of dollars to convert their vehicles to fully liveable quarters with many of the same conveniences as a modern home. A van-life vehicle typically has a water tank with running water, solar panels for electricity, a working propane stove, fridge and wifi. It is nothing short of impressive to see one of these vehicles in person.
Whether a van-lifer is sitting around streaming programs or sitting outside enjoying some Lazarus Naturals CBD from CBD.co, you can be sure that they are enjoying their freedom and are likely just as comfortable as they would be in a house or apartment.
In this article, we are going to take a look at the ever growing popularity of van-life, especially as it pertains to millennials. Though there are van-lifers from all ages and different walks of life, more and more millennials are gravitating towards this exciting lifestyle and we’ve got 5 reasons to help you understand why.
1. Freedom
Freedom is probably the biggest reason that so many millennials are turning to van-life and hitting the road. Humans were originally nomadic creatures and there is almost certainly some semblance of that nature left in us. If we didn’t have some sort of desire towards a nomadic lifestyle, then people would stay in one place and wouldn’t feel the need to travel.
Being bogged down by an apartment or a house can be both comforting and a real drag. You have responsibilities towards an inanimate object and that in turn distracts from your responsibility to yourself and your own personal freedom. When you live in a van or bus, you not only own your home, but your home is mobile and can be anywhere. If you feel like living by the beach for a while, have at it, or enjoy some time in the beautiful mountain meadow. The point is that you are free to live in just about any environment you please and can change locations at any time.
2. Saving Money
The ability to save money is another enticing reason to live in a van or bus. Renting a house or apartment is incredibly expensive these days, and by living in a van you can pocket all of the money you’d be spending on rent. This equates to around $10,000 in savings on the very low end. Many apartments cost $2,000 a month in metropolitan areas. That’s an extra $24,000 you could have at the end of the year!
People who live the van-life usually purchase cheap used vehicles and have them fixed while they are building them out. You can often find sturdy old vans for a couple thousand dollars and build them out for a couple more. That means instead of paying $1,000 a month, 12 months a year for rent, you can toss all of that extra cash in your savings account
3. Working Remotely
It doesn’t matter how much you love your job, no one loves the obligation of having to go to the same place five days a week. Sure, it can be easy to slip into this routine because that’s what society has fed you. Your entire life you’ve been told that you need to go to school, work 9-5 five days a week, and rent an apartment until you can afford to buy a house. Millenials are skipping the apartment step of this equation and are instead spending that portion of their life working remotely while living in a van and traveling.
Working remotely has been the goal of millennials everywhere ever since they first learned about the concept. They are the generation raised with the internet and they know how to use it. From remote accounting jobs, to blogging, vlogging, and ghost writing, millennials everywhere have figured out how to work a 9 to 5 job from just about anywhere on the planet and make incredible sums of money while doing it. They don’t have to pay for an apartment either, so this money is going right to their savings account. Smart.
4. Traveling
Everyone wants to travel, but for many people it is a once a year occasion at best. A lot of these people are so limited on their travel time that they end up going to the same place year after year because they know they like it and they don’t want to waste their precious week of paid vacation.
This is a very limiting way to live, and millennials recognize that. If you spend just one year on the road you will have spent more time traveling than most 21st century Americans. Now imagine a couple years of saving while traveling.. See why so many millennials have turned to van-life?
The world is a vast place, and even if you spent your entire life traveling, you wouldn’t be able to see it all. That being said, there is an incredible amount of beauty to be experienced out there, and if you spend your life sitting in a cubicle, you have thrown away much of what your life could have been. Do you want to remember your office or your adventure? Millennials say adventure!
5. Living A Full Life
Living life to the fullest seems to be the primary goal of most millennials. Everyone has a different definition for what living a full life means and none of them are wrong. This is something that we have to look inside ourselves to understand, and many millennials believe that leading a full life means one filled with adventure, excitement, lots of money, and the freedom to go wherever they want. To the van-life millennials out there; we salute you!
