No rent. No electric bill. No water bill.
The truth is, I’ve needed to make this lifestyle change. I’m not doing it to join a trend, or because I have tons of money and just want to travel nonstop. Quite the opposite.
I chose to give van life a try because I’m restless and filled with wanderlust – but don’t have money. I can’t backup a jet-setting trip to explore the country and world. It’s tight. I’m spending as little as humanly possible right now, because early on in my adult life, I saddled myself with debt (student loans and some credit card), and in early 2024 I made a choice that, while it was a net emotional positive, also layered on more debt. Plus my car payments. It all adds up.
That’s the truth of it. My income simply vanished into the choices I made years ago. The $1600/month rent I had in Florida wasn’t helping – and that was with a roommate.
For years, I’ve felt that I was wasting my money on rent, but I had very few options to pursue in the situations I put myself in. I’m a writer, and often spend my mornings and afternoons in coffee shops and cafes. When I’m not writing, I’m hiking, doing photography, making videos. And my evenings and nights, I’m doing astronomy.
Common theme? I’m never home. And so I watch my rent payments going down the drain even though I only ever sleep and shower in the apartments or houses.
Of course, I did teach high school for three years, and I was a museum educator prior to that. I couldn’t go anywhere. I needed to afford where I lived.
When the opportunity to speak at a series of conferences in Idaho came my way, I thought it’d be a good break from summer in Florida. I planned out this whole trip that took me around the entire country, from Florida to Arizona, Arizona to Idaho, Idaho to Indiana, Indiana to Pennsylvania. The idea was always to return to Florida in mid-September after 111 days on the road.
I did five-weeks of road trips in June and August 2024, so wasn’t a stranger to living on the road in some capacity. I also hated living in Florida and had wanted to leave the state for several years. My desire (re: extreme wanderlust) was always there, but stayed confined to the “work now, play later” trap. The bolts loosened a bit when I quit teaching at the end of the 2024 school year, allowing me to travel in the first place, but other problems stacked up when I exited a tumultuous relationship and ended an engagement, so I didn’t grow financially from that move. Just got more of the same gloomy financial cloud hanging over my head.
Fun stuff.
My 2024 road trips were healing in many ways. I embarked shortly after the breakup, allowing me to process on the road in a positive environment. I think that was for the best. Then my fall and winter were packed with sidewalk astronomy in St. Pete, Florida, allowing me to make friends and become a part of that community, with regulars and out-of-towners packing the street corner every night.
Fast forward to May 2025. My St. Pete sidewalk astronomy is over. I’m preparing for these conferences in Idaho. I’m having thoughts of moving to the PNW. So maybe…not returning to Florida?
Then I left. As I drove, I questioned my motives for not returning to Florida:
Do I need to go back? What is waiting for me there? Who am I leaving behind?
I don’t need to go back because I’d rather be somewhere else, and at the moment can do my job anywhere. Nothing is waiting for me there except the tail-end of the nonprofit I used to run, which is shutting down at the end of 2025. And yes, I’m leaving behind 3-4 friends, but they understand. We said our goodbyes, and now we have new adventures to plan.
In the end, there was no reason for me to return. Onward to the PNW it was.
As I drove, as I spoke at conferences, as I camped and stayed with friends, the van life bug worked its way into my mind. I want to live in the PNW. At the end of this journey, that’s where I’ll end up. But…why do it now? Why not live on the road, host sidewalk astronomy, save money and pay down debt, give myself a good slap in the face and get my life on track? It’s already the life I live, I’m just paying a monthly $1600 subscription.
On June 23rd, I committed.
I told myself when the Idaho conferences are over and I get back my friends’ in Phoenix, I’ll buy a van, convert it, and make this my new lifestyle. I knew for the first van, I needed to prioritize space for telescopes, the moneymakers of this whole operation.
Only for the bigger one to die (temporarily) in early August. RIP for now.
So I completed the conferences. I got paid. I paid some debt (but nowhere near enough). I bought a van.
$13,000 goes really fast.
The video above shows my conversion process, as I dismantle the van and built a bed and storage inside. It took a total of eight days, from July 11 to July 18. It’s simple and by no means luxurious, and I’ve already dropped a couple extra thousand in tune ups, tire repairs, and a check engine light, but it’s gotten me where I want to be, I’ve comfortably slept in it, and although tight, it’s getting the job done. I’m making money. I’m hosting astronomy and stargazing experiences. I’m living the life I’ve been living – but without the $1600 rent.
I’ve only spent two weeks it in, from July 23rd to August 6th. After that I drove my Kia Soul to the east coast, dropping it off at my parents’ house and am now in the middle of a family vacation in South Carolina. When I return to Arizona next week, I’ll begin van life full-time. It will be my home, and I will truly start saving money to pay down debt.
All the while, I’ll be doing what I love. Teaching people about astronomy and bringing these experiences to their families. Writing science-fiction and presenting the worlds contained inside my head. Traveling and capturing moments and memories to share with others.
It’s not a vacation. It’s my life, and my work. This is only the beginning, and it’s had its hurdles and setbacks and frustrations, but I genuinely enjoy it. I’m whittling my life down to be more manageable, more fiscally responsible, less wasteful, more mindful, slower paced, and more impactful to the communities I visit.
My goal is to only live out of this particular van for about a year, until the end of summer 2026. I’d like to then sell it and purchase a larger van, because yeah, I need more space to live and move in the van itself. So I’ll do what I do. I travel and teach and share my passions. I’ll steadily work to reduce my debt and improve my quality of life, and enjoy every second along the way.
This world is beautiful.
Alex
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, or YouTube
Purchase my photography prints
Support my mission, travel, and outreach with a tip on Venmo or PayPal.
Leave a Reply