What if we lived full-time in a vintage caravan?
Next steps
This was what my partner and I were thinking last year. Months later, caravan renovations complete, boxes in storage, plants on loan and we are living it.
Living full-time in a caravan means better views, more time outdoors, less possessions, and less screen-time. Sounds ideal? It’s also means less possessions, more cold and less art materials. I’ve not been particularly bound to a specific place, having lived in 6 different cities and countless houses in the last decade. Nor do I consider myself to own a lot of things (do I simply like to think of myself that way, or is that the truth?)- nethertheless packing up and moving into a tiny space is a humbling experience. Especially as an artist, and a collector. Down-sizing the art materials and books and bits of sea glass and shells were challenging.
Previously, we’ve been away in the caravan for very short bursts of time, but the whole thing has had a complete makeover since the last time we went away. We stripped it down to its shell and started again. My girlfriend renovated the entire thing from scratch, with no courses or classes or qualifications, just pure determination and a little help from YouTube- it’s really very impressive.
We stayed in Scotland for the first few months, flitting between caravanning and house sitting. (Thankfully when the minus seven degrees celsius and snowfall hit, we were in a house sit.) Why did we decide to begin this adventure in Autumn? Because renovating the caravan took a lot longer than we’d hoped… However, if we can manage through Autumn and Winter in Scotland, Spring and Summer should feel a breeze, right?
Next, we’re due to set off on an adventure south. Firstly we’ll be heading down through England, before hopping onto a ferry across to mainland Europe. Our caravan (we affectionately call Betsy) will be having her first trip abroad with us. I’m not sure if it’s her first trip abroad ever, she’s a vintage Sprite from the sixties, so she may have popped to the continent before. Our plan is to travel down France, Spain, Portugal if we have time. (Personally, I’m determined to pop to Morocco for a few days, I went once with friends many years ago and adored the place. But it’s worth noting that same-sex relationships are illegal there.) I’m posting twice monthly videos plus weekly photos on my Patreon - the best place to keep updated with my journey.
I haven’t travelled to Spain much at all, going on a family holiday there once as a child. (Ok, plus going to Magaluf with friends as a teenager.) I’m quite nervous and excited about the prospect of drawing the Spanish landscape. My brain can’t wrap my head around the colours and textures of it yet. It might take me a while to adjust. Thankfully, as we’re not travelling by plane, our arrival won’t be sudden. I’m hoping for a gradual shift in colours. Or maybe it will still feel sudden, as we hit different temperatures and topographies. Our route is vaguely planned at the moment, open to suggestions or recommendations!
Our plan also has a time limit. A strict one. Three months. (Thanks Brexit, I can’t think of a single thing you’ve improved.) Which makes the journey more urgent. I’m thinking I’ll draw some scenes from imagination, and compare to once I’m there. Or is it best to let it take me by surprise?
