Why some of us travel

Every traveler falls into a certain category. There are clearly those who travel to escape the hustles of real life on short trips while there are others who travel and leave behind everything that they know.

In the mid-nineties I took my first trip abroad. I was traveling out of an old red Westfalia camper van. As someone who grew up in the seventies and eighties taking family camping trips, I knew what it was like to spend weeks in the woods and enjoy a simpler life. But I also found out that traveling can often be uncomfortable. While mosquitos are probably the biggest camping annoyances, so are tiny camp chairs. Sleeping on the ground and feeling rocks in your back. A friend who’s recently been camping told me that she was so cold at night she couldn’t sleep. I learned that in order to stay warm, always prepare for the arctic.

Our first family camping trip was memorable. Driving up to the park gate, the excitement to finding our campsite and to hammer in the first tent peg was palpable. “Camping reservation number?” the park ranger asked, glancing into the back seat of our car. “I thought we’d never get here” dad responded, handing the man a campground lot number. We arrived at our site filled with emotions and a sense of relief. There’s a feeling that is indescribable when you reach your destination. Wherever you are, you are probably curious and filled with amazement, whether it’s incredibly beautiful or incredibly different or incredibly overwhelming. Camping is not for everybody, but I love to spend time in nature. I’ve always been fond of the outdoors. I live for the light pouring through the trees, the crunch of leaves underneath my feet, and the vast tapestry of stars in the night sky. But nothing prepared me to live in a campervan on the beach with a friend on a trip to Mexico.

I had seen people traveling in a modern camper van. A Westfalia is a lot more rustic. It was a vintage, tired old red van, with interior amenities, and lots of mileage that had traveled with generations of campers. We had no cell phones. While it might seem hard to imagine spending even a day without one, it allowed us to truly be in the moment, be truly present with people. Even today, I won’t let a cell signal give me a false sense of security. The van though was charming and the little things can make the experience more comfortable like having screens for the hatches or proper counter space for cooking. I also appreciated the minimal designs where the counter could easily be stowed under the bed extension to save space. Van life makes you appreciate the simple things in life.

There were real moments throughout the trip. When vans would come together parked on a beach during a crimson sunset. When travelers would cook a meal together over an open fire. The long drives in the desert and being out in the beauty and vastness of nature. Our own small problems and troubles in life would seem smaller. That is why some of us travel and are willing to leave everything behind. You eventually discover your favourite food, or the most serene spot to sit and read. Maybe you could see yourself live there.