The travel diaries #2: Home is where you park it

It’s funny how much you can learn about your family when confined to a 20-foot travelling home on wheels.  

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You get to know each other, warts and all. But isn’t that what family is all about? Being unapologetically yourselves in your own setting, free from judgement. 

The reality of #vanlife can be as rosy as you want it to be. It’s all about keeping calm, being patient with each other, setting real expectations and ensuring you have space when you need it. It is also about filling each day with things that make you all happy.

One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is time. If you can be present daily, share adventures, create memories and be part of your child’s formative years, time is something you will always treasure. 

Lesson one: Embrace new experiences

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This week we visited a remote Indigenous community. It was a grassroots, authentic small community with no bells, whistles or crowded tourist attractions. The kids were full of questions and wide-eyed curiosity – it was just magical.

During this trip, we have hiked new terrain at Kings Canyon, experienced the dawn magic of Uluru, joined a family dot painting class with a traditional elder, watched the camels walk past at sunset on Cable Beach, floated down the natural hot springs in Mataranka, swam in an infinity pool overlooking Lake Argyle, seen wild crocodiles, pigs, horses, camels, eagles, emus, kangaroos…and even stayed overnight in a traditional underground mining cave, known as a ‘dugout’. 

It’s so awesome to show my kids new experiences and ways of life while instilling a true sense of adventure.

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Lesson two: Connection is everything

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We’ve also learnt to stick with the simple things. At sunset, we huddle together on the beach and watch the orange hued glow set over the horizon, we play beach cricket and footy, dine outside the van under the stars, play trivia and board games on repeat, ride bikes, and go on family walks.

Not to mention, the kids seem to make friends wherever we go! We’ll pull up at a free camp or caravan park and while setting up the van, they’ve already scouted any kids around. The ability to make new friends quickly, form a connection and then say goodbye are all fundamental social skills that can be learnt on the road.

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Lesson three: Adapting and privacy

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After four weeks on the road, we’re adapting to van life and have quickly found a rhythm that works for us. 

Being away from home and thrown into a situation where you have to draw straws to use the bathroom, wait patiently to sidle past someone to get from the door to the bunks, and be as organised as an army sergeant lining up your troops each day…it certainly takes a while to get used to.

Take our eldest child (tween) for example. Her quarters are confined to her top bunk and she is fiercely protective over her small space (rightly so, privacy is everything at that age). She manages her belongings, and we don’t ever intrude without asking. 

Her younger brother (7yrs) however, is a different story. He loves inviting us to his quarters on the lower bunk to read a bedtime story, play monster trucks or help him organise his plethora of toys back into his small box each night. His beloved AFL footy cards are neatly catalogued into folders, his guitar is beside him, and his teddy is lined up for comfort. 

Installing a privacy curtain is a must – not just for the obvious reason (no accidental walk-ins here). As kids get older, it’s so important to give them privacy and space so they can feel secure.  

We are mindful that being on the road for a few months means you can’t close a bedroom door in a van, so being mindful of each other’s area is crucial.

Lesson four: Get up and outside

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Another trick we have learned on the road is that daily exercise and activity are essential. We have downloaded an exercise app (FitOn), and take turns to choose whatever routine we want (kids included. One by one, we hop outside the van on the fitness mat and have a healthy ‘time out’. 

Separate to the exercise app, we also immerse ourselves in nature each day as that seems to fill everyone’s cup and keep us in check. Whether that be hiking through bush trails, rock clambering, swimming in the ocean, fishing off a pier, dipping under a waterfall or simply out exploring…it all helps to make us feel healthy and alive.

Good old-fashioned, wholesome fun.

Inviting your kids to map out adventures for each day is also fun. We try to focus on nature-based adventures (because they’re free) and then occasionally do affordable experiences that suit the whole family.

Finding our groove

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We have all found our groove and are loving it. No TV drowning out conversations, no arguments over what Netflix or Disney+ show the siblings want to watch, no dramas over telling the kids to clean their bedrooms or pick up their belongings.

The kids make their bunks every morning and are responsible for cleaning their own spaces. They help with the laundry when we get to a base camp and we all decide on what we want for dinner each day. 

The mental load is lighter and menial tasks are replaced with more laughter, jokes and family time.

Instead, we are connecting over ongoing UNO championships, chatting as we wash the dishes, sitting under the stars and talking about the day’s adventures, kicking the footy around after breakfast, and everyone is genuinely connecting.

The time pressures are off, the pace is less hectic, the space is smaller (i.e. less clutter), our minds aren’t in logistic mode, and our moods are lighter. Overall, there seems to be more harmony.

The saying that ‘home is where the heart is’ could not be truer. Being able to pull up anywhere, put the legs down on the van, and set up with ease wherever you want frees us to explore and go at our own pace.

Instead of rushing to see everything, we get to wander, roam free and take it all in. Choosing a life away on the road means a lot of wasted time recovered in each day. Things like commuting to and from work, daily chores, etc – it all just feels easier.

Van life will be different for everyone. For us, it’s proving much easier than regular brick-and-mortar living thanks to the appealing simplicity and freedom that comes with it.

When you travel with children, you’re given something that can never be taken away: experience, exposure, a way of life and adventures to last a lifetime.