IS VAN LIFE STILL FOR US?

IS VAN LIFE STILL FOR US?

welcome back guys today we are going to
be moving back into the van we’re
heading across the channel and onto the
next
adventure hey everyone long time no see
we are about to set off on a brand new
adventure in the van those of you are
new around here our van is called
labamba and we lived in it for 3 years
traveled all over Europe irand England
Scotland and
Wales life story incoming
the van has been stuck in a muddy field
for about 4 months on a campsite we
finally got it out last week we passed
theot and now she can finally be
roadworthy again we are about to Embark
across the channel and we’re heading
into Europe for a really exciting road
trip all around the Alps we haven’t been
living in our van recently so we’ve
actually filled our car with all of the
things we want to take with us it’s the
first time we’ve ever been on a van trip
without like everything we own in the
van which is really nice so we actually
can pack a bit more minimally pack
exactly what we want for this trip I
think it’s going to be a game changer
because van life can be quite hectic
today is actually a glorious day but
this is like the first really sunny nice
day we’ve had in so long our plan
originally was to live in the van over
winter but we’re in this muddy field and
it was raining every single day every
time you step out the van you’d be like
up to your knees in mud and so yeah we
decided to rent somewhere uh and it’s
actually been really nice it’s been so
nice to have a base and also we like
we’re still renting it so it’s going to
be more expensive while we’re traveling
because we’re also paying rent I’m so
excited and uh I’ve got that like first
time traveling excitement which is
really cool yeah me too s just going
around a tight Corner today is Monday
the van passed itot on Friday and then
yesterday we booked a ferry for tomorrow
so the van is in a bit of a state it’s
been left in a muddy field over winter
but we have to get this van from storage
mode into liver today we’ve got an early
Crossing from Portsmouth and that’s
about a 5-hour drive from Cornwall I’m
feeling a bit nervous about going back
in the van I’m excited but also like I
can’t really imagine it like we don’t
have a toilet and we don’t have a shower
and we’ve got used to some home Comforts
yeah totally I think it’s going to take
some getting used to sorry I had to do
this angle cuz my arm is killing me we
had a few different places on our wish
list of where we might want to go
obviously Scotland is always high up on
the list and then Ireland was like a big
Contender but the rain we’ve had this
year we just fought let’s head south at
least a little bit hopefully avoid some
of the
rain Tom’s done an incredible job at
getting this van to pass theot it failed
last Tuesday and there was a lot of
things it failed on but all things that
Tom thought he could fix himself so he
ordered all the parts but he did it in
the nick of time 2 days before we have
to leave she passed there’s about a
million advisories but we’ll worry about
them next year she’s got another year in
her yet guys see what state she’s in
it’s pretty moldy on the outside got of
Alie a home sweet home doesn’t look that
bad considering this van has been sat
empty in a field for like four 5 months
it doesn’t look too bad ready got my
gloves and I’m ready to
[Music]
go one of our exciting van upgrades is
we’ve got a new toilet we’ve got a
composing toilet we just found out it
doesn’t quite fit we’re literally 1 mm
short of it fitting under our bed we’ve
been thinking about options and we’ve
decided to just cut the Lino so that the
toilet fits
oh well the wood underneath doesn’t look
the
nicest but it could be worse I know but
it even fit like this oh God please does
it not quite
just what you want to see before uh you
head off on a big adventure you taking
your bed
apart okay after some soaring and some
frantic last minute adaptions Tom have
you managed to fit the toilet uh I don’t
know if it’s going to have messed up the
whole bed so we’ll see oh God basically
I’ve had to put some little slivers of
wood under here and here to try pull it
up a bit but um the toilet fits hold
[Music]
on it’s turned into a bit of a mad rush
it’s very us to uh be deciding to get
everything ready on the day we’re
leaving I’m feeling really excited to be
back in the van it’s lovely it’s like
feel it feels very free and I think
we’re very ready for this little
adventure together
just me and Tom in the
van setting off into the
sunset we are going down a pretty poth
holy road to get to our park up
tonight back to Van life back to this
it’s actually 5 11 now I’m exhausted
it’s way past my bedtime and I haven’t
been
driving I’ve been my eyes keep shutting
and I keep looking at the time on the
maps and like two minutes has passed so
I am so excited to get into bed and
probably just sleep and I’m really
excited to get into the van
bed
right Izzy can you help me why are you
doing the daffodils now it’s like very
late I don’t want them to
die I’m glad the Water
Works what on
Jake oh it’s really nice to be back in
the van yeah and I am so excited for
this trip me too I’m actually
buzzing I’m going to sleep well I
think so this is a really nice little
