The Version Nobody Posts About

Before I moved into Sioux — my Fiat Ducato, my home — I spent a lot of time watching van life videos on YouTube. You know the ones. Golden hour light flooding through open doors, coffee steaming over mountain views, someone in linen trousers looking effortlessly at peace with the world.

The Stuff That Actually Surprised Me

I’m not here to trash van life. I love my life on the road. But there’s a real disservice being done when all people see is the highlight reel.

The loneliness is real

I knew solo travel could be lonely. What I didn’t anticipate was how the loneliness would arrive — not in big dramatic waves, but in quiet, mundane moments. Cooking dinner and having no one to taste it. Finding something hilarious and having no one to show it to.

Van maintenance is a whole job

Sioux is many things. Reliable is not always one of them. I have spent more hours than I care to count on the side of various roads googling things I do not understand.

The admin doesn’t disappear

Van life doesn’t mean leaving real life behind. You still have a phone bill. You still need to sort your taxes.

But Here’s the Thing

  • It will be harder than you think, and better than you think, often on the same day.
  • You will figure out things you didn’t know you could figure out.
  • The bad moments are not proof you made the wrong choice.
  • Buy a better torch. Just trust me on this one.