After completing a year of community college and having no idea what major to pursue, Jaclyn decided to go on her first solo backpacking trip to Italy. After that, she was hooked.
After exploring outside of the US, Jaclyn yearned to explore the national parks and beauty within the country, and also to meet like-minded people and those who had inspired her along the way.
With (a lot of) help from her dad, she converted the back of her 1999 Toyota Tacoma into a camper named “Dwight,” and set out on a 6-month road trip. She loved the freedom to travel anywhere in your “home” so much that she bought a sprinter van (Dwight 2.0), and is in the process of building it out to do van life full time.
In this episode, she shares some unique perspectives on tiny living (or should we say extreme tiny living?) while camping in the back of her truck, the best free bathrooms on the road, a really hilarious story about a garage sale, other awesome camping wisdom, and plans for future van travels!
Follow her adventures on Instagram and her website Journey with Jac!
Some episode highlights:
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2:30 – Jaclyn’s travel beginnings
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6:05 – Truck life living
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10:18 – The accidental garage sale story
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17:33 – Solo traveling and safety
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22:55 – Preparing for adventures
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25:29 – Jaclyn’s experiences within the RV community
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32:22 – What’s in store for Jaclyn and her new van
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35:58 – Words of encouragement and wisdom
Jaclyn’s camping tips
- If you’re camping in a truck, car, or van, you’ll be on the lookout for bathrooms pretty often. Great places to stop are grocery stores and gyms. Grocery store bathrooms aren’t as busy as say a fast food restaurant or gas station. Plus, you can pick up healthier (and cheaper) food! Gym memberships are good for showering, wifi, socializing, and working out on the road.
- You don’t need to have the perfect camping set up or RV to hit the road and see the world. Just go! Look up videos and blog posts to prepare and then get yourself out there. It’s the best way to learn.
- Listen to your gut to feel out if an area or situation is safe. You have the freedom and the power. If you feel unsafe anywhere, leave and find somewhere else.
- Ask advice from other van lifers and campers on the road. You’ll make so many friends and learn the best advice and tips.