spot uh we don’t really have time to
explore it but it seems like a quite
pretty place we’re just off the road
there quite a lot of road noise but we
are just straight into the New Forest
into some uh nice raal park up right
let’s go a little bit behind schedule oh
we so let’s go right uh can you hold the
camera
please Portsmith
Harbor so do Portsmith fairy terminal
yeah Google Maps has taken us a very
like raar Wiggly windy route and it’s so
pretty I’m loving it it feels like we’re
already in France yeah it’s nice getting
insight into this area and it’s stunning
yeah it’s so nice it’s like fat cottages
there’s horses everywhere all over roing
the road look what where are
we it’s just horses everywhere here
plenty of time and it’s a beautiful day
what uh I’m taking this as a sign for a
good trip to come we’ve got like the
best WEA we’ve had in so long yay I’ve
made us little overnight Oak jaars have
on the ferry it’s going to be a good
day hello hi I’ve got a
awesome cheers thank you thank you we
have made it through passport control
very easy do you have some Brey um yeah
I could definitely give for another
coffee we arrived at our parking spot
last night pretty late and then we left
almost as soon as we woke up we we are
here pretty early we’re here on time we
had to be here an hour before and it’s
an hour before all right we’re here on
time you have been annoyed if we were
earlier if we were later you but um we
haven’t really had a chance to like
enjoy the van yet
so when we get into France I’m really
excited just to like have an evening of
Van life it’s going to be really good
but let me tell you like no transition
moving into the van and sleeping well
like I slept so well I like a baby but
we both have very vivid dreams and we
also had a shared dream which was an
earthquake and there was um gale force
winds last night so I think n van was
rocking and it got into our dreams it’s
it’s weird that we both dreamt that it
was an earthquake not like being on a
ship or something yeah m
very it must been very windy weird weird
dream talk super interesting yeah
everyone loves dream talk go make me a
coffee
please you got the
keys No oh my God why is this always
happen to us us me but you wanted to C I
know I’m joking it was a successful 5
minute trip to the back I made a little
coffee I made two peanut butter
sandwiches got some snacks and some
water for the f B you can try and drink
that now I’ll do my best yeah off task I
into my sandwi
already ready my breakfast what are you
going to do for 6 hours EA my overnight
eights oh
yeah home we go well in 6 hours time we
will be saying
bour we have bed that was so easy and
with the only on out on Deck M miss you
[Music]
this is actually the first time we’ve
left from Portsmouth in the harbor here
there’s all these big military boats and
they’re kind of interesting to look at
they all got weird gizmos and radar
Bubbles and
[Music]
stuff this is so nice uh the Sun is out
we’re on like a 5 hours on the ferry now
and just ping along over to France I
also really enjoyed leaving from
Portmouth yeah just seeing all the big
Naval vessels and like all of the
military running around like little ants
[Music]
the weather is such a reflection of my
mood I I am loving it I canot wait for
the next like couple of months we’re
going to have a good
[Music]
time what country are you most excited
for Switzerland just cuz like we’ve
never been there before in the mountains
but I that doesn’t mean I’m wishing it
away like I’m so excited to be in France
again our plan is to go to Switzerland
last partly for money reasons when we’re
in Norway we thought it was really
expensive and lots of people commented
if you think that’s expensive go to
Switzerland gosh really yeah if you’ve
got any places we need to check out or
like any suggestions write them in the
comments cuz we will read them and we’ll
probably end up doing them so yeah
thanks we appreciate it in
[Music]
advance France has just coming into you
and this has been the best best Channel
Crossing I’ve ever done just feel like
incredibly free it’s so such a nice
feeling going
into the boat woohoo M has found us a
spot on part for night next to some
picnic tables this looks like a lovely
spot and we just got to check now that
people can get past all right so we’re
just kind of on the
road this is where we are little picnic
tables it’s gorgeous this is such a
lovely introduction to
France y people can get past there no
problem right I am starving so I’m going
to get some food on Tom are we all right
to stay
here I want
to yes food time food time food time it
feels so good I feel like we’re just
sling back into my life straight away
it’s just natur I feel like there’s like
a third person in our relationship who
yeah like and it is the van like I’ve
missed it so much well in our
relationship doesn’t it yeah I love it
caught the sun today I think you did you
definitely did I’ve been looking at the
weather for places we’re heading we’re
planning on basically bombing it down to
the black forest and then exploring the
Alps and it’s – 5 and snowing in the
black forest at the moment after this
winter I am tempted to try and find a
bit more sun I don’t think I’m quite
ready to let go of it yet I know what
