Van life. The wanderlust phenomenon of camper van living

Travelling has become more difficult lately; restrictions, fear of crowds, etc. And yet, there is a growing desire to feel free and experience getting lost as a way of finding oneself.

What is van life and why is it fashionable?

Can you imagine travelling the world on wheels?  Having no borders, without the burden of schedules or pressures, living with just enough and making do with little, but waking up every day in a different place with a million possibilities… Well, that’s the van life lifestyle!

For some years now the terms “van life” or “wanderlust” have been in vogue and more than the strict meaning of the latter “passion for walking aimlessly”, it is due to its connotation closely related to the van life.

The social network Instagram has had a lot to do with this revolution. For the first time, a New Yorker named Foster Huntington decided to make public his decision to leave everything behind and get on four wheels. From city life working at Ralph Lauren to the nomadic van life in a 1987 Volkswagen Syncro, he was the first to add the hashtag #vanlife to his images and quickly made waves, with a million followers and over a million posts joining the movement.

The real origin of van life

The van life as we know the concept today began in the 1950s with the first Volkswagen Transporter Camper vans. The German brand, in association with Westfalia, manufactured the adaptation to convert the van into a camper van and thus had greater control of the market, thus becoming the eternal icon of the van life.

The movement as such became popular in the 60s and 70s when the hippie movement began to emerge. Moving around in a group with friends, the guitar, travelling and going to concerts meant hours on the road and then where to sleep was a problem, which was soon solved by the camper van; a spacious and economical vehicle that made it possible to go on an adventure.

Thus, the philosophy of the pursuit of happiness outside the standards set by society was forever associated with the legendary Volkswagen California van.

3 Instagram accounts that live the van life with a retro perspective

Many brave people have joined the on the road movement; however, these accounts stand out for their love of the authentic original vintage van life style and we love them for it.

If you are passionate about camper van life and want to know all about the van life movement, check out the Live The Van blog.

And you, would you dare to leave everything behind and hit the road like a true nomad? See you around the vintage lover world!

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