Ged up of pricey rent, couple Crystal and Jazmyn decided to make a change.
They bought a van, turned it into their home, quit their jobs, and set off travelling the world with their two dogs by their side.
And they haven’t looked back. Not even the coronavirus pandemic is putting a stop to their adventures.
Crystal, 25, and Jazmyn, 26, spent £15,000 buying a 92-square-foot 2006 Mercedes Sprinter van and transforming it into their home.
The couple renovated the van themselves despite not having any plumbing or electrical experience and relied on YouTube videos to show them how to finish the job.
The mobile home includes a kitchen with running water, a pantry, a reading nook, and solar panels on the roof – but no toilet.
The pair, who are currently in San Cristobal, Mexico, are avoiding heavily populated areas so don’t think the spread of coronavirus will affect their plans.
Crystal said: ‘If we were in a big city, we’d be more worried but we are in the middle of nowhere.
‘I feel like we are in the safest position.
‘We spent the last few days hiding out in the jungle and only seeing four other people so we’re not too freaked out.
‘We’ve seen more sheep than people in the last few days.
‘It’s not going to stop us.’
The couple, from Barrie in Ontario, Canada, both quit their jobs as waitresses and have spent the last year traveling through North America in their mobile home.
They plan to continue exploring Central America and South America with their hounds Bella, seven, and Izzy, five.
Jazmyn said: ‘We didn’t want the van to just be a travel mobile, we wanted it to be our own home mobile.’
Crystal added: ‘The cost of living definitely deterred us from getting an apartment.
‘Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Toronto area starts at $880 [1200 CAD] and then you are paying bills on top of that.
‘How can you do the things you want to do when all your money is going into the roof above your head?
‘We wanted to make life our job, rather than make our job our life.’
The pair took five months finding the perfect van and a further eight months to turn it into their home.
‘We found a 2006 Mercedes Sprinter with no rust,’ said Crystal.
‘It took us eight months to outfit the van and it was a lot of trial and error.
‘We had no prior plumbing, electrical work or carpentry skills.
‘YouTube was our biggest educator.
‘We were working full time while we were building.
‘The van cost $10,200 [14,000 CAD] and the build cost $8,200 [11,000 CAD].
‘We needed a four season van with a heater as it is freezing about eight months of the year in Canada,’ said Crystal.
While the van isn’t massive, Crystal and Jazmin have made the most of every inch of space.
Their kitchen has a stove and a fridge that can hold 72 beer cans, and there’s a floor-to-ceiling pantry for all dried goods, pots and pans, and dog food.
In the back half of the van there’s a bed that can be folded away when not in use.
The only thing missing is a bathroom.
‘We didn’t really want to clean a toilet in such a small place,’ said Jazmyn
‘There are so many amenities out there and everyone is kind enough to let us use the bathroom.
‘We let the dogs out all the time so when they go to the bathroom, we go to the bathroom.
‘We use a shovel and we leave no trace. But we do have an outdoors shower.’
It’s been a year since the duo set off on their travels, starting on the west coast of Canada before journeying through Washington, Oregon, Utah, California, and Arizona.
They then headed to Mexico, taking the ferry from Baja to mainland, and are nearly at the border of Guatemala.
Once the couple have done all of Central America they will ship the van from Panama to Colombia, then head to Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Brazil.
In the last year, the couple have only paid for camping once.
‘We sleep for free every night,’ said Jazmyn. ‘We feel a sense of security in the van.’
The couple said that the desire to take their beloved Australian shepherds with them on their travels motivated them to convert the van.
Jazmyn said: ‘We really enjoyed traveling together but we always had to leave the dogs behind.
‘We decided that if we built up the van, we could travel with the dogs and then they could be our adventure buddies.
‘They are the sweetest, most intelligent dogs.
‘They are honestly our babies. They keep us going – and calm and happy.’
The couple, who call themselves Van Wives and share their adventures on Instagram and Youtube, have experienced some challenges while travelling.
Crystal said: ‘When we were at the American border, the border security officer said: “It’s a shame that you two are gay”.
‘But we have moved on from it.
‘As an LGBTQ couple, we have to do our research.’
‘Our vehicle is 13-years-old now, so there are issues that come up,’ Jazmyn said.
‘It just needs some TLC every now and again.
‘You need to get new tires, do your breaks, check the ball joints.’
Every breakdown has helped the couple learn more, and they say the decision to live on the van has changed their lives for the better.
‘It’s just about getting to call those beautiful places home,’ said Jazmyn.
‘We open the back doors and feel totally present.
‘We enjoy that we have each other, food on the table and a beautiful view.’
Do you live an unconventional lifestyle? Get in touch to share your story by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
MORE: What I Rent: Kelsey and Justin, £1,600 a month for a two-bedroom flat in Wimbledon
MORE: Meet the cats who go hiking and kayaking with their owners
MORE: Man loses nine stone in under a year after getting stuck in the floor
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/17/couple-ditch-expensive-rent-travel-world-converted-van-dogs-12410755/?ITO=squid
0 Comments