I moved into a van 47 days ago. At six weeks, I confidently write this review. It’s organized, in order, by the most common concerns with van life.

The Almighty Bathroom

“How do you… you know…?”

The prime concern normies (people who live in normal houses) have with van life is the bathroom. It hasn’t been the most difficult thing but I ran into a few unexpected surprises.

I initially thought pooping would be the problem. Not at all. When I need to go, I find a public restroom and do my business.

The real problem is peeing. I didn’t expect this. It’s easy to put off ol’ Number Two if you need to but when it’s time to pee, it’s time to pee. If I lived in a forest, it wouldn’t be an issue. But I live in the metropolitan center of Austin. People don’t take too kindly to peeing in the streets.

I woke up several times with a severe urge to pee and nothing to do but desperately get dressed and run to the nearest public bathroom I could find.

I corrected the problem of always needing to pee but not being near a toilet by drinking less water. Big mistake. My health suffered and I had no energy. I now drink a gallon a day.

In the end, the solution was simply living consciously. I pay attention to when I drink huge gulps of water and prepare accordingly. I spend more time in coffee shops. I pee before going to bed. This was the first thing standing of the way of this dream and I wasn’t going to let it stop me.

Cleanliness

Two parts.

The Shower

Showering requires a touch of flexibility and can be the reason people don’t take on van life.

Most people buy nationwide gym memberships. Since I’m a minor, I can’t do this.

I shower at public restrooms—mainly, public pools. The trick is finding pools that have private showers. I throw on swim shorts, play normie, and walk to the showers with all my necessities in my pockets. I shower, walk back the van, and leave. Nobody bothers me and it works great!

There’s also a solution to a hot day or emergency need to freshen up. Baby wipes. Essential purchase for any vandweller.

Everything Else

Teeth – Not a problem. Brushing can be done anywhere, anytime.

Clothes – Laundromats.

Bathroom – Discussed above.

Face – Pre-soaked facewash cotton pads.

Food

A ton of vandwellers have van setups that include a refrigerator and stove. That’s my long-term goal but for now, I eat out almost every time.

It’s not terribly expensive, though. Austin has more than enough food trucks and restaurants that are cheap and delicious (like, really delicious), and saving hundreds of dollars on rent means more money to spend on quality food.

Parking

I parked at a hotel near downtown for two and a half weeks and rode my BMX bike to work. One day I came home and my home was not there.

I got towed.

I immediately went to call an Uber when I realized Uber was banned in Austin. After expressing my hatred for government regulation, I took a yellow cab.

The tow company was horrendous. I wanted to hand them my card and license and get my vehicle. Oh, no. The process took 3 hours. Fortunately, I got to hang out in beautiful scenery while I waited.

I learned my lesson. Don’t park where you see “don’t park” signs. Hotels are generally fine and dandy but this one was far too close to prime downtown parking.

I migrated away from downtown and now work in South Austin (I can work remotely if I want). I rotate between a few different home spots. Walmart, a few coffee shops, and a place in nature. I’m never bothered.

The number one lesson here is that for long-term van life, it’s best to park in smaller cities or away from downtowns.

Social Consequences

The van life is one of the best things I’ve ever done for my social capital, and there’s a reason.

People sense when you’re living free. 

I don’t get embarrassed or feel shame or hide from the van life. I choose this lifestyle on purpose and people light up when I tell them “I live in a van, and I love it.”

A man in a Mercedez saw me reading in a parking lot and approached me saying, “Man, I’d trade you in a heartbeat! So you’re just doing what you want, living in this thing? Amazing.”

Early on I was told, “You’re the pinnacle of doing what you want. It’s inspiring.” 

It starts a conversation that’s always meaningful. A talk about van life turns into minimalizing the physical objects you’re emotionally attached to and comes back to what it means to live free, to not succumb to social expectations or societal pressure, and to be shamelessly yourself, no matter what.