ON VAN LIFE
I wouldn’t describe myself as a diva, but I wouldn’t be shocked if somebody else did.
I would describe myself as high maintenance, but I would be dismayed if somebody else did. I’m high maintenance, no doubt, but I go the distance to ensure my tendencies are my problem alone (she writes as Quintin SNORTS in disagreement…Anna rolls her eyes farther than back in her head they’ve rolled in her 28 years on earth.)
On the Venn diagram of how I would describe myself, versus how others would describe me, the two circles meet on my being particular. I would describe myself as particular and anybody who knows me would undoubtedly agree.
So like, not exactly the first image that flashes before your eyes when thinking of the ideal candidate to embark on a month long van life stint... and honestly, thank god.
But here I am, 3 weeks into living out of a van, washing my face in the very same miniscule sink where I wash our curried pots and peanut buttered pans. On our first night, inhaling a pungent whiff of red curry as I rinsed the Kiehls off my face was nothing short of horrific. When I tell you went to purchase some chemical ass chemical cleaning spray POST HASTE to rectify the situation, I’m not being hyperbolic. The only smell penetrating these nostrils as I manage my personal hygiene is lemon and bleach.
Here’s my take on van life thus far:
PRO’S:
✅it’s a new experience: I’m having a good time figuring out how to make living out of a 50 sq/ft home work comfortably. I enjoy monkeying with the various storage bins trying to figure out the most efficient use of space, helping Quintin change over the water to make sure we're always on full, and psychotically deep cleaning the van every third night. Paired with driving said home on the left side of the road, every day has the air of a grand adventure. Being so far outside of what is normal for me, I’m grateful for the opportunity to practice my yoga breathing when Quintin comes into the freshly cleaned van with his wet and sandy shoes. Afterall, it only takes me 35 seconds to sweep it out again.
✅convenience: Everything we need is with us at all times – there’s no wishing we had our swimsuits at the end of the hike because everything we brought with us on the trip is in the van and the van took us to the hike. We’re never emergently searching for a toilet, we always have food handy (a true godsend as I’m a nightmare when hangry), and we’re not going to have to pack and lug our bags anywhere for a glorious 4 weeks.
✅flexibility: If we want to leave a place bright and early to get to the next destination with enough time for a day's worth of activities, it’s our prerogative. If we want to leave a place late to squeeze in a few more hours of activities, so be it. We don’t have to contend with reservations dictating when we need to be somewhere. We don’t have to fuss with what to do with our luggage between check-in and checkout times. Chefs kiss.
CON’S:
❌rain: Van life is quite pleasant when the weather is amenable. We have camp chairs and a folding table and the trunk serves as a nice awning to sit outside and enjoy the scenery. We can cook outside. Eat outside. Comfortably sip our New Zealand wine outside. When it rains we’re regaled to the van. Just one space to cook, clean, eat, “relax”, sleep, and drive. It’s cramped, musty, humid and to be frank, miserable.
❌lack of amenities: Namely, regular access to a shower, laundry, and wifi, emphasis on the wifi.. These are all fairly easy to access with some advanced planning, but they’re all amenities I’m used to having at the snap of a finger and I’m liable to fly into a flurry of panic not knowing when the next time I’ll wash my underwear is.
❌endless hassles: not a single day has passed where we didn’t have to manage some small hassle – fill up on gas, get groceries, change over our water, clean the toilet, discover there are no free campsites, contend with a popped air mattress, etc. etc. You might be thinking “Molly, don’t be dramatic! Filling up on gas isn’t a hassle” but I’m here to set you straight. In New Zealand, at least half the gas stations are self service and foreign cards don’t work at self service stations. THUS we have to find a station with an OPEN office, with a WORKING attendant. ADD TO THAT, gas prices change up to 40 cents per liter between gas stations, which over the course of all the miles we’re driving is literally hundreds of dollars. What should be a simple task becoming slightly more arduous than you’re accustomed to, that’s van life.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
🧐cleanliness is key: For my particular, high maintenance and perhaps diva ass to keep my spirits high while living the #VanLife, cleanliness is key...paramount, even. This means we pack up the bed, fold the sheet, fold the comforter and put them away, in their proper storage unit every morning. Dishes don’t sit for more than 15 minutes. Every dish is cleaned following every use. The sink is sprayed down after each use because it can’t be me smelling breakfast as I brush my teeth or smelling dinner as I wash my face. Every three days, the van is deep cleaned which means the bedding is hung out on the line to keep it fresh, (another reason rain is my worst enemy), dirty clothes are gathered into their separate cubbies, every surface is sprayed and wiped down, the van is swept out and the “welcome mat” is beat to a clean crisp. It seems like common sense but getting a peek into other peoples vans…it’s not. **shudders**
🧐driving on the opposite side of the road isn’t THAT hard: It’s quite intuitive, actually, and the only area that I still need reassurance is right hand turns because I want to turn into the NEAR side which is WRONG, DANGER, FREAK OUT.
🧐public libraries are precious: because they are free, open to anybody, and they have both WiFi and charging stations. You can just walk in, connect, charge all of your devices, and manage your correspondence. Irreplaceable.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
🔑services in New Zealand are bar none: I can’t fathom the hassle this would be in the US and by my measure, it wouldn’t be feasible. There are public toilets EVERYWHERE in New Zealand. Every town we’ve been to thus far has at least 2 Freedom Camping Sites which are FREE campsites. There are dump stations (fresh water, and a place to dump your old water) littered all over the place. Buses pick up at these sites and take you places you actually want to go. It’s a mind bogglingly convenient place, despite my tirade on hassles.
🔑cost: Our campervan accounts for 50% of our total budget and gas is expensive. The alternative is a rental car, which is also expensive and then we would have to contend with accommodation reservations, taking away a great deal of convenience and flexibility. If you want the freedom to go wherever you want, at leisure in New Zealand, you pay for the convenience.
For me, travel is all about collecting new experiences. Living in a van isn’t something I’d previously done, and was something I considered “not for me” prior to this trip. I had no idea what gray water was, no idea what sorts of meals would be best on the road, no idea what a portable toilet entails, no idea how to flip a van morning and night, and not enough confidence to think I could do it. Cooking aside, I’d consider myself passable and I haven’t had a meltdown in 4 nights (that’s how long it’s been since it rained).
Reflecting, I’m content in our van not because I love the van, but because I adore the experience it’s providing and proving to myself that I can do it. For the first time ever I drove in a foreign country, I drove on the other side of the road, I found a dump station and I properly filled a portable toilet.
Bazinga.
Listed below are a few resources we’ve found helpful along our journey!
Apps:
Rankers Camping and CamperMate: these apps show all campsites (both paid and free) and services per campsite across the country. They also aggregate things like where to find dump stations and WiFi.
Gaspy: this app compares gas prices within a town, and also between towns. It’s key because gas can be up to 30 cents per liter difference in just an hour's drive.
Good to Know:
KiwiCash: Kiwi Cards are something you can buy, and put money on to use at all Park and RIdes across the country. They give you access to power, hot showers, and laundry and they can be purchased at the nearest gas station to the park and ride.
