Vanlife with a baby

(First published in Issue 6, September 2022) We love this way of traveling and the feeling of boundless freedom. Every day is a new adventure. We also wanted to experience this together with our daughter.

We have already converted two motorhomes together. Our current van is a VW T6. We began the expansion when I was pregnant. We put a lot of time and work into our van for three months. After our daughter was born and she was six weeks old, we started our first trip. And yes, everything works out if you want it to. We moved from 70 square meters (750 sq ft) to 2 square meters (21.5 sq ft) with a baby. The space is, of course, very limited, but once you think about it, you realize you don’t need more. We have everything that is important to us: a few clothes, a baby pharmacy, baby essentials, and a bit of food supply. We take a minimalist approach when traveling and limit ourselves to the essentials.

Our current journey began in April 2022. We traveled for three months with the van and a baby through Europe. Our journey started in Germany and continued through France to Spain until we arrived in Barcelona. From there, we took a ferry to Ibiza and then to Formentera. These beaches! I can tell you—just madness!

After two weeks there, we went back to continue from Barcelona to Sardinia. At that point, we had already been traveling for over a month. Since we experienced so much, it was very important to me to record all of it in my diary. Someday, when our daughter grows up, she will receive this diary from us. We will never forget these many experiences.

But before I get distracted, let me continue with our story. After Sardinia, our next destination was the Amalfi Coast in Italy. These incredibly beautiful, picturesque towns with their typical Italian flair were truly amazing. However, it was very touristy, and we felt the need for some solitude in nature again. That’s why we headed further into Abruzzo and high up to Campo Imperatore. When we arrived, we were stunned by the beauty! There’s a reason why this place is called “Little Tibet.”

This vastness, this natural spectacle, and this boundless freedom cannot be put into words. Anyone who needs nothing but their van, freedom, and themselves must visit this place! You will be thrilled. Well, our journey had to go on. Our next destination was Tuscany, which welcomed us with all its beauty. It’s always incredible to see what the world has to offer if you just dare to drive off and allow all these miracles to happen.

But time flew by. We had another month left and used it to explore Lake Garda, then went to Austria for our final trip—a journey that no one can ever take away from us. Impressions and experiences that we never want to miss. This trip taught us so much, and we got to know many wonderful new people. Most of all, we had three months together as a family.

You have to learn to do without, to embrace new things every day, and to live with the certainty that you don’t have your comfort zone. But we want to encourage people to do the same and feel that freedom. We are young! We can experience it now. What should we wait for? At some point, it will be too late. Be brave and make mistakes. Be curious. Life is too short for fears, worries, and the constant question of "why." We also just dared—and we definitely won. We live our dream and no longer dream of living it.

The world has become our home. A world full of adventures, beautiful places, and fascinating experiences waiting for us each day.

Of course, not everything is always easy! Our teething baby, a broken spring, no toilet and no shower on the bus—these all created obstacles. We also had many rainy days. These are daily challenges that have to be mastered. But hey, don’t you always have them in life? It’s part of the journey that not everything runs smoothly, that we make mistakes and learn from them. It’s okay for us to allow ourselves to not be perfect. You have to have the courage to fall—and to get back up again. But that’s possible, and it’s not as difficult as you think.

We are travelers and will probably travel forever. Even though we both have permanent jobs, the urge to explore so much more out there will probably never let us go. Mother Nature is our home, and we want to pass that on to our children. Be brave and get involved in life! You can only win—because as soon as you allow it, you’ve already won.

And whether your path is similar to ours or completely different, the only important thing is that you find your own. Be brave enough to tell your own story—and make life your diary!