It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since we packed up the few remaining things we own and left our beloved Portland for the open road. This has undoubtedly been the biggest year of travel and change in our lives. With our one-year travel anniversary (or should I say vanniversary?) upon us, we’ve been thinking a lot about what we’ve learned and what’s different than a year ago.

Our goal on this blog is not only to share travel stories and advice, but to explore what happens when you wander. What happens when you live an unconventional lifestyle? What happens when you have no static home? What happens when you experience different places, people, food, and ideas on a daily basis?

Pin this post for later >

 Here’s what we’ve learned thus far from a year of travel.

Plans change. Be flexible.

One of our very first lessons on the road was that things rarely go as planned. Tires go flat, vans break-down, campsites flood, half your face stops working. There are so many daily events beyond our control that can throw a wrench in the best laid plans.

When things start to change course, we’ve learned that you have to go with it. Focus on what new opportunities are now available instead of what you’re missing. After Tom’s trip to the emergency room, we were super bummed about canceling the Canadian national parks section of our itinerary. We ended up being able to spend a lot more time in Washington State though—where we found our favorite backpacking campsite and swam in some of the most turquoise water we’ve ever seen. Without the extra time to spend here, we likely never would’ve had those experiences.

To say “Yes”

I used to (okay fine, still do) struggle with changing plans. If committing to something meant I’d need to re-arrange other plans I’d often just say “no” because that was the simplest course. I’ve since realized that saying “yes” and re-organizing a few things is so much more rewarding than doing something just because it’s what you planned to do. We recently got back from an incredible trip to Costa Rica that we’re so glad we said “yes” to.

Don’t over-plan

This goes along with our first point. The more you plan, the more likely it is your plans won’t come to fruition. Plus, if you have every moment of a day planned, what happens when you find out about the best sunset viewing spot around, but already have dinner reservations? A few plans are good but planning every second leaves you fulfilling an itinerary and not truly experiencing your time.

Expectations are pointless

I would write “don’t set expectations” but this is almost impossible. We often visualize places before we’re there so we inadvertently create an expectation in our minds. Reality is rarely ever exactly what we depicted. Like how I imagine myself dancing vs. how I actually flail around. Instead of dwelling on what we think a place will be like, we try to focus on embracing it however we end up finding it.

Don’t put things off

I don’t know how many times I’ve put-off taking the perfect sunset pictures because I didn’t feel like digging out the camera. I thought, we’re staying here a few days. I’ll just take some pics tomorrow. Well sometimes we didn’t end up staying a few days, and sometimes the light was never exactly that perfect again. I wish I’d put forth the little extra effort to capture that beauty. We’ve found that the only things we regret are the things we didn’t do. If you have the opportunity to do something that sounds super rad—go do it!

Everything in life is a trade-off

It all comes down to balance. We’ve had many amazing experiences in the last year of travel, but there are also trade-offs. Sometimes we have gorgeous views of mountains and forests right outside our door. Other times it’s pouring rain and gusting wind that rattles the entire van. Sometimes we wake up to the scent of pine needles or wild sage. Other times there’s a stench of sweaty hiking shoes we just can’t seem to dispel. Sometimes we meet incredibly interesting and kind people who brighten our day and help us change perspectives. Other times the loneliness creeps in and we crave a night of conversation with familiar faces.

We choose to focus on the goodness in life and believe in the power of positive thought, but everyone has bad days and struggles. No matter how perfect someone’s life may appear on Instagram, they’re undoubtedly still dealing with their own challenges, because that’s how life works. If everything was sunshine and rainbows, we’d stop appreciating that moment when the golden rays hit your skin or the colorful arch stretches across the sky. You need the clouds and rainstorms to make those moments so magical.

To Relax

The last time my parents came to visit before we left Portland, my mom commented on how I was unable to sit still for more than two minutes at a time. I had taken vacation that week to spend time with my family, but I was still flitting around, filling every moment with some activity or task.

This last year has shown us how important it is to make time for stillness. To let your body and mind rest. It’s in those stationary moments that you let yourself connect with the environment and space around you. When you can feel a sense of peace. Maybe I don’t need to take that perfect sunset picture after all. Perhaps just sitting and experiencing that sunset was the best gift I could have possibly gotten. Learning to be, instead of to do is one of the most rewarding lessons we’re learning.

What we love most about this life is that we’re constantly learning new things. Our perspectives and thoughts are always evolving. We’re excited to find out what the next year of travel has in store.

What’s changed for you in the last year? Have you had any big or small life changes? What have you learned from them?

Related Posts:

• How We Accidentally Became Minimalists That Live in a Van
• How to Create a Budget and Travel the World (part I of our minimalism journey)
• A Great Rescue in Great Basin
• Van Tour and a Look at Vanlife
• Hitting the Road with Stan the Tan Van

Pin this post for later >