RE-DIRECTION ..... FROM HOME LIFE TO VAN LIFE

WHY VAN LIFE IS FOR ME!

Hello! I am Nick from NickAlly Van Life. I am wanting to explain why I choose Van Life over home living. To understand, you have to understand me. The first part to understanding me is that I cared for my father for 20 years, suffering from cancer and heart issues. I gave it my all; from money to mentality to treading through the dark times on my own.

You learn fast about your life, your dreams and physical health, and last but most importantly, solitude and an ability to overcome whatever life throws at you. The problems relate to the one constant, you reach out for help, but like a band-aid, it is only there to patch up the scars.

You see the world in a clearer view, people living fast and hard, with the rest of your family doing the same, not having any time for you. You struggle to pay the bills, build up equity and have children (or 'so the norm goes). Whilst these things are wonderful, after working in the Aged Care Sector, you see that whilst having such things, these people never really lived 'their lives' they were just 'surviving' as opposed to 'living.' They had built their dreams, to find that time had passed by, with health their main concern, without them making their dreams their reality. Their regrets at not being able to see the real beauty of life. An example of this that you see everyday, is a parent, living their dreams through their kids, getting into arguments, as their kids have their own perspective on life. Instead of being a part of their childrens' life, they try to instil their own dreams into that of their childrens. They then focus their energy towards their grand children. It is a cycle of life, that most pretend they are happy with, until they end up living in a Nursing Home, without family around, as they are busy living their own lives and fulfilling their own dreams. This person, slowly fades out of existence, with the knowledge that they are alone. With the regrets of past dreams, that they never lived out as they were too busy. They hope though, that their life mattered, and that they left a mark on the world, leaving it a better place. In truth, if you are happy and you go through life knowing that you make a difference, just by being you. 

We all do this in some ways, never seeing the outcome of the choices we make. Some of them bad choices and some of them good. all of them making a difference. This is a discussion for another time. Here, right now, is why I'm choosing Van Life! My age and health are contributing factors, and I realise that if I leave it too long, I will never get to live out my dreams. Upon reflection, I found that the only time I feel relaxed and happy is when I'm exploring new adventures, seeing and trying different things. I feel peace within myself, when I am sitting outside, under the stars, in front of a small camp fire. I can look back on funny things, such as being at Walhalla recently, and a gentleman approaching me telling me of a story about his younger life, whilst walking up a hill in Walhalla and wanting to eat a plum from a plum tree that the owner of the home had warned him that the plums were not yet rip and that if he ate too many he would get a stomach ache. He said, whilst laughing, how he had learned his lesson, and that the toilet was not his friend on that day. At this moment, I felt free and alive. When we were further down the street, I asked my partner Alison, why do these people come up and start talking to me? She laughed, saying that I was one of those people who others feel comfortable around, even those that do not know you. So I am guessing that I am a people person now! 

Later on that day, we ran into a woman who wanted to chat and was feeding the birds. We talked about Liam Neeson having filmed The Ice Road 2. Alison started to walk away with Jaxy, our dog. The woman had told me that Garry, the man with the plum story, was happy today for the first time in a long time, since his wife had passed. He told me that you had both shared a laugh together. To be honest, this chat did not change my life in any major way, but it was so nice to know that I had made a stranger happy. No thoughts of the stress I had been under lately, at all. No pressure to be something or someone that I am not and last but not least, a moment that mattered.

Now, what is stress? To put it bluntly, stress is a killer and comes in many forms, building up until we feel that we cannot cope. My main stress is money as I don't have any. Lol. I pay the rent, like many others, which is becoming extremely hard with rises that make you cry. I live in a beautiful old home, which is small and easy to clean. I love it, as it has real character, unlike so many modern homes nowadays that are square brick blocks with a clinical feel. In 2021, this home was renting out at about $140 per week, cheap, as it is small with some issues. Now, in 2025 the rent has increased o $380 per week, after just 4 years of wear and tear. And everyone knows that housing hear is hard to find. So you deal with it and make do. This is a silent stress, building up over time. The way things are in this world, I am sure that upon leaving, we will not receive our bond back, as after covid, no one did. Even if you leave the place better than when you moved in. It is just how the world works today, it only looks after those of us with money. For example, if you want to go bankrupt because you have a debt of, let's say $4000, in which in this day and age is not a lot, you will be denied and have to fight for your rights for this to happen. Yet, a company who has predicted a profit of $22 million and only makes $13 million, can declare bankruptcy, without question. Never makes sense. How do they get away with this? They claim that they have had a loss of $9 million, and it gets worse, the bigger the company, those in the billions. But that's how Life is now. 

Next stress is your job. You go to work each shift returning home, with hopefully enough money to pay your bills that keep adding up. Work today is not how it used to be. Companies will tell you that they have moved into the future, where your rights matter. This though, is in theory only. For example, you notice dangerous work practices, and speak up, only to be labelled a 'trouble-maker' as opposed to solving such issues. Life at work nowadays is harder, you know that you should have left then and there, but instead you make friends, get used to the routine and go on each day, not giving it another thought. Until it happens again. You notice dangerous work practices and wish to bring it to the attention of Management, only to be called into the office, in front of HR staff, who are representing Management, picking at you for every little thing, to then tell you that 'sorry we do not consider you to be a fit for this organisation,' You are either forced to resign or be fired. The manipulation! The bullying! More stress, slowly eating away at you.

Your health is starting to slowly decline and you go on thinking that you'll be fine after a good night's sleep. Then you find work elsewhere, to fall into the same problem. Again, a discussion for another time.

Let's talk about routine. You get stuck in the same daily routine, then after thinking wow, this is my life! You pick out the good parts, in order to make you feel happier, like the kids are doing great or I can finally find the time to work on those forgotten projects.These moments are only fleeting.. The stress accumulates and the routine becomes a problem. Routine now acts as a reminder of all the stresses I have in my life.

So, I've decided that it is time to now start living my dreams to keep myself sane and happy. To find moments that fill the holes within, try new things and enjoy just being me. This does not mean that my dreams are everyone's but the point is that you must follow your dreams, find what makes you happy and not let Life drag you down into a hole that you cannot get out of.

So, from me, happy camping. My partner and I have a business NickAlly Van Life, featuring RV/Camping./Outdoor products, to make the outdoor enthusiasts' dreams become a reality. I choose to use these products myself, as I will only sell products that I know are reliable, making it all the more fun.

Thanks for reading.

Nick

NickAlly Van Life

www.nickallyvanlife.net