How to prepare for #vanlife
The exit strategy from this life to the next
Dreaming about #vanlife is all well and good. Without action is a dream remains nothing but entertainment. If you have the intention of making that dream come true, you must take action. It does not need to be all-at-once massive action, it can be one small easy step at a time. Every step forward will bring you closer to where you want to be. Be it the vanlife dream or whatever else it is you dream of doing. Even if it is not possible for you to be in that place right now, you can start taking the steps to start bringing that moment forward, so that when the time is right, you have already begun preparing and you can take the plunge !
As I write this, I am not able to jump into a van and start living the Tour-Europe-In-A-Van-Life, because:
I am in South Africa, not Europe,
I do not have enough savings to buy a van
My dog is too old to start a new lifestyle or travel on a plane
I own a house, in which I live with my eldest
I own lots and lots of things which would not fit in a van.
But I do not see any of these as an excuse not to do it. Instead, each are a surmountable hurdle, or step, that needs to be dealt in good time and in a calm and thoughtful way. Wouldn't it be great if I could just say, "Hey, I want to live in a van ! OK, let's do it tomorrow !" Haha, but that is not the case and I'm sure it's the same for most of us for all our big dreams.
So here's the plan. The POA.
Figure out what it takes to officially emigrate from South Africa, and what the administrative steps are to establish myself as a residence of France
Put a whole lot of energy into getting more and better work in the coming months to save up and invest as much as possible before the time comes to take the big plunge
Be patient and wait until my best friend says it's time for her to leave us
Sell the house as soon as I can while it's still summer - my eldest is rearing to go and start living life on their own terms anyway, at 23, that's a pretty good age to fly the nest ! My youngest currently rents a studio near university and is perfectly happy there. I only serve as a laundry at the moment and that's easily replaceable !
Selling or giving away everything I own will be the easiest and most satisfying part of the whole exit phase !
It's going to take few months. If it were only up to the house sale, that could be four to six months or more, but the whole timeline actually depends on my dear pooch. Dutchy is a 10-year-old Great-Dane who has seen healthier days, but one can't really pin her expiration date on a calendar. And I won't re-home her in her last days, that would be too traumatic, even with family or friend. What's a few more months or a year in the overall scheme of things.
I'm with her to the end. Period.
Is there a chance if I take too long to get going I might overthink this and give it up ? Who knows. But the feeling of freedom and gratitude and excitement for this project is so INTENSE that I don't see it going away in a hurry. I can't think of anything I'd rather do than explore my country of origin, and then Europe, and then... All while earning a living and meeting new people and seeing new things and having lots of experiences and spending time at the sea... As I type this, I'm sitting at my desk in my room next to my window looking at my tree outside and my dog on my bed, and it's the same peaceful beautiful view I have every day, for which I am endlessly grateful, but which I am sooo looking forward to swapping for something new at the turn of hat. Or a car key.
Dream on !
Gaëlle
