9 Instagram Accounts That Will Inspire You to Drop Everything and Live the #VanLife

It seems like there are few things more enticing to millennials than an opportunity to quit a traditional job and set off on an adventure. Although not all of us can be travel bloggers, there are so many ways to hack a nomadic lifestyle that it’s not impossible to make it work. One lifestyle we’ve been following, the van life, is a delicious mixture of DIY, nature-worship, free-spiritedness, and adventure that is hard to take your eyes away from. Here are nine #VanLife Instagrammers that may inspire you to take off on your own road trip.

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Taking a moment to soak up that cosmic energy. While Nick snaps pics of the brilliant Milky Way, Jessica dances with her led hula hoop. What brightens up your life?

A post shared by Nick & Jessica (@bluebusadventure) on Dec 5, 2017 at 9:03am PST

1. @bluebusadventure: Blue Bus Adventures are two photographers from the San Francisco area who now live full-time in a converted school bus, traveling and taking photos. The couple downsized from 1,500 to 100 sq. feet of living space, allowing them to capture amazing moments from remote locations.

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How do you start your day? Self development specialists and life coaches have no shortage of tips and tricks for optimizing your day. With vanlife we knew we wanted to create a lifestyle that was sustainable. No more super late nights or super early mornings waking up to the alarm clock to jump on the 5 and race in traffic with all the other commuters. Instead we get to wake up when our bodies (or usually the dogs) tell us we are rested and ready for the day. Our simple morning routine of coffee in bed while we read, edit photos and plan our day is one of my favorite routines we get to share together. #40hoursoffreedom

A post shared by Vanlife | Sara & Alex (@40hoursoffreedom) on Nov 9, 2017 at 8:26am PST

2. @40hoursoffreedom: Sarah and Alex of 40 Hours of Freedom ditched the nine-to-five for their DIY home on wheels after Alex’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. “You aren’t promised the golden age of retirement,” Sarah writes. Their work week entails traveling full-time and running an affiliate marketing business out of their luxe van.

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This mornings bedroom view.... not too shabby. After our first full day on the road I'd say van life is looking pretty sweet. #vanlife #vanlifediaries #tinyhouse #homeiswhereyouparkit #vanlifers #diy #renaultmaster #vanlifeaustralia #projectvanlife #travel

A post shared by Alice Wakefield (@al_kate_wake) on Nov 17, 2017 at 11:59pm PST

3. @al_kate_wake: Alice and Adam are traveling Australia in their self-converted Renault Master van. “Although living on the road certainly has its challenges, it’s all part of the adventure and the good far out weights the bad,” Adam writes.

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Finding it hard to put into words how special it was to be interviewed for Women on the Road. Laura (@howsheviewsit), podcast host of Women on the Road by @she_explores, felt like an instant friend as we settled onto the floor of Bessie in the parking lot of @theabbeysc in Santa Cruz, a place my mom and I visited often, for an interview. There was a microphone between us, but I hardly noticed it. Being interviewed by Laura was like talking to a friend. You can listen by clicking the link in my bio, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your podcasts!⠀ ⠀ We later did a 'Conversations I Wish I Had' pop-up at UC Santa Cruz. That's Laura in the phone booth, calling her grandpa. This is the first time conversations from inside the phone booth — including me talking to my mom — are being shared (with permission 😉). I hope you listen in! Every conversation that takes place inside is so different and so special.⠀ ⠀ I'm feeling especially grateful for all of you who continue you to support me with this project and encourage me to keep this conversation alive! I couldn't do it without you, so thank you.

A post shared by morgan brown (@morgabob) on Nov 24, 2017 at 11:10am PST

4. @morgabob: Morgan Brown travels solo in a 1970s VW van and makes connections with people talking about what no one likes to talk about: death and loss. Her work is expressed via writing, interactive art installations, and a podcast. Her current project is traveling across the country with a portable phone booth, hosting an experience called Conversations I Wish I Had, inviting people to have private conversations they wish they had with people who have died.

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We spent the weekend savoring the last moments of our Indian summer here in Michigan, hiking in the dunes and enjoying our Big Lake! • • #everdayisanadventure #livewelldogood #toadandco #trailtotavern

A post shared by Fern The Bus (@fernthebus) on Oct 23, 2017 at 4:44am PDT

5. @fernthebus: Fern the Bus is Ben and Mande, who travel the US and Canada in a converted school bus, named after the animal-loving girl in Charlotte’s Web. They make the most of their adventures with hiking, fishing, and paddle boarding wherever they go.

