We have been on the road for a little over three weeks now and, I have to admit, I have gotten a little lonely at times. This isn’t anything unexpected or surprising to me, but that doesn’t necessarily make it sting any less.

This past weekend we were incredibly lucky to be able to attend the 2019 Teton Valley Van Gathering. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect but knew that in order to find a community and learn more about this new lifestyle, I had to put myself out there. So we loaded up and headed over to Victor, ID to see what all the fuss was about. I assumed we would find souped up vans and expert van-lifers that would put our bare bones home to shame. However, what we actually found was a community of genuinely hospitable people from every walk of life.

We met a family with two young girls around Keller’s age who had turned their van into a mini mobile vacation home. The kids immediately hit it off and spent the entire weekend joined at the hip. Right away I was ecstatic that my tireless seven year old had met his match. They rode bikes, made bows and arrows from sticks and grass, chased all of the dogs, and even picnicked together. This mama was beaming from the inside out!

Our neighbors ranged from part-time van dwellers to nomads with years of experience. There were people with basic vans, souped up vans, and even no vans! Some folks were sleeping in their trucks, cars, campers or even tents. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this tribe I had found was all-inclusive. These were good people.

The weekend included two communal meals that allowed us to get close and spark new friendships. There were multiple group conversations around mental health (which is SOOO important to me), general van life, and the connection between Leave No Trace and van dwelling. I was compelled by the candor of everyone engaged in the heavy conversations. It felt refreshing to be surrounded by people so dedicated to sharing, learning, and growing with one another. We had yoga, meditation, live music, and even a onesie dance party!

Since the event, we have stayed in contact and even continued to caravan and camp together in new locations. I know that no matter where we go or what we do, we will have this incredible community behind us.

For anyone interested in seeing what van life is all about – come out to the next Van Life gathering in Basalt, CO July 12. No van necessary. Hope to see ya there!

(Photo taken by my wonderfully talented van neighbor, Claire Lawler)