6 Reasons To Quit Your Job, Sell All Your Stuff And Travel The US In A Van

It's crazy to imagine that every morning you could wake up to a million-dollar view that would actually only cost a few thousand dollars.

A true #vanlifer once said to me,

It was a moment I'll never forget. I woke up after the best night sleep of my life, having been lulled to bed by the sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the rocks. The waves were still crashing as I opened my van's back doors to paradise, greeted with a cool breeze and a view meant only for royalty.

Here are six convincing reasons living in a van will help you expand your horizons:

1. Efficient living

We can all agree that the cost of living is anything but cheap these days.

We are looking at rental rates that exceed our paychecks, and in a world where it's difficult to save, how are we expected to ever afford a home?

The van life offers something no home could ever offer you: You're forced to live minimally. It forces you to think about how you live your life, what you truly need and what you are willing to give up to live an efficient lifestyle.

Van conversion companies like AdvantureCompany outfit its vans to be solar-powered, and completely renewable, making vans one of the most efficient ways of living.

2. Less stuff, less stress

It's a simple rule of life that with more stuff comes more responsibility.

Of course, the more responsibility, the more stress.

Yes, it is an adjustment to give up what we have clung onto for so many years, especially when we think we need a walk-in closet or a massive shower.

Truth be told, the van life frees you from possessions and these earthly treasures that we hold on to.

What if we all gave up some things in a search for expression, a search for relationship with one another and with our planet?

3. Freedom to adventure

It's way too easy to get caught up in our everyday lives.

We grind away at what seems like a never-ending cycle of work, education, family, savings, mortgages and so much more, all while trying to stay healthy and eating well.

Living in a van opens your world to new opportunities that you would never otherwise experience. It gives you the opportunity to pick up at any point and just drive.

Whether you are in the Salt Flats of Utah, the deserts of Arizona or the coastline of California, the van is not limited to one place.

This adventure leads to find purpose beyond ourselves and to engage with nature and one another on a level otherwise not achieved.

The van life is the ultimate expression of freedom and is realized through one adventure after another.

4. Chance to try

Have you ever woken up one day and felt like you were missing out on a big portion of what this world had to offer?

Maybe you've always had the dream of traveling and seeing new places, but the idea of flying everywhere and staying in hotels is way too expensive.

Maybe you are categorized by the 21st century slogan “FOMO” (fear of missing out).

You are not alone in this, and yes, it is absolutely OK to feel these feelings.

The van life presents you with an opportunity to experience everything you have been missing at a fraction of the cost you would ever have experienced it before.

You can drive anywhere, be anywhere, see anything and do virtually anything you want without having to worry about accommodations.

Your world is much more easily at your fingertips.

5. Investment opportunity

The American dream for most people has always been to have a family living in a nice home with a white picket fence.

What these dreamers often don't realize is that for the next 30 years or so, you will be working for someone else, making a measly wage, all in an effort to pay off a home loan that at the beginning of every month eats up the majority of your hard-earned money.

What if you purchased a van, built it out beautifully, traveled the country seeing new places and then at the end of it all, sold it?

You wouldn't have invested hundreds of thousands into a home. You would have invested a small amount into a home on wheels.

6. Save money

With most people are either unable to afford a home or are stuck paying a mortgage month after month, it's undeniable that most of us are feeling financially strapped.

When you decide to invest in the van life, there is a small, upfront investment.

After that, you are off-grid living. You'll be living renewably and taking care of the planet.

The best part is, every dime you would have been putting into your monthly rent or mortgage is going right back into your bank account.

Whether you live in a van for a year or for five years, all of the money that would have been swept away with your cost of living expenses is all put right back into your pocket.

You're sitting at your desk, reading this article, thinking about everything that could be or all of the dreams you once had like being a photographer, a journalist, a blogger or a mountain biker.

But as life got busy (and expensive), the majority of your dreams were either put on hold or forgotten about.

Life stuck it to you and said you had to work a 9-to-5 job for a company you don't like, with the goal of just making it to retirement so that maybe one day, you could try some of the things you had always dreamed about.

By allowing yourself to save money through investing in a van and having the freedom to travel anywhere, it gives you the chance to pick up your dreams right where you left them.

Whether you want to start a blog, go fishing in Colorado, surf in Central America or climb Half Dome, the van life is a simple choice with exponential potentials.