Soul Notes from VAN LIFE Series – Soul Note #2
My first month doing van life was at Ou Skip Caravan Park in Melkbosstrand. I chose this place because it was close to home and close to my storage unit—in case I “missed” something—and I wanted to ease myself into this new life in a familiar environment.
What I came to realise is that this was a conscious choice. I chose to step away from what was familiar and predictable, and I reduced my life down to what truly mattered to me. I chose freedom. I chose to live differently. And it took a lot of courage to trust the process and take that first step.
I remember how cluttered and disorganised I felt in those first few days—I was constantly moving things around. Would the groceries work better there? Would my clothes fit better here? How would I film videos and vlogs? Let me try this, let me try that… and so it went.
I am deeply grateful for my dear friend Veronica, who came to my rescue and helped me reorganise my space. What a relief that was. She is incredibly skilled with small spaces, and together we even did some feng shui in the campervan.
I also recall my first two months in STAR, the microbus camper (before I purchased Blossom).At first, when I bought STAR as my first companion on this Van life journey, I was shocked and devastated to realise I may have purchased the wrong vehicle. I was so sad, thinking that my biggest dream had begun—and I had already messed it up by choosing the wrong van.
Oh, how that story unfolded differently.
It changed when I chose her. When I made the decision to continue anyway, to make it work while she was still being advertised. And then, after three months, when she was eventually sold, I was sad to see her go. She had given me some of the most profound lessons and blessings of my journey so far.
STAR taught me how to navigate living in a Van.
STAR taught me the value of acceptance, and how important our choices are.
STAR taught me that it is okay to make mistakes, and the value of working with what you have.
STAR also taught me what I truly needed in terms of camping equipment and space—and that I even needed far fewer clothes than I originally packed.
She taught me how to have fun, experience joy, and most of all, to simply START where you are. You choose your dream. You choose to live differently. And the HOW of your journey will always change along the way.
I think back to that first month and remember, with fondness, how excited I was to try different cooking methods, figure out what to do when it rained, and how valuable lunchtime walks were while working in such a small space.The strangest part of it all was that I felt at home. I wasn’t scared at night. All I felt was awe for what I was experiencing.
I was still learning how to navigate vlogs and blogs, and how to shape the vision of documenting this journey—and I am still learning that today. But for now, these notes will unfold as they are, and I will share the stories of each campsite.
May it inspire you to choose your dream.
May you have the courage to take the first step.
Trust the process.
Much love,
Michelle
PS:
This journey is not only about the physical roads I travelled in my van, but about my inner journey that led me here, to this point. If you feel called to talk to someone about your journey, or need Divine Guidance or Spiritual Coaching, connect with me and build the vision and the courage to change your journey too!