Tonight was a special one — our first virtual meetup call outside of The Vanlife Network, open to anyone interested in vanlife. And honestly? It felt amazing to see so many new faces, future vanlifers, and road veterans all hanging out together. We had people calling in from Spain, Portugal, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium — even a few who aren’t in vans yet but are already dreaming about hitting the road. From the first minutes it had that classic campfire vibe: relaxed, curious, a little chaotic, and full of good laughs. We opened with everyone sharing where they were and how they live on the road. From high-tech heated vans to military trucks, to tiny home conversions held together by zip ties. And a few people still living stationary lives but mentally on the road! A few moments that stood out: - Stories from long-term vanlifers—5+ years on the road!—mixed with total beginners asking their first big questions. - Travel tips across Europe: Spain’s coastline, Portugal’s hidden gems, and why the Camino keeps pulling people back. - The “coffee cup on the dashboard” trick to meet other vanlifers… which then escalated into testing pineapples as a signal. (We’re all waiting for the field report on that one.) - Discussions about boondocking, wild camping, moochdocking, and even a Dutch network where people offer up their driveways for free overnight stays. - Portugal’s €2 wine somehow turned into a serious plan for a TVLC Christmas Wine Tasting. - A few running and hiking goals were shared—plus a couple of injured Achilles tendons and broken diesel heaters reminding us why we bond so well. - And of course the usual van chaos: broken locks, heater failures, repairs, auctions, recycling struggles… the full lifestyle package. - We wrapped up chatting about holiday plans, meetups, and the growing idea of doing open digital campfires more often to help new people find their tribe. It was relaxed, funny, and surprisingly heartwarming. Thanks to everyone who hopped on—even for a few minutes. These calls always remind me why community matters. ❤️

Vanlife meeting in the cold and snow in the Netherlands. After a 16 km walk yesterday, I drove to this parking lot just outside Bronckhorst. We bought a few bottles of Bronckhorst brewery's special beer for the evening. Super tasty, aged in whiskey barrels. This morning I saw snow falling, not a lot, but still nice enough to take some drone photos.

Hey fam! Today I’m celebrating 6 months of living full-time in my van — 184 days on the road! ✨ Half a year of freedom, chaos, growth and so many unforgettable moments. Here are my 6-month vanlife stats: • 5 countries explored 🌍 • 12 nights on campsites (7 with my mom + some laundry + friends 💛) • 4 times sent away by police/park rangers 😂 • 9.5 hours longest drive / 2 minutes shortest drive • 7 times out of water 💧 • 3 times out of electricity 🔋 • 0 times out of gas 🔥 • 19 times my cabinet flew open while driving 😅 • Coffees spilled while driving: 5 ☕️ • Showers taken in nature: a lot (almost every day) 🌿 • Books read: 3 • Van problems: 1 (so lucky 🍀) • Memories made: infinite ✨ • Friends made: so many — and especially because of TVLN 🫶 • Too many coffees made (because I’m obsessed ☕️) The truth? It’s not always easy. I’ve cried, I’ve wanted to give up, and I’ve felt more alive than ever.I’ve learned that you don’t need much to feel rich, and that the world is full of kind and inspiring people — especially in The Vanlife Network. Feeling really grateful today. 💛 I’d love to hear from you: What’s been your biggest milestone, win, or lesson in vanlife so far? Big hugs, — Larissa ✨

I hate when it happens sometimes! The past two nights it has been cold. I could see my breath, cold. Both nights I turned on my diesel heater.... but was getting the warning "ignition failed to start"... FUDGE. All day while driving I was working up the courage to tackle some troubleshooting. (Real meaning: I was not looking forward to moving a ton of sh_t so I could get to the heater....). I started the process of removing the sh_t but stopped and figured I should get all the information from the control box first, and record the actual message it was telling me.... Guess what? The heater miraculously started working again. 🤣 so then I was frustrated that I didn't have to spend all the time "working myself up" to removing said sh_t so I could (fingers crossed 🤞) fix my diesel heater issue. In all actuality .... if it is/was an ignition issue I probably wouldn't have messed with it on my own. So, I guess this goes in the "Wins" category 🤔

I’m learning what everyone here is working on when it comes to earning online. 👇 Vote below — it really helps me understand how to support you better.