The sad news these days seems to be centered on people losing their homes and maybe having to live in their car, truck or RV. Dave Thorsrud has been living out of his van for over a year, but he is doing it in an effort to live a simpler life.

His website, Lives in a Van, chronicles his year of living richly on the road in his Pleasure Way van. He writes:

“Ironically, I left the full time job to travel in a van because I wanted to maximize possibilities. With a full-time job, a house mortgage, a car payment and various other debts, my only option when the alarm shrieked was to go to work. This was true during the week and frequently true on the weekends. So I craved choices. I needed to know that if an opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime experience came my way, then I could grab hold with both hands and embrace the new path.”

In order to find his more authentic life, he quit his job, sold all his belongings in five days and packed anything left into his van. During his search, he has traveled across the U.S. and parts of Mexico, met interesting people and has documented it with prose and excellent photography.

Dave lists the best aspects of living in a van as having no daily commute, the overall cost of living is low, all laundry can be done in one load, and every day is a new adventure. He also lists his rules of the road, which can be a metaphor for any simpler life:

DAVE’S RULES OF THE ROAD

• Avoid drive-thru value meals at all costs.
• Take photos of everything.
• Sing along to whatever is on the radio–even talk radio.
• Exercise whenever possible.
• Take care of the vehicle.
• Meet people–especially strange people.
• Drive slower.
• Never hesitate to take an exit, get sidetracked or get lost.
• Take the backroads when possible.
• Take notes, write daily, find the inspiration.

By Christina Nellemann

Photos by Matador Travel. Schematic by Lives in a Van

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