you mean today was so nice really nice
so yeah but that’s the beauty of Van
life right you can change our PL you can
just change your plans nothing Stone
Isabelle’s been cooking she’s made a
curry made Curry the star link is
working we got fast internet got V
trouble C inle nowhere can you not get
it on our nice white linen yeah
[Music]
sure good morning guys it is a pretty
blustery but dry day here in France and
we’re very close to rat and from here
you can do a 2hour walk along the cliffs
which is what exte is famous for so
we’re going to go and brave the windy
weather and go on a big Cliff toop
[Music]
walk yesterday coming in on the ferry
our first glimpse of France where these
huge Cliffs this big Cliff a and this is
where we are now we’ve come up on top of
the Cliffs at etrat huge Limestone
Cliffs and there’s lots of sea arches
and stuff unfortunately it’s pretty
windy so I don’t think we’ll be fine
with drone today but wow they look
incredible
[Music]
you know what I like as well about van
being in the back in the van is you
naturally do more exercise like we just
do walks every day park up explore it’s
fun it kind of makes it more
dramatic I like the
[Music]
rain after the sun of yesterday we are
being pelted now with hailstones painful
it has really changed the weather and uh
I’m feeling more resolu in our decision
to find the Sun and ever oh my word this
is
crazy we’ve come to the viewpoint but it
is
freezing and look at me I’m not wearing
the white coat my wearing coat is
underneath but I was cold so I wore this
jacket and now it’s just
drenched worth it though cool view after
fairly brief very intense hail storm
we’re back to Blue Skies but it’s just
enough to remind us it’s not quite
summer
yet so unfortunately the bad weather has
followed us to France from the UK it’s
raining it’s hailing it’s awful just
kidding it’s lovely and
sunny yay we’ve come to the southa
France after a slightly wet introduction
into France and discovering that there
is an art IC weather front moving into
the Alps we decided to drive due south
and we are here in the beautiful south
of France it is so nice it’s sunny
there’s blue skies I think we made the
right decision we had a bit of a monster
drive down here it was about uh like 14
hours and it was actually a really nice
little road trip just discovering Royal
France driving through medieval Villages
over mountains and it was great I had a
fantastic time if you’ve been in the UK
too you will know how wet this winter
has been and we just craved some
sunshine and we like do you know what if
we can move our van to the South why
wouldn’t we yeah so now we’re here
nestled amongst The Vineyards and these
big looming Rocky Pinnacles above us
it’s just it feels a world apart and I
cannot believe we’ve driven here in just
a couple of
days when we were in etrat two days ago
we decided okay let’s do this let’s go
south why not and me and Tom we love
those spontaneous decision they’re a
little bit crazy sometimes but they lead
us to fun situations I feel like it’s
really nostalgic being back in the van I
think because we’ve had a long break
from when we lived in it full time I
feel like we’re very quickly getting
back into the rhythm of our life just
remembering how long things take and uh
you really have to just slow down you
have to have patience it’s all part of
the fun just go slow and enjoy the ride
it’s weird how you can go for so long
without living in this fan and then it
just slots back in it’s like natural to
you I have missed it it’s it’s a freedom
that can’t be matched you’ve got the
open road ahead of you I feel like it’s
a very special time of our lives to be
doing it me and Tommy romantic romantic
Duo on the
road you talking about life oh we just
slapped back into it we’re amazing at
it and it’s just like one of those
things like once you learn how to do it
you just never forget I’m pretty good at
it I’m an expert in it it’s

How do we readjust back to living in a van after such a long break? We’re back in our van La Bamba and ready to hit the road! We managed to get the van out of the muddy field its been stuck in for the past few months and after fixing her up we managed to get her through her MOT and now she’s road worthy again wahoo! In classic us style, we have some last minute adjustments to do in the van on the day we have to leave home to catch our ferry. We feel a real sense of freedom to be on the road again and we head to Portsmouth to catch our ferry to Le Havre in France. After experiencing a very wet and cold day in northern France, we make a spontaneous decision to head south to chase the sun!
Hope you enjoyed our video. If you did feel free to subscribe as we will be uploading videos every week at 5pm UK time on this trip! We plan on heading to the Alps so stay tuned for some more van life escapades in the mountains to come. Like the video if you enjoyed it and see ya next time!

Let us know in the comments if you have any suggestions for where to visit on our van life in the Alps adventure please! We would love to know where you recommend us visiting. We finished filming this yesterday so we’re traveling and uploading in real time at the moment so we would appreciate your suggestions! Thank you!