As we sit here in the Black Hills of South Dakota, looking out at what seems to be an endless expanse of forests, we can’t help but appreciate where we are and where we came from. To most, it may seem like we gave up too much. We put everything on the line, gave up comforts and security; but why?

One of the truths that has become abundantly clear to us during our first week on the road is that, sometimes, living comfortably isn’t really living at all. In our former lives, we were successful, we were comfortable, and we both had good jobs. On the other hand, we were both living in constant stress with overpacked schedules. In the event that either of us had free time, we would both do what most people do, spend hours in front of the television or on our phones. It was an endless cycle of monotony.

Vanlife offers the ultimate break in that routine. We can no longer spend hours each day on our phones or watching television.

Instead, we spend our days hiking with the dogs, learning new skills (photography for Bryon and Ukulele for Coddy), seeing incredible sites, and meeting others who, like us, left everything to live in converted vans and RVs.

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Sure, living out of a van isn’t easy. We have already experienced some challenges and we are only a week into this experiment.  That being said, the reward for doing this has already been immeasurable and completely worth the inconveniences and annoyances we face.

So far on our trip, we have been fortunate enough to meet fellow vanlifers. They have provided us with invaluable tips and great conversations as we bumbled our way through our first week.

As we sit here, thinking about the last week of vanlife, the consensus is that we are thankful. We are thankful for the friends that we have made and the memories that we have shared with them. We are thankful for the experiences that we have had; especially the challenging ones, because they make the good experiences so much sweeter. Also, we are hopeful. We are hopeful that we will meet many more people and continue to engage with our new community as we make our way West.

Every day we are experiencing something new and the view from our back door is ever changing. We are forging our own path and driving on the roads less travelled. To many, it may seem like we gave up a lot but from where we are sitting now, it seems like we are gaining the world.

Where We’ve Been and Where We are Going

Saturday and Sunday (June 27, 2020- June 28, 2020)

We left Lincoln, Ne and drove north to Neligh, Ne where we visited with friends and family for a couple days to allow us to slowly acclimate to van life.

Monday and Tuesday (June 29, 2020- June 30, 2020)

We made our way to Woonsocket, South Dakota, to a free campsite located near Twin Lakes. On the way, we stopped to see some roadside attractions such as the Corn Palace.

Wednesday and Thursday (July 1, 2020-July 2, 2020)

After a couple days enjoying time by the lake, we decided to go to the Badlands. On our way, we stopped into Pierre and Wall Drug before going to our campsite at an incredible overlook that allowed us to see the Badlands from our backdoor. Here we made some new friends who we traveled with through the Badlands before parting ways.

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Friday and Saturday (July 3, 2020- July 4, 2020)

We left the Badlands and headed to Custer State Park, where we found a very nice campsite that sat beside a stream. We spent two days here relaxing and enjoying a break from extreme winds and temperatures that we had been experiencing.

Sunday (July 5, 2020)

Today we left Custer State Park to drive Needle Highway to Mount Rushmore. After a quick stop for a photo opt, we continued towards Spearfish, SD.