When home is a 2005 Chevy Express
Written for The Aquinian
(‘Youth’ by Incé Husain)
Last summer, 18-year-old Emma Campbell made a wood-furnished 2005 Chevy Express her home.
Loaded with shelves, solar panels, a bed, a fridge, an electrical unit, and other daily life paraphernalia, Campbell has been living in the van for weeks at a time, the solitude and independence allowing her to explore her resilience.
"It has really improved my individual sense of self. I have more confidence now,” says Campbell. “I know I can do things on my own.”
Though initially studying astrophysics, Campbell says university was “not for me”. She reallocated her funds, working a time-hefty summer job to sustain a lifestyle on the road. Having always been passionate about seeing the country by her own means, she intends to live in the van for a few years.
“These are my youthful days,” says Campbell. “I should be spending them while I’m able to travel instead of waiting till I’m old and frail.”
Her travels have spanned Vancouver, Victoria Island, Vernon, Lake Cowichan, and Loon Lake, and she longs to see Québec’s Winter Carnival and go scuba diving among shipwrecks in Tobermory, Ontario. But her most prioritized trip is to see her sister, Elizabeth, with whom she adventured to Edmonton in summer.
“I actually really want to visit my sister,” says Campbell. “I love the independent side of (the lifestyle) but I enjoyed going with my sister and being able to experience this thing that I want to do with someone that I really care about.”
Campbell accommodates practical needs - like showering, wifi, or heating - by drawing from community resources and consulting “vanlifer” apps. She will purchase an unlimited data plan, use a gym membership to access showers, and potentially buy a heater for the winter. Though the lifestyle has gained attention for being economical, Campbell says the lifestyle can also be as expensive as an apartment, where “you’re paying in gas what you would pay in rent”, and that it is common to pause travel to work a job. She emphasizes planning ahead on the road, saying it “helps keep structure in a life that is going to be completely unpredictable”.
“I would recommend (the lifestyle) for people who have a really strong sense of self,” says Campbell. “It’s a really big mental game. If you aren’t in this fully you’re not going to enjoy it.”
Social media platforms - like instagram and TikTok - burst with #vanlife posts where vanlifers wake to sunrises across beaches and dainty morning routines of coffee and hikes. Though drawn to the lifestyle in part by social media, Campbell says it depicts a glorified rendition. She says it isn’t always “sunshine and rainbows”, and that morning views can often be noisy-with-life parking lots instead of pristine oceans. But she doesn’t consider the exaggerations to be harmful, stating that “without the positives, (the lifestyle) wouldn’t have sparked interest.”
“I think everyone should take some time to either see their country or see nature,” says Campbell. “It’s a good reset - to be off the grid.”
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Emma’s sister, Elizabeth Campbell, is a second year psychology student at STU. From her week-long exposure to the van lifestyle while travelling with Emma, she considers it to be “worth all the hype” and a good substitute for camping or hotels.
“I would love travelling. I’d like to be able to go somewhere and then not have to worry about finding somewhere to sleep,” says Campbell. “It felt more flexible for us to go with the flow.”
Eager to meet new people and try new things, Campbell said she would consider adopting the lifestyle for its spontaneity. She cites vanlifers on TikTok who are “just living their best life”, and attributes their success to routines.
“I feel like its a bit complicated to get a routine down,” says Campbell. “Once you have a routine down and you’re comfortable, it would be perfect.”
But, unlike Emma, she considers herself to be very social and not as suited to the solitude.
“I like my friends and hanging out with people. I’m very social, so that part might be a bit tricky for me,” says Campbell. “But Emma - she’s very independent. It would be good for her.”
Campbell says she was surprised that Emma went through with her plan to live on the road. She hopes such proactivity motivates close friends and family to pursue their dreams.
“If you want do something just do it and see if you like it,” says Campbell. “If you don't, whatever, but you still tried it. I think (van life) was a really cool new experience.”
Though Campbell found the shared van space a bit small, she longs to go adventuring with her sister again.
“I found it to be very fun and I would have loved to do more of that with her,” says Campbell. “When we come back home I hope we can do more stuff like that.” ♦
A modified version of this article appeared in The Aquinian on October 5th, 2022: