Lockdown Lessons From The Van: Seven Ideas For Staying Sane In A Small Space

On the face of it, it might not seem like there are many similarities between being stuck at home in a pandemic lockdown and touring around in a van or motorhome. Certainly the key part of motorhome life, the fact that it moves from place to place, is totally opposite. However, when it comes to living in a small space with a loved one, managing time away from the strictures of train timetables, and staying in touch with friends and loved ones remotely, there are in fact quite a lot of crossovers.

Although it seems like a lifetime ago now, when we first set off back in 2014 we didn't really notice all of these challenges at first. We were too busy being in holiday mode, a feeling that lasted throughout the first summer and into Autumn. It wasn't until winter started to bite and we found ourselves spending 23 hours a day (or more) in a 5 x 2 metres plastic box together that we really started to experience the downsides of motorhome life.

Over the course of the next couple of years we worked hard on our communication alongside refining the way we managed our time, projects and possessions in a small space. It's been a continuous, gradual process. However, after over six years of primarily van living, here are a few things that we find help the days flow and our relationship go smoothly.

1) Exercise early in the day
Getting up early and doing some exercise in the morning is one of the most powerful ways we find to make the day feel better, whatever else we might be doing. Whether we sit behind laptops writing for the rest of the day, go shopping, read books or sit on a beach, working up a sweat first thing always helps us to stay balanced. It might be a bike ride, a jog, a fast walk, yoga or an exercise video just outside the door. Basically anything that gets us moving and breathing a little quicker than normal. It's well known that exercise helps with mood as well as all of the physical benefits, and we find that carries through the day.

2) Fix times for different tasks
While I'm talking about scheduling, breaking each day down into bitesize chunks helps us a lot. When we first found ourselves without the strictures of regular hours and commuting, it was great. We felt so free and life was easy, but after a while we started to feel aimless. Nowadays each day is still a blank canvas, but at the start of each day (or just before bed) we always try and make a very rough plan of how the day ahead might look. It doesn't even mean we always stick to it, but it removes the issue of stopping every hour or so and asking "what next?" Or the listless feeling of looking back in the evening and thinking "I've been busy all day, but what have I done?"

3) Set manageable goals every day
Ever since our first summer of total freedom ended, we've had projects to work on. Sometimes it was hands-on work, but mostly it's been computer based. Books, this blog, articles we've written etc. Working in isolation can sometimes be quite demotivating, especially if there's no hard deadline coming up.

At times we've tried to overcome this aimlessness by setting ambitious goals, such as "I'll finish the first draft in two weeks", but in reality being too ambitious has usually sent us the other way after a few days. We knew it was too much so we stopped trying.

Instead, for self-employed / independent workers like us, we've found that having an easy-to-reach target every day is much more motivating. We know we can do it, so we do. Usually we then feel uplifted by reaching our goal and so carry on anyway. However, even if we only do a little each day, by the end of the week we can look back and think "wow, we did all of that!"

4) Actively work on communication with loved ones
I've written about our relationship and motorhome life a few times over the years. To put it bluntly, living in a motorhome together almost broke us up. It wasn't until we made the conscious choice to 'work on our relationship' that we found a way back to loving feelings.

Now 'working on a relationship' is a common expression and I confess I didn't even know what it meant when we started, but it was actually very simple. In our case we bought a very well-known book about male-female communication (one of the Mars/Venus series by John Gray) and committed to reading it together. It revolutionised how we saw and spoke to each other. Since then we've done other online courses and read other books as well, because the results made us so much happier.

Being suddenly confined to the same space as a spouse, sibling, parent or whatever, when you're used to being out and about, is likely going to be a challenge one way or another. However, it can also be an opportunity. Skills and understanding cultivated during a challenging time will only make life even richer when normality starts to return.

5) Keep your space tidy (or even have a clear out!)
As with relationships, I've written about clearing out several times. Having a simple, uncluttered, minimalist lifestyle is (in my opinion) one of the great gifts of van life. It makes you declutter. And, as we've learned, there's a great clarity of thought that comes from knowing where everything is or where it goes.

