On Being Two Girls in a Van

The van community is alive and thriving.  Unless you're part of it, you may not realize just how many people have bought a van, built it out, and are living on the road in their traveling home.  The main rendezvous location for this community seems to be Instagram.  Most of us have a pretty extensive network of people whose journeys we're following, who we seek advice from, who help us diagnose repairs, and who inspire us through their adventures.  Over the past few years I've been fortunate to meet many of these people in real life and the connection is always immediate and long lasting.

Hangin' out in our jammies and lovin' life.

One thing I've noticed through my observations of this community is that the company we keep in Silas is quite an anomaly.  I think it's safe to say that the majority of people living and traveling in vans are either romantic couples or solos.  There are exceptions to this of course- I know of some families with kids, and some guy groups, but thus far, I have not encountered another pair of female friends living in a vehicle and traveling together.  I think a large part of the reason for this is that by the time you are of the lucky age to be living in a van, you are in the life stage of serious relationships, which is why there are so many couples traveling together.

Testing out the GoPro. Duh.

I think that most people our age have friends that they do certain activities with, but very few people have friends who they can convince to work seasonal jobs, finish said job, and jump in a van and live 24/7 with.  It's a lifestyle thing, and it's rare to have two friends whose lifestyles align in the way that ours do.  For couples, it makes sense, because perhaps a big factor in choosing your partner is that they'll agree to live in a vehicle with you.  It's common to share road trips with your best buddy in college, but by the time you finish school usually one of you has a job to work, or the other one is starting a family, or you schedules never match up, or so on.  The fact that Chelsea and I are always ready to get up and go and the fact that we like to do the same things makes us very compatible travel partners.  The fact that we can share 55 square feet of space with each other and two large dogs for months at a time and not kill each other is a huge bonus.  The fact that we used to do this in a Honda CRV is perhaps even more impressive and a testament to our laid back natures and our love for life on the road.

Figuring out the selfie with the GoPro app.

There's a lot to be said about traveling with your best friend.  First of all, I have to give tons of respect to all the solo travelers out there.  It doesn't take long for me to get lonely, even with my very humanized dogs around, so whenever I see people traveling sans company, I am impressed.  And of course, traveling with your S/O is fantastic as well.  But hear me out on this and maybe you'll convince your BFF to hop in the rig next time you head out on an adventure.

That time we got drunk on the New Belgium tour and almost bought a school bus.

1. There's no breaking up.  I'm sure the possibility of catastrophic fallout between us is possible, but in 5 years of road tripping together, some high stress situations, months of rain, chocolate withdrawals, encounters with the law, flat tires, breakdowns, etc., it hasn't happened yet.  The fact that you don't have to worry about your relationship ending, or that you don't have to feel obligated to stay in it makes traveling together easier.

2. You have your own crap.  After being involved with someone for a while, you start making joint purchases.  However, if you travel with your bestie instead of your S/O, chances are you own your own shit.  At least the important stuff.  So if things head south, you don't have to divvy up the rack, you don't have to decide who gets custody of the dog, and you don't end up with a double wide sleeping bag while they get the tent.  Like I said in #1, there's no breaking up, and if you do have to go your separate ways for a while, like when it comes time to work, you still have enough of your own gear to lead a full pitch on your day off.

This is best friend shit.

3. You don't have to cuddle.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my snugs, but after weeks without showering, it's pretty awesome to sleep on opposite sides of the bed with two furry critters blocking your stench from each other.  

4. Sometimes you feel like a badass.  It's pretty cool being two chicks on the road.  We accomplish some pretty neat things together, and it feels good when you make it happen.  Though this holds true for any relationship, it's extra fun to conquer things with your BFF.  Completing things together forms strong bonds, and there's nothing like standing on top of a climb, looking out at the scenery, and saying, 'yea, we did that.'    

5. You can ride the struggle bus together.  We get to Google things like: "how to change your windshield wipers" and we learn other obvious life skills from YouTube videos.  Sometimes it's more fun when neither of you has any idea what's going on!          

The struggle is real when we actually have to do adult things.

6. You don't have to shower if you don't want to.  When you're living in close quarters with your friend, you wake up in the morning, cover your greasy dome with your favorite hat and head out the door.  No judgements.    

7.  You don't have to impress anyone.  Have I shaved my legs in the year 2015?  No, I have not.*  

8. Shenanigans.  Face it, there are some situations that are just way more fun with friends.  Chances are, the two of you have a history for causing a bit of trouble every now and then.  Best friends make for a lot more morning recaps of last night's crazy adventures.

9. Best friends RULE!  Duh.  Who wouldn't want to spend 24/7/365 in a smelly van with their favorite homie?!  

So next time you're planning a road trip, consider kidnapping your best buddy and throwing them in the van.  You'll be sure to make lots of memories, encounter tons of people telling you to "be careful out there, there's lot of crazies," make new friends who spend several days wondering if you're a couple or just friends, and have an awesome time on the road.   

*in the interest of full disclosure, I wrote this post a while ago and have since finally shaved my legs.