Chelsea & Dan from Living Simple Van
Chelsea and Dan from @living.simple_van have been living on the road in their tiny home on wheels for the past 2 years, and what an amazing fun filled adventure it looks like it has been!
After both growing up in the South Australia Region, the move to a slower and more adventurous lifestyle, just seemed to be the right fit for the couple.
Chels and Dan spent a few months renovating their van, saving their pennies and testing out the lifestyle, before heading on an adventure of a lifetime .
We were over the moon to get the chance to chat with the @living.simple_van’s Chels and Dan to see how they took that leap of faith, followed their dreams, and where that journey has led them so far!!
What made you take the leap of faith and hit the road indefinitely?
We chose to live in a van so we could freely move around our beautiful country Australia whilst living a slow, nature based, adventurous lifestyle. We converted our van ourselves and absolutely love living in a ‘tiny home’ because we feel it suits our lifestyle, our passions and also allows us to live a little differently. Living on the road looks like finding hidden gems, or sometimes it can look like parking up in a random car park for the day…Life on the road is always changing which is the beauty of it. We have learnt so many life lessons, how to adapt to new situations and new hobbies.
What are the steps you took to make your dream of living on the road come true?
Vanlife had been a dream for us for many years…So we spent at least 2 years focussed on the goal of buying a van, then we spent more time saving enough money to convert the van into our tiny home AND THEN we needed to save enough to sustain us on the road for a while. It’s been challenging at times as it has meant living on a budget for a long time, adapting to new ideas and also realising we were about to start travelling Australia mid pandemic. We now pick-up work on the road such as fruit picking and seasonal work. It’s been all worth it and we have learnt so many life skills we will continue to take with us forever.
The best and worst moment that has happened so far on the road?
Ooooo, living on the road has its up’s and downs for sure…There’s been moments of stress, like when Dan woke up to our bikes on the back of the van almost getting stolen…& there’s been financial stress at times…however the great moments outweigh those stressful times and make it all worth it.
BEST moment would have to be snorkelling the great barrier reef & finding beautiful rope swings in the Daintree in North Queensland. It all feels like a dream looking back on it. We had a lovely group of other van life friends we travelled with & it was so much fun!
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned on the road?
Soooo many important lessons have been learnt so I’ll list a few…
Look after your health & try to find a routine
Learn new hobbies (e.g. skateboarding, surfing, guitar)
Stay in contact with friends & family from back home - Be open to meeting new people & trying new things
Favourite spot you have been to and why?
We absolutely LOVE northern NSW. It’s a place that feels so magical with the waterfalls, hikes & incredible beaches with so much surf. The people are so welcoming & open minded…we both felt really ‘at home’ in northern NSW.
Any advice you would tell your younger self?
To my younger self, you got this…You’re trying your best. Continue to face the world with love in your heart, mind and soul. Take care of yourself, pour love into your friendships and relationships. Cook healthy yummy meals, learn new hobbies, breathe and relax into life. It will all be ok. You are exactly where you are supposed to be. GO ON ADVENTURES!
A quote we like to live by?
Life is wild, let’s be kind.
What’s next for @simple.living_van?
Our future plan is to build our next tiny home in our Toyota Coaster bus we just bought. We’re super excited for this next chapter of our lives. The plan is to make our bus into a little farmhouse / cabin on wheels and continue to travel our beautiful country.
