The luxury that is a long, hot shower… & other realities of this van life!

We’ve been in our van over a month now. Long enough for the romantic notions of #vanlife to have been replaced by all the realities of this unconventional way of living. Sharing 15 square metres of space with another adult and a dog is a constant juggle. Nothing can be left sitting out otherwise the space gets cluttered super fast. Storage space is very, very finite. The grey water tank or the toilet always needs emptied, or both! The floor needs cleaned multiple times a day. And our whole home is constantly under attack of an earthquake every time we drive.

This lifestyle is not for everyone. I'll be honest - the first couple of weeks I wasn't entirely convinced it was actually going to be for me either!

But for all the realities and teething problems that inevitably arise when you try something new for the very first time, there are simplicities that I already love and new appreciations for what this lifestyle provides - which is less about the van or any material possession, and rather about life itself - getting outdoors everyday, seeing new places, having lunch with a view, spending time with people, and a new kind of freedom.

Is it stressful living in a confined space without so many conveniences? Yes, absolutely yes. It’s also been stressful just getting moved in and attempting to get it set up for living in.
I miss everything about our old home. It's only really in the last couple of weeks that I've stopped thinking about our old home with sadness on a daily basis. It didn't help that we spent almost two months in limbo with not much routine, in a shared space and during the colder months of the year too. I missed my cozy small home. I missed our fireplace. I missed my garden. I missed the call of the chickens when I stepped outside. I missed our bath. I missed how spacious 65 square metres of home felt. And I really missed our shower and all the hot water that just flowed when you turned the tap on.

Long, hot showers is a topic no van lifer online really seems to talk about. In fact many van dwellers don’t even have showers in their vans! While the shower is nice in our van, it runs beautifully hot with great pressure - there is nothing long about a van shower when you have such limited water! And a long, hot shower has become my new most luxurious treat.

Recently we visited a hot pools complex - while of course the steamy relaxing hot pools were an absolute treat in themselves, I was so excited to take a long, hot 'everything' shower afterwards without worrying about running out of water while I shaved my legs and shampooed my hair. ​

I can see why many van lifers have gym memberships that they can use around the country, for the gains but also for the use of shower facilities. I’ve taken long, hot showers for granted my whole life and I didn’t realise it. When I was a child our family home was on rain water so we were always conscious of water consumption and then as an adult paying the bills I haven’t made a habit of taking extra long showers either. So it’s not like I’m suddenly luxuriating in half hour long showers whenever we stop anywhere with a shower. When I say long, hot showers I simply mean being able to take my time and wash myself without turning the water off in between. Don't take that luxury for granted friend!

While I appreciate the new awareness of limited resources in a van, there is a partnered gratitude for what have now become luxuries. I took for granted the blissful enjoyment of being able to stand under a stream of hot water, let the warmth soak into my bones and the pressure of the spray massage out the day’s activities. I never gave it a thought as to how much water one human truly wastes in a day. Nor the convenience of flicking a switch & having endless power regardless of the weather.

​Isn’t there that saying about not truly appreciating something until it’s gone?! Well that is me. The first few weeks of van life has shown me just how used to home comforts I was and it’s already taught me new gratitude for the simple resources. As this lifestyle becomes our new normal I'd like to hold on to that gratitude.