Ever dream of quitting your job and hitting the road? Do you spend all day scrolling through Instagram accounts that are apparently living the best life ever, full of freedom and adventure? Maybe you purchased a van you’re retrofitting, or maybe you spend all day googling everything about road trips (maybe that’s why you found this article!). I’ve been there, and I’ve actually done it. And despite what Instagram tells you, quitting your job and hitting the road isn’t always the perfectly cathartic experience followed by endless, carefree days and beautiful sunsets—life on the road presents challenges like any other lifestyle. The benefits are there, but like any good things in life, they don’t just fall into your lap. In order to help future road trippers and van lifers, I put together 10 road trip tips and lessons to consider before quitting your job and hitting the road.
1. Don’t just drop everything and hit the road.
People often want distinct beginning and ending moments in their lives. E.g. New Year Resolutions, ”starting to eat healthy tomorrow,” or “I’ll do A once I do/have/am B”. But life changes rarely happen that way. If you want your life to change in a certain way (more full of adventure, appreciating the little things, etc.) start blending that into your current life. There’s no reason to believe that if you make a drastic change (i.e. quit your job and hit the road), that the new direction you want to go will all of a sudden be easy and obvious. Take steps to blend the two in order to ease the transition. It’s not sexy, but it will increase your chances of success in your new endeavor, especially if that new endeavor is life on the road. Don’t wait to go on those short-term adventures or trips: go now. Test out the waters, makes some mistakes, learn some things about yourself and how you deal with life on the road while you’re not fully committed. Learn your own road trip tips before making the big jump!
RELATED: Best American Road Trip Books
2. Life on the road still costs money.
I read articles all the time that talk about life on the road costing $400 a month or less. But that’s crazy; health and car insurance combined cost that much. Life on the road can be cheaper, but don’t expect it to be way cheaper. You’ll still have to budget, and most likely change some of your habits. If you’re used to certain amenities, make sure you know what they’ll cost on the road. Many expenses don’t go away (health insurance, car insurance, phone bill, student loans, car registration and upkeep, etc.) and some, like gas, go way up. Recognize that life on the road will likely cost more than you think and that there are lots of unexpected costs that will pop up.
Check out: Outdoor EDC: The Ten Adventure Essentials You Should Always Carry
3. Being able to quit a good job and pursue a risky dream is a privilege that few have.
Recognize that even getting to consider this option means you probably have a certain amount of privilege. It might come in the form of financial support, family and friends to rely on, or a resume that allows you to find a job more easily if/when the road trip life is over. Be grateful that you can do this! In the scope of human history it’s an incredible opportunity that few receive. This might be the most important of our road trip tips.
Read More: How to Make Great Camp Coffee
4. You’re still you. Old habits remain and new goals are still difficult to achieve.
I remember thinking that once we lived on the road I would spend every morning doing yoga, meditating, reading, and journaling. Because once I was on the road I would have time! You know what comes next. Despite having time, there were still excuses: I still didn’t want to, or didn’t find time to. Life on the road does not immediately change you. If you don’t have certain habits before you leave on your road trip, don’t expect to all of a sudden start doing a bunch of new things. If you are trying to stop an old habit, don’t expect a road trip to be your cure. Start (or stop) the habits you want before you go, and if you can’t seem to, don’t expect road life to be the key.
Check out this: The Best Daypacks for Every Adventure 2021
5. Life on the road is uncomfortable.
There are tons of daily comforts that you are likely giving up by hitting the road indefinitely. A temperature-controlled living space. A well-stocked refrigerator and pantry. Taking a daily hot shower. Knowing where you can sleep and go to the bathroom (a bigger deal than you’d think). As William Least Heat Moon once famously said in Blue Highways: “I went looking for discomfort and all it made me was irritable.” If you want a more comfortable experience, you’ll have to spend more money, or rely heavily on family and friends. This is another major reason to blend your current lifestyle with the life on the road you’re planning. A weekend on the road is different than a week, and really different than a month. So try it out first, before a full commitment to road life discomfort.
