The Van Life Summit is a virtual conference that is put on each year by Project Van Life. The past few I’ve forgotten to register or I’ve missed it because of my work schedule, but this year I was finally able to attend. When it came up in my email, I instantly knew I had to make it happen this year. And I did! I didn’t know quite what to expect when I signed up, but it sounded so cool. Here’s the breakdown of how it went!
The cool thing about this event is that they have a little something for everyone. It’s virtual and its free, so if you’re just interested in seeing what its all about, that’s the option for you! If you’re wanting a little extra, you can pay about $30 and get some additional goodies. And if you’re really serious, you can spend a little bit more for the VIP package and it comes with unlimited replays!
When it comes to conferences, the hardest part is always figuring out which speakers you want to attend and which ones you’re okay with missing out on. Instead of missing anything, I decided to pay to watch after the fact. That means I can consume all the content on my own schedule.
I found the presenters kind and easy to listen to. The information they gave was based on personal experience which I really appreciated. There’s value in theoretical application, but I always find real life experience is better and easier to relate to. I don’t always interact with presenters, but I asked a question and got an answer – that literally saves me HUNDREDS of dollars! I’m so thankful to their wisdom!
In regards to what I learned, there were two big take-aways.
No one starts as an expert.
Every single van life person’s journey looks a little different. My journey is going to look different than your journey and your journey is going to look different than another’s journey. The one thing we all have in common, though, is that we started from the beginning. We’ve made mistakes, we did something in our build that didn’t serve us, and we’ve misjudged something along the way. Its a learning experience and hearing these hugely successful, long-term van-lifers talk about their humble beginnings in their cars or after divorces was all really refreshing.
Its okay to start small.
Looking at all of these successful van-lifers Instagrams and websites makes it feel like you should be at that level right now. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. One gal started living the solo van life full time after getting a divorce. She started in her 40’s. Another was living in Hawaii and his wife was gone when he woke up. Many of them started just living in their cars and camping alongside them. Then, they got a small, crappy van. Then they got a bigger van. Now they are in their Sprinter vans with these awesome custom builds. It felt so relatable. I’ve struggled getting LuLu on the road but you know what? That’s okay. The time will come for us and it will for you, too.
Other than the super amazing relatable feel goods, I also got some awesome recommendations for gear to outfit LuLu. I am now confident with my choice of toilet with the addition of urine solidifying powder, which is something I hadn’t even thought of. I also now know of a magnetic monitor arm that would be really awesome for being able to change up my workspace. And I won’t even get started on solar power – they were several speakers who talked about all the options. I’m so much more confident now than I was before the summit!
Regardless of whether you attend the Van Life Summit free, paid, or VIP – its worth it! If you or someone you know is interesting in living the van life I think it is a must see event. The next Van Life Summit is coming September 2024 and you can sign up HERE. I’m not affiliated with Project Van Life (though that would be super cool), I just think this is something that is super beneficial. I also wanted to link some of the folks who presented. They are definitely worth a follow, so here are their IG handles:
Tanya and Dave at @letsturnitupworld
Kat at @wanderingbird.adventures
Quin at @everchanginghorizon
Carolyn at @galaxy.tripping
Peter at @wandering_turbo
Dani at @dani_the_explorer
Maddy at @whoa_maddy_actually_
Katie at @soweboughtavan
@freedomvessel
@project.vanlife
and of course, me! @a.bus.named.LuLu
Thanks for stopping by. I’m excited to bring you more content this year, so stay tuned! And of course, don’t forget to go grab your 2024 LuLu stickers! Questions about the summit? Ask down below!
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