The Times journalist Caity Weaver was tasked by her editor to go on an adventure: With an old college friend she would spend a week in California, living out of a converted camper van, in pursuit of the aesthetic fantasy known as #VanLife.
Given the discomfort that can arise even in the plushiest of vehicles, it’s a surprising trend that shows no sign of letting up. As Weaver explains, even the idea of living full time out of a vehicle has “become aspirational for a subset of millennials and Zoomers, despite the fact that, traditionally, residing in a car or van is usually an action taken as a last resort, from want of other options to protect oneself from the elements.”
Unpacking the craze by testing it herself, Weaver offers a humorous account of the trials of not being adequately prepared, claustrophobia, long restaurant lines, the increase in traffic within the national parks, and the disappointment that occurs when an Instagram aesthetic bumps up against reality. Sometimes fantasies are too good to be true.
This story was written by Caity Weaver and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.
How Changing Ocean Temperatures Could Upend Life on Earth
R.F.K. Jr.’s Battle to Get on the Ballot
Sunday Special: 'Modern Love'
'The Interview': Marlon Wayans Lost Nearly 60 Loved Ones. Comedy Saved Him.
The Protesters and the President
Biden Loosens Up on Weed
The New Abortion Fight Before the Supreme Court
The Secret Push That Could Ban TikTok
Trump 2.0: What a Second Trump Presidency Would Bring
Introducing ‘The Interview’: Yair Lapid Says the World Misunderstands Israel
Introducing ‘The Interview’: Anne Hathaway Is Done Trying to Please
Harvey Weinstein Conviction Thrown Out
The Crackdown on Student Protesters
Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?
A Salacious Conspiracy or Just 34 Pieces of Paper?
The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu
Sunday Special: 'Modern Love'
The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Up First
Today, Explained
Post Reports
What Next | Daily News and Analysis
The Rachel Maddow Show