Life Done Differently Beyond Vanlife

Ever since I started talking about my full-time vanlife days coming to an end, people have been asking whether I will keep the blog and social media accounts going. Some have even made comments like “I will miss following your journey”, assuming that the end of vanlife will be the end of Life Done Differently.  

The thing is, Life Done Differently was never just about vanlife.

In fact, those who have been reading the blog since day one, might remember that I started Life Done Differently before I decided to buy a campervan – let alone live in it full-time. I started Life Done Differently more than five years ago, when I was 33. At the time, it was becoming increasingly apparent that I didn’t want to follow the traditional path. All around me, people were getting married and starting families, and as much as I loved seeing them so happy, it just wasn’t what I wanted. However, the obvious alternative – a life dedicated to my career – didn’t seem all that appealing either.

So, I decided to figure out what life has to offer when you don’t want to follow the traditional path around marriage, mortgages, kids and careers.

A couple of months after I started the blog, I bought a campervan and then decided to spend a summer living in it to travel around beautiful New Zealand. That summer turned into 4 ½ years. During those years, vanlife was a huge part of my life (obviously), so I can understand why you might think that’s what this blog is all about. But Life Done Differently was always about much more.

Life Done Differently started when I realised I didn’t want to follow the traditional path in life. I wanted to share my thoughts and journey in the hope that it would connect me with like-minded people – which it has!

I might not be living in a van anymore, but I have no intention of returning to a traditional life.

If anything, I’m more confident than ever that I don’t want a “normal” life. Back when I started this blog and the Facebook and Instagram accounts, I still had a lot of doubts about it all. A part of me still thought I might change my mind and decide to get married and have kids after all. I still wouldn’t rule it out completely, but at this point, I’m 99% confident that I don’t want kids. I’m less certain that I will never want to get married, but luckily, I can still get married in my 60s or 70s, so I have some time to figure that part out :)

Over the last five years, I have learnt so many valuable lessons.

One that stands out is how much I value time and being present. So today, when I talk about not wanting a traditional life, it’s no longer just about not wanting kids. It’s also about not wanting to be as busy and stressed as many people seem to be these days. Instead, I want to have time! Time to reflect, time to read and write, time to daydream and time to just be – all of it without feeling guilty because I should be more productive.

Another very valuable lesson I have learned since leaving ordinary behind, is how “little” I need to be happy. I put little in quotation marks here because it is little compared to many people around me, but I’m also highly aware that my little would be a lot to many people around the world.

The point is, I learned that I don’t need a big house, fancy car, designer clothes or luxury holidays to be happy. I’m just as happy with a small home, a simple car, functional clothes and camping holidays around New Zealand. The reason this was an important lesson is that it means I don’t have to work full-time to afford the kind of life that will make me happy. And not working full-time means more time for other things ­– which means more happiness.

Alright, I feel like I’ve gotten off topic a bit here…

The point I was trying to make is that Life Done Differently wasn’t just about vanlife – so it won’t end just because the vanlife days are over. Instead, I plan to keep sharing my journey and insights as I continue to explore life off the beaten track.

However, the content of the blog will change a bit, and the social media pages will probably change a lot (given I won’t have that many beautiful van and travel photos anymore).

I plan to continue to write/talk about what it’s like when you’re not following the traditional path in life.

In particular, I think/hope there might be more content around the whole ‘childfree by choice’ aspect of my life. It’s something I’ve wanted to share more off for a while, but it’s a big and very personal topic, and so far, I’ve struggled to find the right words. Hopefully, that will change.

My current plan sees me being a full-time housesitter for at least a year, so there will probably be some content about that. I’m also keen to do new podcast episodes soon, so if you enjoy listening to other people share their ‘Life Done Differently’ stories, you can look forward to that. And then there is the other big project (or shall I say tiny project). Yup, that’s right, I’m about 95% sure that I want to get a tiny house :) So, if you’re interested in tinys, you can (most likely) look forward to some content around that.

Alright, I hope that answers the question of what will happen to Life Done Differently now that I no longer live in the van. I hope you will keep following my journey – but I also totally understand if it’s no longer of interest to you.

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