Introductions

Hello! My name is Joseph Sweet. In August 2024, my wife Jill, our two adorable fur babies, and I officially began the process of embarking on our greatest adventure yet. Truth be told, this journey started long before then—years earlier, in fact. When Jill and I first met in Michigan, we bonded over a shared love for adventure, the great outdoors, and traveling. Early in our relationship, we went on a series of road trips, visiting breathtaking places like Colorado, Utah, and Tennessee in 2019. Then, like everyone else, our plans came to a halt when COVID hit. Suddenly, travel felt impossible—or so we thought. During that time, we began living vicariously through YouTube creators and adventurers, watching their travels and dreaming of the day we, too, could explore the country and perhaps even the world. It was through these countless hours of video-watching that we stumbled upon a lifestyle that seemed to be everything we wanted: not just traveling, but *living* on the road full-time—Vanlife!

We dove headfirst into researching Vanlife, following the escapades of content creators, vanlifers, and outdoor enthusiasts. It wasn’t long before we realized this was our dream, and we vowed to make it a reality, no matter what it took.

Fast forward to December 2021: Jill and I were deeply in love, got married, and moved to Tennessee—a place I had always dreamed of living ever since I was a little boy. Tennessee was where I discovered my love for the mountains and the outdoors. We packed up our belongings, left our families behind, and settled into an apartment in Sevierville. For the next year, we worked hard and saved every penny, but when it came time to renew our lease, we faced a decision: should we continue renting, or take the next step? At the time, we hadn’t saved quite enough to buy a van and hit the road, so we decided to buy a house instead. It felt like the logical choice at the time.

Although buying a house was exciting, it was far more expensive than I had anticipated. Fortunately, a promotion at work made things easier, and we settled into what felt like the “American Dream”—just minus the 2.5 kids. Still, something was missing. We continued to use our limited PTO to travel and hike, visiting national parks and seeking adventure whenever we could, but deep down, we knew we weren’t truly fulfilled. The dream of Vanlife never left us.

By January 2024, we decided to take a leap of faith. We listed our house for sale, hoping for a good return on investment to fund our Vanlife adventure. After three buyers and what felt like an eternity, the house sold. But there was just one problem: we didn’t have the van yet! For a few weeks, we stayed in a hotel with our mischievous puppy and a very opinionated cat while we sorted out funding. It wasn’t easy, but after plenty of paperwork and patience, we finally purchased the van—and our dream was within reach.

In early September, we hit the road and traveled back north to Michigan to pick up the rest of our belongings, which had been stored at my mom’s house. After a couple of weeks spent organizing and downsizing (even more than we already had), we managed to fit everything into the van. From there, we headed to the Upper Peninsula—the coolest part of Michigan, in my opinion—where Jill’s family is from. And just like that, our long-awaited dream became a reality. We were living Vanlife at last!

This blog is dedicated to sharing our Vanlife adventures—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. While social media often shows only the highlights, we promise to share the full story of our journey. So far, the positives have far outweighed any challenges, and we’re incredibly grateful for this lifestyle. If you love stories of travel, the outdoors, and van living, we invite you to join us on this wild ride. Follow along and become a part of our journey as we explore the world, one mile at a time!