We've heard from several friends in the last few weeks telling us how they spent a day rearranging a garage or moving furniture, which is great if they enjoyed it. But, if you get the urge, it can be nice to go even further. This might be the chance to finally 'tackle the attic' and get your eBay listings ready for summer.

6) Limiting internet time
Okay, so we're adults and can spend as long as we like on the internet. Also, this is going to sound really simple. But, as a specific example of setting times for different tasks like I mentioned above, time for web browsing, chatting and posting is something we find we have to be really careful with. Meandering web browsing is like a rabbit hole that can suck us in, especially me.

I'm not saying we keep a chart or anything specific like that, but when I catch myself aimlessly filling time with web browsing, I have to make a conscious effort to do something else. A certain amount of time browsing news, Facebook, emails etc. helps me to destress, but there always comes a point when I can feel the stress creeping back up again. Which is why we also try and....

7) Take up a new hobby
Right now I'm learning to play the guitar. I started 10 days ago and can now manage recognisable version of "Mr Tambourine Man". In the past I've learned French, a little Spanish and even studied a smattering of philosophy. Not that I can now speak fluent French, or Spanish, or quote Marcus Aurelius. However, for the time I spent learning them I enjoyed each task. I didn't have an outcome based goal, it was the doing that I enjoyed. When I stopped enjoying it, I found something new.

'Beginner's mind', as it's sometimes known, is that focused state you experience when you need to give all of your attention to a task. For many people, myself included, it's very relaxing as it takes my mind away from other life worries.

Having a new (unimportant) hobby can be a great way to relieve stress in a confined space because there are so many options to choose from. And, if you take up knitting, you can get started on Christmas presents already!

Missing Our Motorhome - Why Motorhoming Is Our Favourite Way To Travel

Originally posted on 14 Sept 2016....
"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone".....lyrics from a Joni Mitchell song you may think, but in fact a succinct expression of how it feels to be motorhomeless after a couple of months living on the road out of a rucksack (Ok, ok, it's also lyrics from Big Yellow Taxi as well). Not that we regret for a moment selling Homer last spring or any of the non-motorhome based adventures we've had since then, far from it. They've been exactly what we needed, especially the challenging parts. Yet as the weeks have passed, as our hiking boot tread has worn down (and as my one packed pair of trousers have seen better days) we have become aware of a growing urge to be back in a motorhome. In this article I want to take a moment to reflect on the lessons we've learnt this summer which remind us and underline just why we are so passionate about motorhome travel.

Keeping Fit on our Motorhome Adventure

Exercise Thoughts from the Road - 2015
Originally posted 8th Jan 2015

One of the best things about our motorhome adventure so far has been finding a more natural and healthy rhythm in our daily lives, sleeping when tired and being busy when we have felt energetic. This is a big change to our lives in the UK, where, although we both enjoyed having a gym membership it meant that we often pushed ourselves a little too hard.  Even when we felt tired from work we'd often "force" ourselves to head to the gym because we felt that we "had to".  Plus, as we'd both done a lot of high level competitive sports all of our lives we were used to overruling our bodies, pushing hard all the time and putting pressure on ourselves to "just get it done". Rather than feeling better, in reality we were probably causing a lot of additional stress to our bodies that was actually bad for our health in the long term.

Where To Go In A Motorhome In July and August ......

Recently I had a friend contact me with this question and it got Dan and I thinking about our own experiences over the last 5 Summers of motorhome touring, what we've learnt and what we'd recommend.  My friend wrote to me saying that she'd been trawling our blog because her and her partner were hitting the road in a couple of weeks and so were looking for inspiration, particularly for getting to the mountains.  She said also that this was going to be her first trip in the motorhome in the busier Summer months and she was a bit nervous about touring during the school holidays, so would welcome any thoughts we'd have. My friend had been doing her research about which roads in France might be the busiest but she was also concerned about how full the motorhome Aires would get, so she was wondering what our experience had been.  She'd planned to tour in France, maybe follow a little of the Tour de France but wanted to know more about Switzerland as a Summer motorhome option as we've written so much about our Summers in the Alps.  So as it's very soon to be officially Summer (tomorrow) I thought I'd share Dan and my thoughts here as well as reply to my friend in case it's helpful for anyone else..... And it's time for us to also have some ideas of our own!!