RELATED: Best Sleeping Bags of 2019
6. Making money on the road can be hard.
Making money while on the road is hard. People spend years getting things ready so they can live life on the road. I’ve heard many people say they’ll find work along the way, and while this might work out for some, for most it means either doing shitty work for less than they were before or spending a lot of time on a computer googling “road trip tips for making money.” Either take the time to budget beforehand and know how long you can live on the road before going massively into credit card debt, or take the time to establish a way to make money while on the road. Pro tip: becoming Instagram famous once you hit the road is probably not the best plan to make money. Recognize that building a following and monetizing it takes a lot of time.
Check out: 42 Best outdoor adventure festivals across North America
The most successful road trippers we ran into during our trip were either 1) road tripping for a specific amount of time based on their available funds 2) making/had enough money to continue life on the road indefinitely (not very common!) 3) seriously dirtbagging it (dumpster diving, welfare, living off parents/friends, etc.). Know which category you fall into before heading out. One of our biggest mistakes was thinking we could be #2, when we should have been #1, because we started to turn into #3 (and seriously questioned all of our choices at that point). That’s when we started writing this article on road trip tips, to help others not make the same mistake!
RELATED: The #Vanlife Couple Next Door
7. Utilize friends and family as much as possible.
People love to live vicariously through friends “living the dream” of life on the road. Or at the very least they’ll be confused by your lifestyle choice and take pity on you. Use your network of friends and family to maximize places to stay, because there’s nothing like a comfy bed and a nice hot shower after weeks of camping or sleeping in your van. The key: don’t overstay your welcome. And do what you can to repay them—whether that’s paying for beer, helping around the house, taking them on an adventure, or sharing a few of your road trip tips.
RELATED: Outdoor Adventure Gift Buying Guide
8. 99% of moments on the road are not Instagram-worthy
Life on the road is still life. There’s a good amount of monotony and many repetitive tasks. And many of those tasks are now harder and more uncomfortable (see road trip tip #5). Don’t expect your life to all of a sudden look like @superhotandhappyvanlifecouple every single moment. You probably aren’t that good looking anyway. But seriously, if you don’t enjoy sunsets right now, living in a van doesn’t all of a sudden make every sunset feel the way it seems in a perfectly captured Instagram photo. You’ll still have to do things you don’t want to sometimes and those things no one wants to see. Recognize as well that those “Instagram” moments, to be effectively captured, take time, a good camera, and editing skills. A life on the road doesn’t just naturally turn into beautiful photos and an incredible social media account. If that’s important to you (which it really shouldn’t be), gain the appropriate skills and be ready to spend the required time.
Read More: The 24 Best Adventure Instagram Accounts
9. Don’t buy all new stuff for your road trip.
Seriously, half the reason people seem to want to live on the road is really to retrofit a van and get cool new gear and clothing. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, I’d highly recommend just going with what you already have, and see what you really end up needing. Yet again we’re repeating the first of our road trip tips, to blend your lifestyles. Go on a road trip in the car you have, with the gear you have, with the clothes you have. And if the stuff you have is broken, repair it instead of buying new. If the stuff you do or don’t have are heavily impacting your ability to enjoy the experience, then rethink your motivations. For more on this tip, check out our article The gear you DON’T need for your next adventure.
Check out: 10 Tips for Staying Warm While Sleeping Outside
10. Find ways to save money (in moderation).
Getting day-old bread from Jimmy Johns is a great tip to save some money. But if you’re not driving because of the cost of gas, you’ve greatly overdone “saving money.” The last of our road trip tips is all about moderation. There are tons of ways to save money while on the road—from what you eat, to where you stay, and much more. But if the goal is only to live as cheaply as possible, you’re going to miss out on awesome opportunities for adventure and memorable experiences. Where you fall on the continuum of saving versus spending will obviously depend on how much money you have. But don’t turn into a mizerly dirtbag who doesn’t enjoy anything unless it’s free. Even if you’re dumpster diving for food, life is either enjoyable or full of suffering based solely on your attitude. So jump on in there and and enjoy it. And maybe even get some cool shots for your Instagram.
Any lessons from the road you want to share? Any road trip tips we forgot? Comment below!
