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As I was scrolling through Instagram one day, I came across an ad for a van rally in Asheville, North Carolina. Since I’ve been obsessed with tiny living, van life, and all things related, I immediately clicked on the ad. I soon found out that the van rally would be held in about one month. I hadn’t missed it! With further research, I figured out how to purchase the right tickets and once I hit purchase, I was officially going to attend my first van rally. I asked my dad if he would attend the rally with me and he agreed to go.
The next month, my dad and I packed up the truck, and headed south to Asheville, North Carolina. Check out this blog post to see what I usually bring with me on adventures like this! Anyways, we were supposed to only attend for one day however, we ended up at the van rally most of the weekend. To put it simply, I loved it! I learned so much that weekend. More specifically, these are seven things I learned at the 2019 Asheville Van Rally.
1. Be Open to New Experiences
Van rallies aren’t something that I normally attend. I mean, I have attended a tiny house festival but it was only for a few hours and it mostly consisted of companies trying to sell their tiny houses. The part I loved most about that tiny house festival were the imperfect school buses that people were actually living in. The van rally in Asheville was more like that…people actually living in the tiny dwellings. So, this rally was different.
I had never been to a van rally but I knew that if at some point in the future, I want to travel the country in a vehicle, then I need to gather all the information I can. (Check out this Pinterest board for tiny living ideas and information!) And what better way to do that than by learning from those who are actually living it?
If you have the opportunity to attend an event like a van rally or tiny house festival, take it!
These types of events help to expand people’s minds about how they currently live and how others are doing it differently. Although I’ve looked at tons of tiny living situations online, nothing beats experiencing it in person and the van rally definitely taught me to be open to those new experiences.
2. Kindness
Some people may live differently and you may not understand it. This doesn’t mean that you have to be doubtful or unaccepting of it though.
I believe that the people sharing their vehicles with the public at the van rally knew that some individuals would challenge their thinking and way of life. Yet, I was continually met with kindness from everyone at the van rally. Everyone was so open, accepting, and welcoming.
3. Community Matters
Venturing onto a new path in life, moving to a new place, changing jobs, or whatever life may bring, eventually you’ll have to reach out to a new community for support. It seems to me, that the community of people living in tiny dwellings is welcoming of whoever wants to join them.
When I attended the Asheville Van Life Rally, I had no vehicle of my own but was (and still am) learning about the lifestyle. Everyone that I reached out to for advice, tips, etc. was happy to share their knowledge about the lifestyle and eager for others to join their community. It made me want to join their community as well.
Within the van life community, it was evident that they help each other out. I saw people sharing their food and drinks with others, working on van projects together, supporting each other’s small businesses, and anything else to help a fellow van lifer out. In the end, no matter who you are or what you live in, community matters.
4. Live Simply
You’ve been in a van or bus before, right? Well then you know there’s very limited space in them, especially if you plan to live in one! Attending the van rally in Asheville, North Carolina was eye opening. People living in tiny dwellings have to live simply.
Van lifers can no longer buy unnecessary items or buy something just because they can. They have to be intentional with every item entering their tiny home. And I think that’s something that anyone can practice, regardless of how big the space is that we live in. Just because we have the space and money to “buy all the things” doesn’t mean that we should. Instead, embrace simplicity.
5. It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect to Work
Perfectionism isn’t realistic and we shouldn’t strive to be perfect. Looking inside of the many vehicles I saw at the van rally, I noticed differences in each one. The layouts were different. The sizes varied. The vehicles themselves were different makes and models. Were any of them the “perfect” van, bus, or vehicle? No. And all of that is ok. It suited the individual living in it and that is all that is necessary to have good home.
Did some (or most) vehicles have something that the owner needed to fix or wanted to change? Yes. But I think that is the beauty of van life. It teaches you to be okay with not everything always being perfect or going the way you planned. Sometimes, you just have to be accepting of imperfection.
6. You Only Live Once
Attending the van rally just intensified my desire to live an alternative lifestyle. Each of us are only given one life to live. Why not do something crazy, weird, and/or extraordinary? The people that gathered at the van rally, I feel, were truly living life the way they wanted to, regardless of what society thinks or how they want them to live.
You only live once. Just like the van lifers I met, live it how you want to.
7. Be Understanding
I get it. Living in a van or any vehicle isn’t for everyone. That doesn’t mean that living an alternative way is weird or bad. It’s just simply different.
When I decided to attend the Asheville Van Life Rally, I didn’t want to go alone. At first, I was going to ask my sister to go. She is usually my travel partner. However, this time, I felt like I should ask my dad to attend the van rally with me. I’ve expressed my interest in traveling in a vehicle to him so I figured he needed to see the vehicle options and community first-hand.
I knew the experience could go a few different ways. Maybe my dad wouldn’t be very open minded. There was a chance that he wouldn’t understand van life and tiny living.
Then again, it could go the other way. He would enjoy himself, meet people in the van life community and actually understand what kind of life they strive to have.
My dad ended up attending the Asheville Van Life Rally with me. And you know what, he loved it! Although the life that most of the people attending the rally was different than that of my Dad’s, he was open and accepting of them. Of course, the van life community welcomed him and me as well.
He talked to everyone he came into contact with and I think by the end of the weekend, the van rally had convinced him that this isn’t a bad way to live, just a different way. Finally, he understood. Actually, now he wants to go back again this year!
To quickly recap what I learned at the 2019 Asheville, North Carolina Van Life Rally:
- Be open to new experiences.
- Be Kind to one another.
- Community matters.
- Live simply.
- It doesn’t have to be perfect to work.
- You only live once.
- Be understanding.
So you see, you can learn from every experience. I just wanted to attend the Asheville Van Rally to see some vans, buses, etc., get a feel for the van life community, and attend something fun and different. In reality, I learned so much more.
If you’d like to check out a behind-the-scenes look at my 2019 Asheville Van Rally experience, just click here!
Would you ever attend a van life rally?
Would you ever actually live in a vehicle?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this lifestyle or your experience with living this lifestyle!
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