He named his van “Bubbet” and worked on it for about 2 years before it was fine tuned for life on the road. He had a bed and stove inside, and a heater for encountering colder weather. He said he used to bring more possessions on the road like extra shoes, clothes, and gear, but whittled it down quickly years ago and doesn’t travel with much excess belongings.

The sentimental objects he had in his van were some pendants, rocks, and pictures. He had some homemade pendants that were gifted to him during his 2 month trip from Seattle to L.A. from other travelers that he met. They were dangling from his rear view mirror. He also had a few rocks on his dashboard that were gifts, and some posters and pictures pinned up in the back of the van. One picture was of him and his dog on the road from the Seattle road trip. He also informed me that he enjoyed collecting “grandma blankets” and had several stacked up inside.

He said he was also in town for a heavy metal van show up at Pappy and Harriet’s. I was really bummed that I missed the opportunity to see a bunch of vans in one spot. People came from all over for the van show and heavy metal concert. He told me about a magazine called Rolling Heavy that’s all about heavy metal and van culture. Here’s a link the event that was at Pappy’s: http://rollingheavymagazine.com/#!/desert-generator-2016-pioneertown-ca-they-came-they-saw-they-vanned/

He lives in Alaska and has been flying into different regions in the lower 48 and taking two week trips at a time. He’s been doing this type of traveling since January.  He’ll fly into different cities where he stores his vehicle and then move on to other locations, store his vehicle elsewhere and fly back to Alaska. He had been to Death Valley and Anza-Borrego and was about to explore Joshua Tree before flying out of Vegas.

My jaw literally dropped when I saw his vehicle. It looked like such a beast, ready for any adventure on rough roads. He bought the vehicle in Sweden last year and shipped it to the U.S.  The interior was fully loaded with all the essentials for living on the road. He had a bed, a stove, a mini fridge, and plenty of storage space for gear.

When I asked him if he had any sentimental objects he said he had some laser pointers that his friend gave him as a housewarming present when he got this vehicle. He entertains himself with them at night in the middle of the desert, sometimes with some mind altering assistance. He has an instagram account where you can follow his travels: @gravitywellx

When I asked about his sentimental object, he said the only extra “non-essential” item that he has is a small teddy bear with a shirt that says “Go Westy.” He said it was the only object that survived the flooding of his last van, and the bear is his little road trip mascot that lives on his dashboard.

She said she was a bit nervous to get started on her journey, but finally hit the road last November and it didn’t take long to become comfortable with her new lifestyle. She told me about Apps like “All Stays” and “Free Parking” that make it easier for her to find locations to sleep for the night. She also is connected to other women travelers through various Facebook groups that she uses to get tips, and meet up with other travelers. She’s been very content with her trip so far. When I asked her if she ever gets sick of being confined to such a small space, she just laughed and said “that’s just my bedroom, the outdoors is my living room.” She did say that the one thing she misses is having a garden at home. She described it as having “a foot in the earth.”  

She described a typical day on the road and said she’ll wake up and take a sponge bath, make breakfast on her gas stove, and then start driving pretty early in the morning. She tries to drive until around noon and then will park and put out her solar panels to charge. She doesn’t have a strict itinerary but travels every day until she finds a place that she wants to spend more time and then will plop down for a week or so. When I met her she was headed to the coast to go put her feet in the ocean.  She plans to head north and spend the summer and early fall in Canada exploring their National Parks.

I was impressed with the interior and exterior of her camper. She had optimal functionality inside while also having a personalized and beautifully painted exterior.The inside had a sink and wood burning stove, as well as a bed and lots of little detailed decorations. When I asked if she had any sentimental objects she told me she had a blanket that she kept that was a gift from her Dad. She said she decorated the interior with colors that are pleasing to her and burns sage inside to give a familiar scent. When she bought the camper it had already been painted with the text  “Wandering Rose” on both sides of the exterior. She adopted the “Wandering Rose” text as her travel theme and she wears a hat with roses pinned in the side. She adds lapel pins to the hat from places that she travels.

She talked about the struggle of yearning for the freedom of traveling and security of having a home simultaneously. It’s hard to set yourself loose when you have roots that have been carefully cultivated and a sense of home in a place, however it can also be a burden when you want to lift your anchor and explore. Yet when you are constantly on the move you also become sick of your anonymity and desire to have those invested roots and familiar relationships. This is something I could relate to from working seasonally for years. I have an appetite for exploration, but constantly ripping yourself out of communities you invest yourself in takes a toll eventually. She said that’s why she gave herself a year for her travels and that she would probably be ready to stop at that point. I want to investigate the definition of "home" in this blog. Can your home have wheels and still provide the same level of comfort as a traditional house? Does the feeling of "home" necessitate remaining in one place to develop connections, or can you find a sense of community within a subculture of people that live on the fringes of society?

Their sentimental objects included a stuffed animal of a kiwi bird (the national bird of New Zealand), a spiral necklace pendant, and a robot wall decoration. I was impressed with their organization in the back, they built three divided units under their bed to separate and organize their gear efficiently with different plastic containers. They said they’re still perfecting the set up in their van and plan to install a wood burning stove eventually. They have a van at home in New Zealand but have mostly traveled for a few weeks at a time and this will be their longest journey living on the road. 

His “flip top” camper was pretty impressive. He was able to open up the sleeping top within a matter of seconds. He mostly had carpentry tools in his vehicle for work on the go, but his sentimental objects included his guitar and climbing shoes. He has perfected his transient lifestyle and he said it took him years to find the perfect vehicle for life on the road.

What I found most interesting about his possessions was his clear love of music. He had a record player inside and his ceiling was lined with records held down with bungee cords. He also had three instruments with him as well. I was impressed with the level of organization in his vehicle. He had a neatly kept bookshelf, a rack for essential oils, and stacked shelves in the back for his fishing gear and other items. He had an assortment of keepsakes on the dashboard including an alligator skull, rocks, and seashells.

Genevieve abandoned her high stress marketing career to pursue a life of adventure on the road. She’s been traveling across the country and living out of her vehicle for over a year now. Joshua Tree is a place that she has a special connection with and she has stayed in the area for extended periods of time and become part of the climbing community.

Her car was full of small meaningful possessions. She had a love letter attached to her visor, along with photographs and a sentimental 20 dollar bill that was gifted to her by some friends for “emergency gas money.” She also had a collection of feathers, rocks, cotton, and a buddha figurine. In the back she had a corner for her maps, books, and essential oils.

She recently adopted a husky dog which is now her travel companion. She’d spent over a month in the area and was headed to Nevada to go on some climbing adventures with her friends. You can follow her travels on instagram: @ladyadventures

Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area. Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area. Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area. Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area. Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area. Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area. Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area. Genevieve is originally from Florida and abandoned her high stress marketing job over a year ago to embrace a life on the road. She has become part of the climber community at Joshua Tree and settled into the area for extended periods of time to connect with like minded travelers and explore the natural beauty of the area.

She is the perfect example of the minimalist traveler. I photographed the interior of her truck when she had packed up all of her belongings and was gearing up to move from Joshua Tree to Flagstaff. She had a cot in the center of the truck bed, four jackets hung neatly on hangers, one bag of clothes, a shovel, a metal lockbox with a leopard print lock, and a few books and odds and ends. 

Alicia's sentimental objects were several baculum bones from various mammals. She is fascinated by these bones and has been collecting them for years. 

I love Alicia's possessions and the way she organizes her makeshift home inside her vehicle. 

Alicia's transient lifestyle Alicia's transient lifestyle Alicia's transient lifestyle Alicia's transient lifestyle