Look, #vanlife is poppin right now [circa: pandemic life chapter]. We're deep into pandemiliving and the people are migrating into wheeled homes like white flight. The allure is visceral, with attractive youngins taking to the minimalist lifestyle, propping up next to places like photogenic hot springs to gorgeous Yellowstone Ntl. Park. Furry friends and even the occasional oddity like a pet snake, tick the seemingly dope lifestyle up a serious notch.

But if you look closely, or even hell, try it out for a week yourself with outfitters like Outdoorsy, you may find yourself craving the conveniences you tell yourself you can do without. Let's get real for a hot minute, one doesn't dive into van life for easy living ... at first. Myriad reasons attract people to the lifestyle, think: homelessness, gluttony for introspection [like me], the crave for adventure, testing oneself, and so on and so on.

I don't care who or how perennially organized and anal you are, there is no amount of research that is adequate enough to give you a true idea of the undertaking before you commence. At nearly five months in, I'm likening it to the culture shock curve; except me and my man, somehow, expertly managed to skip the honeymoon phase. Of course. Hoping that'll be a parting gift.

The list of things that need to be done to keep up with your depreciating and oft dysfunctioning vehicle home, is never ending. The van life challenges and realities in being cooped up with another human; it can sometimes feel mentally, emotionally, and physically draining and possibly even limiting [you may remember the Petito Laundrie case, RIP to both]. Traveling through the main streets of America, for us, has been disheartening and depressing with all the shuttered mom&pop shops, endless streams of For Hire signs and entire cities just feeling devoid of that midday joy on a busy street [looking at you Milwaukee].

It's amazing how quickly things change and above all, truly the number one lesson I've learned thus far, is to take each day as it comes. I can't bear to plan too far into the future because I can't guarantee that this day will be routine where I can just wake up, do some cool shit, eat a few times, hopefully find a little joy in the day and get back home to relax, all on time. True relaxation doesn't come every day now, and my second biggie lesson is being grateful for the little things like, finding pleasure in relaxation.

It's not all bad, but more importantly, it ain't all peaches and cream! If you're considering or embarking on van / rv / skoolie / etc living, lessen your expectations and remain wide open to opportunity.