This winter I escaped the European winter to spend 3 months traveling from spot to spot in Western Australia. I had such an amazing and fun time and therefore I would like to share some of the greatest experiences from living in a van, with you!
1. You can easily get to wherever the wind is blowing
If the forecast says wind at 6am, you don’t have to wake up super super early to drive to the spot. You can just drive there and spend the night, wake up, pump your kite and go riding!
2. You have all your belongings close to you
No need to worry about not bringing the right bikini to the beach or bringing a sweater.
3. You don’t need to wait for your ride to finish his/her session
You can simply just chill and hang out in the van.
4. You learn to cook good meals on a Trangia stove.
…and you (almost) learn the art of patience… Cooking anything as simple as rice can take forever if the wind is still on.
5. You are often surrounded by nature when you fall asleep and wake up
Who doesn’t want to wake up to bird song or the sound of waves?
6. You meet a lot of new and exciting people
You are always hanging out somewhere, not just home in your apartment, so you become friends with everyone from by passers, local kiters to homeless people.
7. You finally understand the meaning of "simple living"
You realize how many material things you can live without. If you have too much stuff you just get annoyed with what a mess it makes in the van.
8. You start appreciating nature much more
Being outdoors and in nature 24/7, really gives you a lot of amazing and unique experiences: anything from breathtaking sunrises, sunsets, starry nights and flocks of dolphins swimming around you.
You live in the moment
You have limited access to the internet, and absolutely none to Netflix etc. You don’t have any equipment to keep you occupied at every given time, so you start paying a lot more attention to your surrounding, and other people. A real life convo with a new friend is so much more interesting then chatting to friends back home or watching a meaningless TV-show.
10. Most importantly you, experience amazing spots and improve a lot.
When you spend almost everyday kiting, you improve a lot. Anything from remote flat-water spots to wave-heaven – you decide! Spots like these are not always very accessible, but when you live in a van, you can just go there and spend a few nights until the wind dies.
Thank you for taking your time to read my article. I hope it was an inspiration to your next kiting adventure. If you have any questions about WA in particular, don’t hesitate to ask me.
About The Author
Emely Freja is a passionated kitesurfer and yoga teacher. She lives in Denmark during the summer and travels to wherever the wind is blowing during the winter.
Follow her on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emelyfreja/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emelyfreja/
