This is the unexpected journey that brought me to the Everglades.
It all started when a really good friend of mine needed some help. You might think that helping out a friend might include shoveling a driveway of some heavy snow or helping them move a couch? Not this guy, this guy goes big. “Hey James, Want to come help me buy a boat? In Florida?” The answer was an easy yes.
So a 21 hour drive later I find myself in the heart of America’s appendage in a shell of a camper van. Seriously, there wasn’t much of anything. Just look at this guy, he was as surprised as I was that the space actually worked well for travelling!
Honestly when you are not expecting much from your space every inch is a blessing. We both had enough place to sleep and we could cook simple meals. Of course we had the ability to make coffee. How else are you supposed to drive 21 hours in two days? It was easy for me to make this drive to help in the purchase of a boat is its similarity to van life. #boatlife and #vanlife have so much in common it was hard to decide between the two. I was beyond willing to help a friend achieve this dream and selfishly getting to see the space that comes with boat life was an extra treat. Incase you were wondering we got the boat under budget and ahead of schedule.
But eventually there came a time where I had to decide what to do when I was left to myself in southern Florida. Do you hit the Miami Beach and search for hotties? The answer was obviously to take an unfinished Vincent to someplace remote, Everglades National Park. Its all alligators and mosquitoes for the two of us.
When I set out on this trip I never meant it to be a media collection event. I have some odd photos which I’ve included throughout this post as well as bits of vlogging footage that don’t amount to much. But it was a beautiful van trip none the less and it invigorates the passion for vanlife. Even though I only had the shell of a vehicle the potential was definitely realized. Here is to the first of many trips to come.
I think I would have enjoyed the park quite a bit more if I had some sort of watercraft with me. I completely every mile of available hiking that wasn’t flooded out in a single day. Also the bugs one evening were so bad it sounded like it was raining outside with them trying to get through my from windows.