Living In A Motorhome With 5 Dogs – What It’s Really Like

Mad, Crazy, Loopy, Barmy….just some of the words that people we meet tend to use to describe our decision to travel in a motorhome with 5 dogs. Personally I’d also like to add wonderful, happy and loving along with frustrating, noisy and often messy, but even that doesn’t say too much about what it’s actually like to live day in, day out with 5 dogs in a motorhome. And besides, as well all know in this world of Facebook and Instagram, it’s all too easy to focus only on either the very best stuff or the very worst stuff, from Barbados to bereavements. Everything else tends to be pushed to one side, considered too mundane to be worth a ‘like’, hashtag or smiley face. And yet, when it comes to trying to live with 5 dogs in a small space, I’m increasingly finding that it is the ‘mundane’, everyday stuff that makes me smile the most, so let me try and explain what it’s really like.

Choosing A Motorhome - A Vehicle You Can Sleep In vs. A Home That Moves?

A while back, during our post-Egypt stay in Italy, I reflected on how our motorhome-less summer adventures had reminded us why a motorhome was the perfect travel option for us....and since then we've been keeping our eye out for the next motorhome in our lives. The problem is that for several weeks now we've been getting ourselves all confused about what it is we're actually looking for. So the purpose of this post is to get our thoughts straight and outline the choice we see ahead of us.....indeed the choice in the title of this post. And we thought picking our second motorhome would be easier than our first!

Reviewing Our First Motorhome - "Homer" - Autocruise Starfire 4 Berth 2L HDi Peugeot Boxer - 2004 (54) Model

Last week we said an unexpectedly quick goodbye to "Homer" our wonderful first motorhome - an Autocruise Starfire 4-berth 2004 model.  It is our own travel preferences which have changed over the past few months and which prompted us putting Homer up for sale.  For 2 years this motorhome has served us incredibly well - she has been reliable and comfortable but yet compact.  In just under 2 years we drove 13,200 miles in her and did not have one problem.  We have had many people compliment the Autocruise finish, styling, build-quality and they have also called it a 'tardis' for space!  Here is our review after 2 years......

How We Keep Our Motorhome Adventure On Budget - Our Strategies to Save Money On The Road

Although some difficult circumstances catalysed us taking the plunge and setting off on a motorhome tour, we are now very grateful that these events happened as they opened up the opportunity for us to have this career break.  Although we were always waste concious, we have used the time and energy freed up by this break to learn about, develop and put into practice new life strategies which do save us money.  Some of these strategies are specific to the way we choose to motorhome tour whereas others are more general ways in which we are saving money in our daily life.  They are applicable whether we are motorhoming or not and which we would now continue even when not on the road.   Combining these new strategies has made our experience of the cost of motorhome travels much lower than we could have ever planned for before setting off.  In addition, and in some cases more importantly for us, some of these strategies have had much wider benefits to just saving us money.  However in this post we will just focus on the practical strategies to save money we have currently adopted in the different areas of our budget.

How Much Does It Cost Us To Motorhome Tour? The Cost Of Our Motorhome Adventures Compared

We often get asked the question "how much does it cost to tour in a motorhome?"  We've written about this elsewhere but we strongly believe the answer is "it will cost whatever you want it to".  Everyone has different preferences so how much it costs will depends on what you like to do, where you want to go, how far you want to drive, where you want to stay, what you want to eat etc.  Alternatively if you have a strong desire to travel but have a budget to keep to this will obviously determine some of those lifestyle choices.  To highlight this I have updated our 2014/15 adventure costs as well as worked out our average costs so far on this second adventure in 2015/16.  Although the total cost has been very similar, we have had two very different types of motorhome adventures - our lifestyle preferences have just naturally equilibrated to our budget.

