Life on the road - reflections and thoughts about our first long journey from Norway to the Atlantic coast of France !

photocredit : Alina Atzler

[...]"Nothing behind me, everything before me, as is ever so on the road"[...]
                            - Jack Kerouac -

This quote has much meaning to us. It really summarizes the feeling you have when being on the road - having all your belongings packed with you in the van, and heading into "nowhere" or "everywhere", however you may see it... Being able to change course from one moment to another... Not having to focus on musts do's and plans, but just living and being open to experiencing and seeing the world around us.

Living on the road has shown us many things - such as the meaning of materialistic needs, dreams that can be carried into life, alternative ways of living and experiences which we will forever carry with us.

photocredit : AMF

Before our Europe journey, it was a bit tricky packing our "entire lives" down to fit in the small space of a van. But once we hit the road and got used to it, we noticed how little we actually really need - all the excess material things we had before the trip is suddenly not as important any more. Of course there are things you miss and looking forward to having again whenever you want - such as a warm shower, a bigger kitchen, a bathroom, more clothes to choose from, wifi ... last mentioned is really just luxury and being online has become such an important and addictive thing, that it's hard to live without. But also this has shown us that we are even more grateful for the books we brought, the sketch book, a quiet moment having tea or coffee looking at the ocean, being more physical active, having long talks not being disturbed by messages and noises from a phone craving attention. We will definitely look forward to some "luxury" again, but will miss being in the van so much more, when the long journey comes to an end, and will definitely keep hitting the road as much as we can!

photocredit : Alina Atzler

Norway was the perfect start of our journey. We felt so lucky having access to such a beautiful, raw nature right outside our van, but also suddenly got the feeling of being tiny compared to the great outdoors. That we had to treat the nature with respect and that nature has so much more power over us when it's raining, storming, too cold, too warm etc. When having the comfort of living inside an insulated house or apartment, you easily get distanced from nature and the world, living in your "cocoon".. We really hope that we will remember our feelings from being on the road, and incorporate this "awareness" of our surroundings into our everyday life when we get home.

France was really a drastic change from Norway. The warm climate made everything easier, there were more people around and even people doing the same as us - taking a break from a hectic city life and slowing down..... to a pace that we decide.. a comfortable and healthy pace.
We got to enjoy surfing, can pick fruits and berries on our own and drink the water from fresh springs....

We hope to inspire you with our way of traveling and living which seems to become a more and more popular way for our generation, since many people start to consider a life in a tiny Home on wheels. Though we often get asked how did we financed the journey , the van and the luxury of not working for such a long time. Stay updated on our next post when we want to share how we financed our journey before and on the road..