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Can't help but smile the whole day. We are so stoked about morroco.. the waves, the weather, the hospitality, the food 🥘 everything is more than perfect so far. . Some advice: . ☕️ Learn how to fill your cup with tea! 🍲Eat couscous on a friday and tajine everyday! 🥖Try the freshly baked bred for 1 dirham (10cents) . #van #couple #ocean #beach #sun #surf #surftrip #vantrip #vanlifers #vanlifeexplorers #furgosfera #outboundliving #mar #instagood #picoftheday #instadaily

A post shared by THE SEASIDE VAN 🚐🏝 (@theseasidevan) on Nov 23, 2017 at 11:23am PST

6. @theseasidevan: The Seaside Van features Mira and Guille, a couple who travels along the coast, living in their self-converted van and surfing every chance they get. They filmed their van conversion to show followers how they did it.

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☝🏽 this is what I am actually like most the time— disheveled, bed-headed and an I-stayed-up-too-late face or an I-slept-for-13-hours-and-don’t-know-what’s-happening face. I live and sew in this tiny school bus and sometimes that’s amazing and sometimes that’s hard. I also live in the forest, which is dreamy but also super muddy and/or dusty.... i am perma-camping and sometimes I totally look it. I can be super social but I get anxious before I do literally anything social. I love making bikinis for yous cuties but I do periodically doubt if I can realistically make a living long term.. but ultimately, I’m so content with this funny little life, and it is totally and completely mine... and that’s a pretty amazing thing 🙌🏽. #sheexplores

A post shared by LUV MARTHA SWIM (@luv_martha) on Nov 19, 2017 at 6:08pm PST

7. @luv_martha: Luv Martha is an entrepreneur who makes bikinis while living in her converted school bus. She keeps it real about what living on the road is like. “I live and sew in this tiny school bus and sometimes that’s amazing and sometimes that’s hard,” she writes. “I do periodically doubt if I can realistically make a living long term… but ultimately, I’m so content with this funny little life, and it is totally and completely mine… and that’s a pretty amazing thing.”

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Throwback to last week when the sun was shining, eggs were cooking, and finals were not happening... two more days until exams are finished and vacation begins! Who else is excited for the holidays!?

A post shared by caroline winslow (@repoweredram) on Dec 11, 2017 at 2:10pm PST

8. @repoweredram: Carolina of Repowered Ram is a college student living full time in her eco-friendly van, which she calls Roxi. The van was converted into a living space using renewable and repurposed materials and is fitted with solar panels to allow Carolina to live off-the-grid.

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Part of traveling and living in a van is embracing that there will ALWAYS be continuous work to be done on it (especially if it's an oldie). After a week of recuperating from jet-lag and *trying* to organize our life again, we have yet another long to do list with Terra: - fix the back door leaking so we can actually drive in the rain -solve an electrical problem that appeared during our month long absence. The radio, auxilirary battery and ignition button are dead. -get our suspensions checked, we've been hearing an odd noise going over speed bumps (there are A LOT of them in Latin America) And of course, collect more veggie oil, filter, plan our next destination, renew the van's permissiom in the country, and maybe get around to writing another blog. So, no, we are never bored. ✌ . Parte de viajar y vivir en una camioneta es aceptar que SIEMPRE va haber trabajo continuo que hacerle al vehiculo (sobre todo si es chochita). Despues de una semana recuperandonos de tremendo viaje y cambio de horario, estamos nuevamente *tratando* de organizarnos y con una lista larga de cosas pendiente con Terra: - arreglar el goteo en la puerta de atras para por fin poder manejar en lluvia -resolver un problema electrico que apareció en nuestro mes de ausencia, la radio, bateria auxiliar y el boton de arranque estan muertos. - revisar la suspensión porque escuchamos un ruido extraño al pasar por tumulos (topes en Mx y policia acostado en Vzla). Y claro, recolectar aceite vegetal, filtrarlo, planificar el proximo destino, renovar el permiso de la camioneta y ver si nos da tiempo de escribir otro blog. Como verán, es imposible aburrirnos. . . #vanlifediaries #projectvanlife #diy #diycamper #diylife #homeiswhereyouparkit #homeonwheels #roadtrip #simpleliving #vancrush #overland #overlanding #latinoamerica #explore #nature #naturaleza #adventure #LetsCamp #travel #viajar #travelblog #pachamama #ecologia #ecotravel #biofuel #wvo #recycle #reciclaje

A post shared by Camino Casamel (@veggiebusdiaries) on Oct 24, 2017 at 10:09am PDT

9. @veggiebusdiaries: This couple — Johanna, a nature lover, and Aidan, a doctor — is living full-time in a van traveling through Latin America, visiting rural communities along the way. Their van runs on vegetable fuel, which they collect from hotels and restaurants on the road, in order to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Their blog chronicles their adventures and is called Camino Casamel, or “journey of our dreams.”

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(Featured photo via Getty)