When I first met Josh we were both working at a car dealership. He was always dressed and groomed nicely, living in a nice home, and enjoying the finer things in life. Some years have passed and he and his wife have chosen to live in a van, traveling the country, looking for little bits of work to get them by, and experiencing the beauty that constantly surrounds them. They document their experiences on vagabloggers.com, facebook.com/vagabloggers, and youtube.com/vagabloggers. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by checking them out. Now take a few moments to get to know Josh a little bit more.

So far, what has been your grandest adventure?

The simple act of choosing to live out of a van long term is probably the most adventurous thing I’ve done. We prepared quite a bit for this new lifestyle (diet alteration, increased activity and exercise, in-home thermostat adjustments, saving money and much more), yet all the preparation in the world only did so much good as we actually dove into this new world of van dwelling.

Often times, everyday tasks like finding a bathroom or a place to park/sleep for the night can be incredibly challenging. The funny thing now (3 years later) is, living in a van has transformed into a “normal” lifestyle and it’s becoming hard to fathom life any other way. Must be time to find a new adventure…

When you adventure somewhere new, do you think or feel anything in particular?

Well, I try not to plan ahead or do any research when we travel somewhere new. I’ve learned that when you don’t know anything/much about a place, you don’t end up having any expectations, leaving the opportunities wide open. This allows for open minded exploration, often times leading to unexpected places or random, off-the-beaten-path places. It’s also hard to be let down by something when you don’t have expectations in the first place.

Have you been ‘let down’ by any location you’ve arrived at?

Not exactly (read the last question, haha). Funny story, though… When we arrived in Omaha, we thought we might spend roughly a week there. We went climbing at the local gym and started asking one of the employees what there was to do in Omaha. “How long do you plan on staying here?” He asked. We told him about a week. He looked shocked. “You want to spend a week in Omaha?!?!” After a day of exploring and a bit more asking around, we left. In hindsight, I think we could have worked harder and done better at finding interesting things in Omaha.

In all of your travels, what have you learned about people?

People are inherently good. I hope more people learn to trust each other. Meisha and I have found ourselves in some very vulnerable situations. It amazes me how many people are willing to help out a total stranger as long as they’re given the opportunity.

Realistically, I’ve learned a lot more than that about people while traveling. But I’d rather let other people discover those things for themselves 🙂 That’s all part of life’s adventure, right?

Before you die, you want to?

Hmmmmm. I try never to think too far into the future. Keeps me in the present moment, you know? Right now, I’d like to learn to ballet ski. Then I’d like to make more people aware that this was/is a real thing. It’s just the right amount of ridiculous and awesome. Seriously, check it out. You should watch this awesome ballet skier right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvk4PpFORD4

Are you brave?

People tell me I am. I suppose I do things that people are scared of like flipping off of cliffs on skis, rock climbing, and other random adrenaline-infused activities. I also left behind the “comfortable life” to explore the world and live in a van. Does that make me brave? I really don’t know if I’m brave. Let’s say maybe. Is that ok?