Community Minded Travelling - Being Part Of The Motorhome Community And Supporting The Places We Stay

For a large part of the past 18 months we've been travelling in a motorhome, so it makes sense to say that we are part of the motorhoming community, a community that we've come to realise is both staggeringly extensive and varied. As we reflected on in a previous post, since setting off in 2014 we've seen people motorhome travelling in so many different ways that there really is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to travel at all - you have to go your own way. It might sound obvious, but as we'd never followed blogs or read other peoples stories, until we got on the road ourselves we had no idea how large the community that surrounds motorhome travelling is. But what we've also come to see is that the motorhome community can't exist in isolation either. In fact, as a relatively 'nomadic' group, the motorhome community also needs a physical community to be be part of, namely the places that motorhomes visit. Over time we've increasingly begun to realise that whenever we park our motorhome in a village or town, we are a temporary part of that community as well.

Motorhome Modifications - A Luxury Outdoor Tent Or Home Comforts? - Solar Panels and Refillable Gas Systems On Our Christmas Wish List

It's official. We are rubbish motorhomers! Well, ok, perhaps that's a little harsh, but we did feel a little silly spending a day recently parked close by to our generous German neighbours enjoying the benefit of their 310W solar panel and the 7.7Amp output that was being redirected into our own limping leisure battery.  Are we the only motorhome in Spain without a solar panel? Probably not, but some days it certainly feels like we are as the steady stream of beach parking motorhomes all seem to be sporting their own rooftop power generation. So, after being kindly topped up by our a fellow motorhome via 2 sets of jump leads, I felt moved to spend a moment reflecting on why we haven't gotten round to installing our own sooner, along with a few other 'essential' modifications that seem to be cropping up in most self-sufficient motorhomes we meet.

Motorhome Beach Parkings in Spain - Our First Experience of Wild Camping in Spain

Sitting writing this post in in the sunshine, while listening to the Mediterranean Sea lapping gently on the golden beach just 50 metres in front of our motorhome, it's hard to imagine there are downsides to choosing to sleep in Spanish beach parkings instead of the numerous campings or secure aires dotted along the coast. However, even though this is our second winter in our motorhome in Spain, last year we only stayed a single night on a 'beach parking' and were very uncertain we would choose to stay on them this year either. But, nevertheless, we did decide to give them a try and wanted to share a few thoughts on our first experience of staying in Spanish beach parkings in our motorhome.

Living on 'Millionaires Row' - How Our Winter Bungalow Deal Saved Us Money Whilst Motorhome Touring in Europe?

When we drove south to the Cabo de Gata natural park we had already made the decision to put our feet up for a while over Christmas. After 8 months on the road we were ready to grow some temporary roots and have a little space to expand. With an eye always on our budget we planned to make use of the ACSI camping discount scheme to keep our costs down, so it's been a big surprise that we've ended up living in a far more spacious mobile home with 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, living room/kitchen and a veranda! In fact, before this past couple of months we had never even considered living in anything except our own motorhome. Judging by the conversations we've had with fellow campers we're not the only ones who felt that way and most have assumed it must be costing more. However, in addition to having more space, moving out of our motorhome for a couple of months has actually saved us money! Here's why...

Going Our Own Way - Finding the 'Right' Way to Travel

When, after a stressful and trying start to 2014, we resolved to set off on our motorhome tour of Europe we were both excited and nervous, happy and afraid. Our minds filled with questions such as where should we go? What should we do when we get there? How far can we travel? Which countries should we visit? The list of 'decisions' we felt we had to make just kept on growing. Having made the initial decision to finally 'do it', leaving our old commuter lives behind and realising our dream of an extended adventure through Europe, we wanted to make sure we got the absolute most out of the experience and finding the 'right' answers to questions like these seemed critical.

