Pam and Odie at the Cliffs of Dover
The road has not been easy, of course. L Doubts assailed her even when choosing which vehicle acquire. She, who had not even bought a car, suddenly found herself with a myriad of vans available among which she could not distinguish any characteristic. One thing was clear: it had to cost less than 800 lbs. In the end, after many months of searching, she decided to go see one, and she stayed with that one, following her instinct. It was worth it.
Less than a year later, the tiny back space of a Renault Kangoo second-hand has definitely become at her home and her dog Odie's , a Labrador cross with tender curly hair that accompanies her everywhere. have already toured UK, Germany, France and Italy , and this summer they plan to visit Spain and Portugal. The hits of his trip are the lakes : "I love them, they are my favorite stops: running or walking in the morning, taking a bath in one of them and having a picnic on the coast. paradise ! ", she exclaims. And she recommends the Slaughham , in the South of England ("it's ten minutes from the local church, it's small but very pretty," says Marina) . the of Xonrupt-Longemer in the North of France ("surrounded by pine trees and popular in triathlon competitions") and that of Santa Croce , in Northern Italy ("which is super crowded in summer but deserted in winter, and where you can see, on a clear day, the dolomite mountains reflect in the waters ") .
However, despite the fact that she draws on memories to recommend her favorite places , the nomenclature barely counts for this adventurer : "For me, [the trip] has nothing to do with seeing as many places as possible, but with stop where I feel comfortable.
The caravan family
But what happened in Marina's life for her to want change the comfort of a sedentary lifestyle for a life on the road ? simply that she had achieved everything that most people her age dream of having : "She lived alone with Odie in a house too big for me, ten minutes from Durham, in the North of England. She had lots of material things and a fantastic job at an amazing company. She was also studying to get my degree in environmental sciences. The perfect life, right?" she asks as she smiles.
However, it seems that I wasn't so perfect for her . "One day I thought, 'I'm too comfortable . If I continue to live here, I will wake up one day in a house with children and a cool career regretting not having lived the life she really wanted. "The accepted social dogma of" you need to work all your life to make as much money as you can, be better than your neighbor and buy the latest iPhone" was not for me. I really needed to see if a different way of living, less consumerist and more in tune with nature , it was possible. Traveling is not the goal itself, it's just a way to get more knowledge of our precious planet!" she explains in a mantra that she will repeat several times in the conversation.
Of course, when she decided to leave her comfortable routine to fit all of her belongings into a van, both her family and her friends they thought she was crazy ("They probably keep thinking about it and are just being polite ", she jokes)." It was understandable that they were worried that she was committing a serious mistake leaving everything. Some of my friends supported the project, they found it curious, while others saw in it confirmation that she was an idealist that she had lost her mind", recalls Marina.
Colmar in France
It was around then that she began to transform the Renault to build in it a small kitchen, a bed and storage space enough, a complex process that she talks about extensively on her blog. "She has always charmed me. use hands. I make my own jewelry and make some of my own clothes. I'm not particularly good at anything, but I can do many things . However, the ones she used to enjoy the most were "of women" : never in my life had I used one circular saw . At first, I was worried, but I was also moved with the prospect of learning to use n cool new tools , as it is a great way to expand your skills. There are no limits to creativity," she explains.
So, could any of us do it? Could we have our own mobile home for less than the cost of a new car? "I think anyone can do it, since I trust that everyone can be and do what they want if you insist on it. The human brain is completely trainable. However, if you are one of those people who gets frustrated easily or who gives up when small challenges appear, then you will have to work on yourself at first, as you will need a giant dose of problem-solving ability. If you're a woman telling yourself you can't do it, then you can't. There is only one obstacle in the process: telling yourself that you are not capable! ", she exclaims, convinced, the traveler.
Says someone who, while carrying out the transformation of the vehicle, had to move out and sell all her belongings. "It was a pretty stressful time," she confesses. Still, as you can see in the photos, the Kangoo has been really cozy . "The thing presented, really, great challenges, but what cost me the most build was the kitchen. I had never built anything before and had no idea how to stick things to the ground or how to connect pieces of wood. In the end, the kitchen turned out fine, but if you look closely you'll see that the walls are not straight . Now, my mantra is " measure twice and cut once ", she says.
Lake of Ponte Subiolo
Is life on the road easier or harder than building a kitchen? It depends on yourself, of course. " being alone is not easy . We fear being alone with our thoughts, we look for distractions in social networks, going out at night, in friends and in relationships that do us no good for fear of listen to our heart. But to really dig deep and find your truth, I think one must learn to be happy alone . I think it's the only way you can deeply appreciate people that comes into your life, and to make more conscious decisions regarding your future.
It is that, and not the to be a girl who travels with a dog, what has cost him more to fit. "There have been a couple of rare situations , but I've never really felt threatened, rather annoyed, "she explains about her mishaps on the road." People are curious so I try not to attract attention", explains Marina (who has a very complete post reeling off the pros and cons of moving in with your best friend ).
In fact, a very curious thing that she has learned in this adventure -and that she considers the best thing about her trip- has been to " break down the barriers you normally have when you live in a house and reconnect with public spaces . When I lived in my home, I only really felt safe once I was inside; stepping foot out the door meant leave my comfort and couldn't wait to get back inside. Now I feel that the whole world is my home, which is pretty amazing."
"And the worst?", we asked him. " Uncertainty . I am quite disorganized and it is difficult for me to plan things. When I had a "normal" life, I knew, more or less, what would happen next week. Now not so much! Although being carried away by the wind can be super exciting, it can also be quite stressful having no certainty about the future," this explorer tells us, constantly searching for her own path.
newbridge
Nancy in France
Pam and Odie in Venice
Santa Felicita Valley in Romano D'ezzelino
Col du Petit St Bernard
bamburgh
Rheims