What Kind of Sacrifices Are Required For Van Life?

As glamorous as this lifestyle might seem, it comes with its own challenges. It's not all sparkles and rainbows. It comes with a lot of sacrifices. Sometimes they're known and planned for, other times they can't be foreseen. What kind of sacrifices are required for van life?

Van life requires sacrifices in some aspects of traditional living. You may need to sacrifice normalcy, relationships, life being easy, and a sense of security. Despite these sacrifices, it is still a life worth living.

Regardless of these sacrifices, I wouldn't be making them if they didn't have a positive side. For the most part, I have been able to do what I want, when I want, how I want, and at the pace that I want. I have spent time planning out this adventure to be exactly the way I intend. Limiting my possessions in all regards. Cutting back on the normal way of existing and pursuing a way of life that is smaller and more intimate. While I have tried to plan things out to the finest detail, I understand that I can never prepare for all possibilities. It takes a lot of adaptation to persevere. Sacrifices, both planned and unplanned are a large part of living life than a lot of others.

Sacrificing a normal life

The biggest sacrifice I'm making is having a normal way of life. Seeing others live their own versions of life makes me both happy and sad. Large bills, costly repairs, and "required purchases"; it seems rough. That is the normal way of life, and I don't often fit in or relate to their exact situations. Being in this lifestyle allows me to live more minimally. While I don't have the same big issues as them, I do have similar issues that I need to deal with. My choice to live this way allows me the ability to pivot when something doesn't work. Unlike a homeowner, I can park my home and leave the country and not have to worry about mortgage/ electricity and property tax. I do still run into relatively similar issues. For instance, I'm currently unable to pursue my desire to drive and live on the road out of my vehicle. But not having a typical house to take care of allows me that luxury, even if I'm making sacrifices to have a secure location to live in.

Relationships

Another sacrifice is not being around my immediate group of friends and family. In this regard, I am also a minimalist. I keep a very small group of very close people. It doesn't take much or take long to make me feel like I've met my social quota to those who matter to me. Unfortunately for me, this also extends to family. I don't have much remaining family, unlike others who need to build it into their weekly schedule. I've seen family members sacrifice their time for money to never be able to live the life they wanted as they ran out of time sooner than expected. This is the most profound perspective I've ever achieved. I've seen so many of my loved ones run out of time while they did what they were supposed to, saving and waiting until their "normal retirement." I have seen friends doing the same. They focus on establishing their careers. They sacrifice time being in their prime to try to secure a future that they are not guaranteed.

Sacrificing an easy way to live

Another thing worth mentioning is how hard most things become. You lose a lot of conveniences when you live in such a small space. The big one for me is free water. I don't have a shower, but that doesn't mean I don't clean daily. It's often unfeasible to have the same quality showers with on-demand heat and pressure. Again, I'm okay with these sacrifices. I waste so little water now, and it makes me feel like I'm making a real difference in the world. It's also not easy to wash dishes or cook. Oftentimes, things are organized, and because of the lack of space, you need to take everything out when you want to cook(even burners). Even down to the little things like taking in groceries. It's a game of Tetris to me every time I want to stock up on food and put it in my small fridge or limited pantry space.

Security

The last sacrifice is security. I don't always have a safe place to go. Whether that be when I need to park my van for the night, or if I am sick and might be unable to drive. I also don't have immediate relief from heat, or weather. During warmer times, I have to find places with AC. While I haven't experienced severely cold temperatures yet, I imagine it won't be as easy as it can be while living in a house.

Conclusion

As I'm writing this, I'm recognizing that I am fortunate as I'm choosing to live this way. Many others in the world have no other choice. They would revel if they were in my situation. I'm making things a bit harder, so I can live a more meaningful life and focus on what matters most to me. What a privileged thing to be able to do. I'm so grateful to my younger self and for the people who have taught me the lessons to get to this point. All these sacrifices are things I am willing to do. I like this lifestyle. I like living minimally and having fewer responsibilities. I'd rather center my responsibilities on things that I actually enjoy. I'm not always able to enjoy all the luxuries of modern life, but that pales in comparison to the flexibility and freedom this life affords me! What's worth sacrificing to you?