A black and white cat peeks out a bubble window on the side of a tall retro van decorated with sepia-tone stripes. This tiny home on wheels is a full-time residence for Chelsea and Nick Hill and their three cats. Together, the family embraces travel as they traverse North America. Their adventures, featured on Instagram and TikTok @wildinthehills, are inspiring many to explore van life.
“Van life opened our eyes to how much we were stuck in a thoughtless cycle of working to pay our rent,” Chelsea told Outdoors Wire. “We want a life lived on purpose, full of experiences & memories that van life has been able to provide us.”
The Hills began their journey about 10 months ago. In a van customized with bubble dome windows, a litter box area for the cats, and an outdoor awning, the family enjoys necessary creature comforts while remaining ready to travel at any time.
As Chelsea explained, “van life has given us the opportunity to travel as much or as little as we want because our home is always with us no matter where we go. Living in a small space has connected us to the outdoors because we want to be outside of our space more. We live outside and inside equally now.”
This indoor-outdoor travel lifestyle has led to many memorable moments for the Hill family. One night in Joshua Tree National Park, Chelsea and Nick awoke to coyotes howling outside their van. After this surprise wake-up call, the couple looked up to see a sky full of stars through the skylight above their bed. During the day, this same skylight also lets in the sunshine for the cats to enjoy.
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Chelsea describes these experiences as part of “living life on purpose, with intent.” With #vanlife growing in popularity across social media, the Hills share words of advice for anyone interested in hitting the road. “Going with the flow is the best thing you can do,” Chelsea said. “Plans change, things don’t go as planned, so being able to adjust, go with the flow as life throws you curveballs, is much more enjoyable.”
Images via @wildinthehills