top of page
  • Facebook Social Icon
  • Instagram Social Icon
  • YouTube Social  Icon

Living In A Van Taught Me A Lot About Me

  • Writer: Lee Eel Eisler
    Lee Eel Eisler
  • Oct 26, 2017
  • 3 min read

Updated: Aug 8, 2018

To me living in a van is freedom. Living in a van makes life simpler. Living in a van is awesome!!! When I began my van life journey it was simply to get out of the vicious cycle of giving half my money away just for a few simple comforts. It was actually pretty scary at first. To give up everything you have ever known about living and restart. To live a simpler life in a world of complexity. Although it was a hard decision to make it was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life!

Turns out the day I moved into my van was the day I really began to live. When you buy a van to live in from 1978 for $1,500 every day suddenly became a new adventure. Whether it was learning how to install insulation, dealing with a breakdown or simply going on an adventure and waking up somewhere new every day.


I realized that going through the same routine more or less daily and weekly was holding me back from actually living!

What do I want in life? What do I desire? These are questions I was not asking myself before deciding to live in a van. I was at a point in my life where I was happy but I was more or less just going through the motions trying to survive in this world of inequality and social classes. That's why I asked what can I do differently to live the life of my dreams?

Don't get me wrong, I skated and had a fun job but I still was not living up to my potential and not experiencing life the way I wanted to be experiencing it. That's why I bought a van as an experiment to live in an see if it was a viable option to the high rent prices. Well the experiment became the solution for me and all of a sudden I was able to travel more, work less and quit my jobs when I wasn't happy or bored...or if my boss was a dick! I wasn't forced to work to come up with next month rent. I was working for adventure!


Well when you are not stuck in the same routine day after day, week after week, month after month you are able to do more of the things you want.


You can travel, explore, meet new people, experience new experiences and gain more hobbies. I was able to let my creativity come out from where it was hiding for 27 years. I was able to get out and explore.


When I look back on the last 3 years of living in a van, where I began and who I was before living in a van. It's not that I'm a different person. I was always this person but changing my lifestyle really let the real me soar and conquer whatever I desire. Moving into a van let me leave behind the society that held me back from experiencing life. The society that told me that things had to be a certain way. Well I found out you can make this life whatever you want to make it.


For me. Life in a van. It's not ending anytime soon. There's no stop in sight. For me life in a van is the plan....man!


See what I've been up to over the last few years... https://www.vanningaintnojoke.com/blog/my-van-life-history-lee-eel-eisler


Comments


A message from the Editor

“Vanning Ain’t No Joke.” This is all my friend Brad Parker said to me after showing him photos of this 1978 Dodge Tradesman 200 I was going to buy to live in. I had no idea what this meant at the time. I had no idea what I was doing. That little saying stuck in my head. I didn’t know why he had said that originally but I sure do now. Living in a van forces you outside your comfort zone. You are constantly learning and growing. You are always facing problems you have to overcome. You are always moving, always going...

Vanning definitely Ain’t No Joke!!!

 

After 4 years of living in a van, many people have told me they live in vans because of me or that I have changed their lives. That’s where this magazine comes from. I thought to myself. If I could change peoples lives just from living my own life and show it on Instagram then how can I do this on a bigger scale? Not only do I have tons of stories and information to share but I know lots of people who also do. 

 

I called my brother Neal Eisler and asked him if they wanted to start a van life magazine with me. We could change peoples lives I told them. After getting them on board, we got to work to make something we could be proud of...something that could not only change peoples lives but change peoples mindsets. I am really excited to share this first issue with everyone and can’t wait to share future issues we haven’t written yet. 

  • Grey Facebook Icon
  • Grey Instagram Icon

© 2018 by Vanning Ain't No Joke LLC

bottom of page