Why We Left Society To Live In A Van In Nature: Our Story 

Ohhh my goodness, what a beautiful comment to read! We are really inspired by the hippie movement of the 60s so that means a lot that we remind you of them. We are always trying to learn about the summer of love and how the movement started, and also how it came to a sudden end, to make sure we dont make the same mistakes. Wouldnt it be amazing if that kind of movement were to happen again now, it feels like it could be fitting in rebellion to the modern times where we are more and more disconnected from our human-ness with the increasing technology. It feels like more and more people are wanting to reconnect with the earth and all the ancestral knowledge, what do you think? 🌻🧡

It didn't come to a sudden end as much as it was simply drowned out by the larger sounds of society moving on. Some decided they didn't like it and went back into academia or jobs, some stayed on in small communal living groups, some kept on traveling (esp eastward to follow the popular forms of spirituality back to their geographic origins), etc. That wave never really ended, it just morphed. And look to the beginning for explanation of the "end" of the movement: the 60s were full of fear, esp here in the US. The cold war, the constant threat of nuclear annihilation, the civil unrest, the assassinations (JFK, MLK, RFK, Malcolm X, etc), the unnecessary involvement of the US in Vietnam, the military suppression of civilian calls for societal change, and on top of all that, the way media seemed to skip right over the realities in front of a person's face and continued to parrot the mainstream lies. The 70s saw a loosening of all that, in many ways, so there just wasn't as much individual pressure to leave the fear and the lies that seemed to permeate so much of what was deemed valuable in life. But those draft notices were a great call to attention for anyone old enough and still young enough to get them: "Why should I die for a war, that makes no sense, waged against people who have have not wronged me?" And then there were the entheogens, lol. You can't have a group of people dropping psychedelics en masse and not have a shift in consciousness. That contributed to the movement as well. The important thing is that each person in it left the main road to follow their own new and completely uncharted path for a time. Sometimes that path ends up looking familiar like everyone else's, and sometimes it does not, but we never know until we test it, until we step up and out and try it all out for ourselves. That's where you are, and why I commend you. See, from where I sit there is no more wrong in those who chose to go back into society and get a job than there is in anyone who decides to leave it and live nomadically. To me, the change between yourselves now and five years ago is that before, living your present truth at any cost was a choice you could take up or not, but now it is your whole life. *You would not go back to suppressing that inner voice at any cost.* So daily, now you get up and follow your own star. And I suspect that these days, even if you don't know the way forward, you now know exactly what your personal truth feels and looks like... and what it does not, which is equally as important. That's it. That is both the journey and the destination. YOUR truth. Not mine, or anyone else's. YOUR place. YOUR path. And sometimes we have to be apart from the herd to even know that we have a separate, unique, individual truth because it's not usually something we're taught, or it's suppressed or even mocked when it's seen. And then, as you well know, society makes it extremely difficult to leave it, even briefly. The illusions of safety and security that society offers are POWERFUL, often too powerful to resist or resist for long, and living in them dampens the inner need for a deeper truth in many people. We seek distraction from our painful truths; society ALWAYS has distractions in spades, while serving up warning after warning to anyone who would depart from the main road. We chase the carrot of security, the societal sticks of fear chase us, we keep ourselves distracted as best we can, and the big wheel keeps turning. But even if we get off the wheel, the corollary is that the real truth, the real wisdom you find in the smaller places, like the lessons you have learned on the road about what is real and has meaning and what does not, invariably get co-opted by the herd, repackaged, shorn of the painful bits, and served back up to society as a shadow of itself in due course. As soon as you say "ancestral knowledge" there is some influencer falsely claiming familiarity with it and making great coin by pulling deep-sounding pseudo truths fresh from their butt for the masses. Technology makes this faster and more immediate, but it's a tale as old as time. That's what makes the personal journey irreplaceable: only YOU know YOUR truth, and only YOU can live it. And that's where the peace is. You're finding it every time you dive into your anxiety instead of avoiding it, every time you question why your body gave you that nervous message it did, every time you seek to soothe it with mindful treks into stillness, or even by just going deeper into the present moment. There is even a saying I like: "Whatever arises, love that." That's the cure, for so much of what ails us. But we only get to it by witnessing that which arises from within for our attention, by not distracting, by not avoiding pain but selectively seeking its roots. That's what changing the externals does, and where I think you probably are now: learning how to find the peace by following the truths within. That is the great gift you give us with your honest peeks into the life you're living now. You're showing the rest of us that yes, getting off the wheel can be done, and the rewards that await. Not all of us can do it, but you let us watch, and you show waypoints to those who are better poised to make the leap. As I said, you really are the new explorers.

Oh thank you jeannie appreciate the love, theres no place better for us than the mountains 🤗🧡

Gosh these words mean so much to us thank you 🙏 honestly we are so pleased to know that in some way weve helped to keep that dream of your alive. We always get frustrated that most vanlife content suggests its out of budget for most people but truly it can be done for cheap. The book idea is fab! We’ve spoken about this before actually so we might have to do it!💕💕💕

Aw suzie thank you for such sweet words and appreciate you taking the time to watch this one. Sending big cuddles your way 🤗🌲🌸

Awh well thats so lovely to know!! There are certain parts that arent so dreamy but to be in such magical lands really feels precious, hope you get to explore in a van soon 💕🚌

Aw seriously that is so kind! 🥺🧡 Sometimes we just don't make the steps we need to in life until things start feeling really really desperate 🚍 we just felt like it was about time we started to tell the story of why we did all this, thank you for being so supportive and gentle

Yess it’s so so vital for everyone, feels like we disrespect our elders so badly these days when really they have so much wisdom and guidance to give 🙏

So so happy to know that youve found that contentment lovely! We are so eager to have our own garden one day, can just imagine the fulfilment from literally picking the fruits of your labour! Sending lots of love your way 💕💕

So grateful to know you watched this and enjoy what we share, sending love your way 💕💕💕

Thank you so much thats so sweet of you!! Appreciate you watching this and sending lots of love back 🤗🧡

Awh well thank you lovely, so grateful you like this video 🤗💕💕

Awww thank you so sooo much!! The effect on the wood is actually painted on apart from the kitchen cabinet which we bought secondhand already engraved so matched everything to that! Ooo that makes a lot of sense about the dreams thank you for pointing that out. Sending loads of love back your way 🤗💕

So grateful for the encouragement julie thank you for your sweet words, means a lot to us both 🤗💕

Gosh thank you, really pleased you liked it and wishing the best for you too 🤗💕

Aww thank you lovelyyy, feeling the love with all the kind comments 🥺💕

Appreciate the kindness! Thanks so much for the encouraging words too means alot to us 🤗💕

Aw thanks for the love! It definitely feels like we are on the right track now for a life of fulfillment 🌞🌸

Thank you for such a sweet comment, it was beautiful to read your moments of mindfulness and wisdom about what’s really important 🙏 so grateful to you and your support with these videos, we’re still trying to figure it all out on here as well as in life ahaaa but we’re giving it a good go 🧡

Thats very very sweet of you thanks for the kindness and for taking the time to watch this one 💕

Thank youuu 💝 So glad you enjoyed this, it took a while to make but was worth it

So so happy that you enjoyed it 💕 this one took particularly long to edit so we are really grateful for the kind comment

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Thank you for the wisdom nadine 🤗💕

@@onthewildside ❤❤❤❤

Awww michelle that means the world to hear thank you for watching this through, so happy to know it was uplifting for you 🤗💕💕