Relationships and Motorhome Life - What Living in a Plastic Box Can Do

Touring for an extended period of time in a motorhome is an idea that some couples might find frightening. For example, the chances are that 95% or more of your interactions are going to be with only each other, while 'having a bit of space' could be a little trickier when living in a small 'plastic box'. To some this might sound like a recipe for disaster. However, our experience over the past 9 months is that the exact opposite is true. Motorhome life has made us feel more connected than we have in many years. This is something that others on the road have said to us as well, but what exactly is it about an extended tour that has this effect?

Importance of Growing Some Temporary Roots on our Motorhome Adventure

Its been 7 weeks now since we arrived at Camping Los Escullos nestled in the secluded and unspoiled Cabo de Gata Natural Park and it's beginning to feel quite a lot like home. With each passing day we find ourselves feeling more and more grateful to have found what, for us at least, is an ideal winter base. With a combination of the quiet setting, options for outdoor activities and a collection of friendly and like minded fellow guests to chat with, we feel able to balance our need for rest (after more than 8 months of touring), our urge to explore and the desire to interact with others as well. It just feels like we are in the right place at the right time for us. This article reflects on why we feel it is so important to occasionally take a pause from our motorhome tour, enjoy the comforts of a base and renew our energy to hit the road again refreshed.

Sleeping on Motorhome Aires - How We Decide

Although we are currently based on a campsite and have been reflecting on the benefits of campsite life, we've also been taking time to think about the differences between aires and campsite we've experienced on our trip. For some people, like our concerned family members, the words 'motorhome aire' are synonymous with burglaries and 'gas attacks' which they have read about in the papers and online forums.  For others, motorhome aires are just a free or cheap way to stay the night. As far as they're concerned they've already paid for their motorhome, why should they keep paying to park it somewhere as well. Personally we fall somewhere in between and have always budgeted to spend some nights on campsites every month, however, we also know there is no way we could afford to pay for campsites every night either. Perhaps it is because free or wild camping is so generally frowned on in the UK, but initially we felt quite nervous at the prospect of staying on free aires in strange places. However, we've come to learn that motorhome aires are really nothing to be afraid of after all and with a bit of common sense we've always felt quite safe on them.

Aires vs Campsites - Finding a Middle Ground

As we're travelling for an extended period of time rather than for a shorter holiday some things from home have needed to come with us, including a budget and regular review of our spending.  In our planned monthly budget, after food and motorhome overheads, overnight parking and campsite costs are our third biggest costs. Therefore the issue of where we stay at night is one we spent some time researching before setting off and continually think about whilst we're on the road. As we've been reflecting on the benefits of campsites in the last couple of days, because campsite life comes at a cost, our thoughts have also turned to all the wonderful places we've stayed for free or at very low cost. Many of the motorhomers we have met on our tour have strong opinions on where to stay at night.  For us, we don't think there is a 'right' way of doing it and feel we are finding a middle ground that works for us - balancing cost, convenience and fun.

Our Best and Worst Bits of Staying on a Campsite

Apart from the past few weeks, where we have settled in to our winter base, most of our campsite stays have been really quite short. Over the past 8 months of our adventure we've spent most of our nights on motorhome aires with occasional visits to campsites (in the off-season) to recharge, rest and relax.  The motorhome aires allowed us to visit some incredible places very cheaply but these last few weeks we have really appreciated a slightly different way of campsite life, drawing us to reflect on what we like the best and the least about living on campsites.

Shifting from 'Holiday Mode' to Touring on our Motorhome Adventure

When we boarded the ferry to Holland from the UK in May 2014 we were understandably very excited, plus a little relieved to have finally made it. The preceding few months had been hectic to say the least with my illness and our cancelled wedding all catalysing some huge life changing decisions. Then we'd also had to find our motorhome, put most of our worldly possessions into boxes and generally uproot ourselves from our lives in the UK which had been both stressful and exhausting. Boarding the ferry was a real momentous occasion in our lives, but what now? There was so much to see and do and we had no fixed plans. Having thrown off the constraints of our commuter lives we wanted to do it all!