Living in a Van for 8 Months at 22

At 22, most people are optimizing comfort. I was optimizing proximity to Wi-Fi, bathrooms, and places I wouldn't get kicked out of overnight.

Living in a van sounds romantic until it's not. Until it's 2am and every car door feels personal. Until you realize there's nowhere to hide from yourself in eighty square feet. No buffer between thoughts and reality.

That's when things get honest.

The Reality

Van life removes friction you didn't earn and adds friction you can't avoid. Every day becomes a small problem-solving loop: where to sleep, where to work, where to exist without being a problem. You don't "find yourself." You deal with yourself.

Some days were exhausting. Some days felt unreal. Most days were quiet wins nobody saw. Somewhere between rest stops and random school visits, I realized freedom isn't comfort — it's responsibility with motion.

Why I Did It

I didn't live in a van to be interesting. I did it because I didn't want my life to default.