FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO TRAVEL AND BE FREE

We've lived the last year like we're locked in a bubble of uncertainty. However, we are sure that our habits have completely changed.

People's behaviors and the way they deal with situations, even everyday ones, have changed and will continue to evolve for a while. Google's analysis of the most popular topics shows a particular focus on DIY: how to make pizza at home, how to cut your hair, how to write a book, how to do gardening, etc. ... In short, there is more attention on finding the homemade solution to survive independently, or simply on how to not get bored!

It is interesting to see how people, having more time available, have also approached the "DIY travel", from the choice of destination to the organization, to the booking of hotels, restaurants, visits, etc.

But above all, Italians have (re)discovered the comfort and versatility of the holiday in campervan or van. Especially young people looking to save money, large families who want to give themselves an unforgettable experience at a relaxing pace and nature lovers who need contact with the environment.

It is just a coincidence, but, compared to 2019, last summer motorhome registrations soared by 114% in July and 104% in August. Among the best-selling, in the lead we find caravans, followed by vans and motorhomes.

On the one hand, this way of travel offers the comforts of a miniature house, allows you to move freely, without the constraint of booking. And it makes you get more in touch with the popular culture of the place. On the other side, the philosophy of the campervan responds very well to the need "imposed" by the pandemic to avoid gatherings and maintain social distancing.

The fact is that the culture of the camper van is spreading more and more!

Surely, this year the groups of fans will grow even more. Why? Have you ever heard of NOMADLAND?

It’s the film that won the Golden Lion at the 77th Venice Film Festival and the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Film. Moreover, it triumphed at the 93rd Academy Awards, winning best picture statuette, best director (by Chloé Zhao) and best lead actress (Frances McDormand).

The film adaptation of Jessica Bruder's book Inquiry, tells the story of 60-year-old Fern who leaves her hometown in Nevada to cross the western United States in her van. On her journey she meets many people who, like her, live as modern nomads. Who by his own decision, far from social conventions, and who is forced to do so, with a resilient spirit, appreciating every moment of everyday reality. If you haven't seen it yet, hurry up and do it... it could trigger in you the desire to board a van and leave in no time!

Lately, van life stories are found more and more often on the web, people who have chosen the van as their home, to pursue adventure, or simply because they consider it the most practical and economical way to take a holiday in complete freedom.

Among those who have made it a lifestyle there is Alessandro, who decided to create "VanSweetFun" with the aim of sharing the love for this type of travel and life and he gives you many advice on camperization. If you want to try this adventure, in his blog you will find many useful tips on how to enjoy this experience.

Well, did we intrigue you at least a little?! Would you like to try a little taste of what your first holiday might look like in a "motor-home"?  You could consider renting it! Just google "camper/van rental" to have a list of specific suppliers and sites on your hands. You will find yourself choosing from hundreds of practical and multifaceted means, tailored to your needs, perfect to make you live your itinerant holiday in the name of simplicity and flexibility.

According to the van-lifers, the set-up of the vehicle seems to be as much fun as the journey itself. Going crazy to make sure to put everything you need in a small space, stimulates creativity and leaves wide room for customization. There are those who have thought of a truly original solution: he has recovered the old Fiat Panda 4x4 and transformed it into its mini motor home. How crazy is that! Here, the essentials are a must, the superfluous is not allowed.

Whether it's camper, a van or a Fiat Panda, everything inside must be ordered and organized to perfection and the weights must be distributed correctly (watch this curious video from the Road Safety Commission on how weight distribution can cause serious problems when towing the caravan).

A few words about the concept of "camper = pollution": campers are often criticized for their negative impact on nature. But that's not true! In recent years all vehicles, including campervans and vans, are designed to be environmentally friendly, in terms of consumption and CO2 emissions.

Camper and van are also cheaper in terms of fuel emissions, lower water consumption, reduced electricity consumption, optimization of gas consumption, just to name a few. In a camper you are addicted to cylinders and boilers so you learn how to manage its autonomy very soon. The space intended for the refrigerator, and for the kitchen in general, is smaller than that of the home. The grocery becomes more aware, you learn to appreciate local products of the territory and to buy smaller packages of food.

Small gestures and precautions that makes life in campervans certainly greener!

One contraindication? The philosophy of freedom pursued, and this whole van-life thing, sometimes really gets out of hand and it seems that "having a van and traveling with it" must become the goal of life. No, the camper/van is just one of the possible means that allows you to discover the destinations of your dreams slowly.

Falling asleep in the evening under the starry sky, apparently always the same and yet so different, waking up every morning, looking out the window and holding your breath for the wonderful landscape that changes every day. Camper and van certainly represent an opportunity to remodulate the way we move, the concept of a holiday that leads to the discovery of a new, more authentic sense of travel. It leads not only to visit the place, but allows you to empathize with it.

Whether you travel alone, in the company of friends or with family, don't lock yourself in your micro world. You never know who you will meet during the trip!

Now, the question is: have you ever thought about making a radical change to your life? How many of you, at least once in your life, thought about give it all up and leave far away? Not just the holiday, but follow the inner voice that inside screams louder and louder, clear signal of there is something no longer going. Yes, there are those who have listened to it, allowed their instincts to go and decided to adopt van-life as a way of life. And they learned to live a little bit at a time without expectations. It is true, we often do not know how to seize the opportunity or even try to do so because we are afraid of not being ready, of not being up to what awaits us. We create such great expectations that we end up not achieving the goal and we are disappointed with what we imagined it should have been. Instead, we should learn to eliminate these fears, not to pull the brakes of the "and if...", to get out of prejudices and breathe with full lungs, enjoying all the beauty that surrounds us!

Keep calm and... go on holiday!

#WeTheFun #BusForFunBlog #Vacanzeinlibertà #Vanlife