Pre-pandemic, we lived and worked in London, working fairly full-on 9-5 jobs that we commuted to every weekday. We were fortunate enough to part-own a small, but functional flat, in a noisy part of North London by some train tracks. And we were slowly saving up some money to go travelling again in the next few years.

We weren't drastically unhappy, but for us, something was missing. We felt like we were living a life we were expected to live, rather than one we wanted to. We didn't enjoy city life, it was noisy, expensive and polluting, but we tolerated it due to our jobs.

The pandemic was a wake-up call. Stuck in our flat, we began reassessing what made us truly happy. And what made us happy was being outside, in nature, by beaches, up mountains, exploring new places, as well as old. This was the thing that we knew we would never stop wanting to do.

With our jobs going remote, and removing the need to go to the office, the dream about doing more of the things we enjoy became a reality. So, we got out of London fast - selling our flat and buying a van which we then had converted.

Living in a van has been the enabler of so many positive changes in our lives. It has meant we can spend more time travelling while working. We’ve learnt the true meaning of wealth, which is time. Time to spend on ourselves and on our passions. And it has meant after a year of travelling in our van, and working with more flexibility, we’ve been able to quit our jobs to focus on learning. Jo has just finished her Masters degree in environmental management, and Jack has just started an environmental masters, too. Oh, and without our flat and stupid tenancy agreements, we were able to finally get a dog..!

Our van has taken us to some incredible places already, far away from the noise of cities and has allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in nature, which we love. We know with the path we’ve chosen, we’re unlikely to ever be able to afford 5 star, luxury hotels, or to live in a mansion by the sea. But we can move our home about, and park it up in spots with stunning views.

We also know we are incredibly lucky to live this lifestyle, and we don’t take it for granted, even when we’re doing the jobs neither of us want to do, like emptying the toilet! We’ve also had to massively downsize since leaving the city, and that was a challenge, choosing the essentials for the van and giving the rest of our stuff away - but, we really appreciate the clothes and items we did choose now, and living in a small space definitely makes you appreciate your things more.

Van life isn’t for everyone. But it’s 100% right for us. We’re rich in time and experiences, and won’t ever go back to our old lives in the city again.

Follow along with Jack, Jo and Franks journeys.

Produced and published by Jared Melrose Campbell @youandiandthesky & cofounder @vanlifediaries

These Wild Journeys - @Thesewildjourneys