Europe feature travel vanlife

Two year vanniversary

November 23, 2019

Two year vanniversary!! Two years ago on Nov 23rd @andyrgarside and I gave the keys back to our rented home in Wrexham and set off on what can only be described as The Adventure of a Lifetime. We had, simultaneously, epic plans and also no idea what the future held. It’s been a white-knuckle-ride through: healing relationship trauma, questioning everything we thought we wanted, navigating a new and completely different physical and emotional space, coming to terms with having the van broken into and coping with the fallout of that, and having to hold firm to our belief in this nomadic way of living even as others might like to decide they know what’s best for us (they don’t). Through all of this epic learning experience we’ve grown as people, and as a couple. We have a deeper love, understanding, and respect for each other that can only come from working through some awkward, heavy stuff, and that work continues. As part of this journey we’ve also immersed in the landscapes of European bee eaters, Spanish eagles, and hummingbird hawk moths; in the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, we’re learning to surf – spending hours in saltwater laughter as our bodies adjust to new physical demands. We’ve travelled from the northernmost tip of Scotland to the southernmost part of Crete. I now know that Slovenia is one of my favourite countries with its tumbling blue glacial waterfalls and stunning alpine beech forests. Life back home was so fast; there was so little time to think, I got lost. These days our travels are slow and meandering, we have time to create, and dream, I’m finally beginning to understand who I am. I know this life wouldn’t be for everybody – that’s the beauty of our multifaceted existence, but we all only have one life so if you have a dream, even if it’s just a glimmer, hold onto it, put the work in, stay focussed, breathe life into it every day. It’s out there waiting for you.

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2 Comments

  • Reply Katja November 25, 2019 at 3:40 am

    Here is to countless more of all that which life holds for you >3
    Hugs to you guys xx

    • Reply Sophie McKeand November 28, 2019 at 5:18 pm

      Thank you so much! So many plans for future travels already! Two years has flown by 🙂
      Hope to see you on the road (sea?) sometime!
      much love
      s xx

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