{"id":339,"date":"2024-04-22T10:36:32","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T09:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/ninetoalive\/?p=339"},"modified":"2024-05-21T17:44:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T16:44:24","slug":"three-people-three-very-different-reasons-to-get-into-vanlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/ninetoalive\/2024\/04\/22\/three-people-three-very-different-reasons-to-get-into-vanlife\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Home is where you park it\u2026\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Three different people, three very different reasons to escape the city on four wheels<\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the United Kingdom alone, there is a new civilisation forming. <\/strong>Mobile living is on the rise and people of all ages are swapping city life for the outdoors. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently the UK has 230,000-known \u2018vanlifers\u2019 and this number is expected to rise as the virality of vanlife<\/a> reaching over five billion views on social media. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nine To Alive spoke to three van-owners at very different stages of their journeys into full-time van living.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thea Wright, 20<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thea lives in Surrey and is a full-time student at Plymouth University. Being a surfer-fanatic, she bought an ex-British Gas van for \u00a35,000 in May 2023. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between her surf trips and university lectures she has began slowly converting it to a live-able van ever since. While keeping a tight budget. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Big-city life left Thea feeling \u2018overwhelmed\u2019 at times<\/strong>. Escaping the concrete jungle in her van has helped Thea improve her mental health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst things first, she\u2019s called Nora<\/a> and I really love her. She\u2019s almost ready to be lived in full time because I\u2019m trying to have her ready for this summer. That’s my deadline because I have posted TikTok\u2019s saying \u2018she\u2019ll be ready\u2019 and now there\u2019s pressure from people who are expecting me to do it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Anyways, I want to take her away to Cornwall, go surfing all the time and work at a cute caf\u00e9. I don\u2019t really know where I will live or park up. I\u2019ll just go and see what happens to be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thea has logged her Van Conversion across social media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Her Instagram is @Norathecaddy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

“It all started when my friend bought one of these ex-British Gas vans in summer 2020 and I saw the bright blue colour and was like \u2018that is probably the coolest colour ever\u2019. You never see vans that colour. It made me so happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I did research them of course. They were known for being in great condition because the company services them yearly. I thought \u2018hey that\u2019s pretty helpful\u2019 too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It\u2019s difficult at university, I still live on campus. I work at a bar, but also play basketball and I can\u2019t earn money while playing in the week. Therefore, I only really work at weekends and have to wait between each project on the van. It\u2019s great because it\u2019s been the only thing that I have ever really saved up for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“However, I must confess, I never really ate well at university because all my money was spent on the van. So, that is why it has been taking so long to finish. But I am doing it at my own pace and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The thing is, I can\u2019t stand London. Big-city life is too fast and in your face. Everyone in cities seem so angry. When I’m in cities, I’m always thinking \u2018I’ve got all these tasks to complete and must buy all these things.\u2019 It really stresses me out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I have anxiety myself and big places like that make me really anxious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nowadays, I could just go live in my van and get a random job and get out there and live. I love that aspect of always moving and not being stuck in one place. That has been a big help for my anxiety. I\u2019m not stuck in a city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I would like to do Europe in Nora at some point. However, I am not the best driver in the world\u2026 so I think I should get better at driving first!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@wtheaa<\/a>

Nora = me smiling \ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffc #fyp<\/a> #foryoupage<\/a> #fyp\u30b7<\/a> #vanlife<\/a> #vangirl<\/a> #caddycamper<\/a> #caddymaxi<\/a> #unistudent<\/a> #CapCut<\/a> #happy<\/a> <\/p> \u266c original sound – Thea | I bought a van\ud83c\udfd5\ufe0f<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>