Today marks my first day back after an 8-month sabbatical, during which my family and I explored 13 different countries across Europe and Africa, living out of our trusty motorhome. It was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone with a desire to travel and discover more than just the usual tourist spots.
Many folks I know took the opportunity travel before or after university, whereas my wife and I never did, so this itch to explore the world had been incubating in for some time. Van life is something that we had been drawn to for a while – the freedom to go our own way, stay as long as we like or move on, to live off-grid and better immerse ourselves with the places and people we encountered. The opportunity to discover hidden gems simply by stumbling across them when we needed a break from driving, seeing the epic landscapes unfold along our leisurely drives, and the rarest of fleeing moments watching a spectacular sunset or the birds in marvellous murmuration. I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to make such unique memories, and have my whole family with me so that we can look back fondly on these past months in the future.
Of course, there have been plenty of challenges and stress too – it wasn’t all highlight reels. Sat in our van in the rain on many occasions trying to keep 3 children entertained and our sanity in check, and running away from the worst winter to hit the Iberian Peninsula in 40 years…we had our moments. To change your lifestyle in such an extreme way made for an incredibly steep learning curve, but we found new levels of resourcefulness, endurance and creativity along the way, and enjoyed simply taking things day-by-day.
The take-aways from such an experience have been significant and hard to put into words. For someone who previously would try to control and much as possible (managing a family of 5 to make sure life ran as smoothly as it could), the chaos of travelling in such a way has been an eye-opener. Accepting uncertainly, and finding a sense of ease within it, has certainly been one of them. “Cause every little thing gonna be alright” – cheers Bob, the soundtrack to many of our drives.
I have a newfound sense of gratitude for home, and what we have here, along with a great sense of pride for having jumped in at the deep end of a completely different way of life, and being able to tick off so many items on the bucket list. Travel has not only given us so many fantastic memories, but also clarity and focus on what I value and want to achieve, and a renewed sense of determination.
(Photo from the Parco Nazionale del Matese, Italy)
