Nate Murphy
h u m a ns
this man’s motto…
“The recent building of my YouTube channel has not really affected my lifestyle other than giving me a bit more to do in terms of replying to comments. That said, I do get recognised by people in most places I go. This is mainly because climbers are really into the van life thing as well. I am currently looking to see if the other projects I work on, aside from van conversions and van life, can inspire or give some benefit to other people. So far it seems to be working but time will tell. I get a real kick when my work positively affects someone else’s life.” For anyone who is on the verge of investing into the van lifestyle, Nate
says that you’ve got to work out what’s best for you. He says that to buy an already converted van is expensive, but, equally, a lot of hard work is needed to make a non-converted van habitable. Nate recommends renting out a van for a few days or a week, and going on a trip to give yourself a flavour of the van life to see if it’s for you. If you happen to enjoy the freedom, low-cost living and waking up to beautiful vistas, then Nate says you should, “Just go for it!” The cost of travel for a year in a van can range between $5000 (£4058) to $1000 (£811.60). When you consider
the cost of going on a two-week holiday you realise how amazing this opportunity is. “Your life is all but a small holiday from an eternity of nothingness. To never have a year off, or three, to travel and have fun is practically insane!” Regardless of how beautiful the landscapes are, just driving around can be dull. “Use the time to learn new things, write that book you always wanted to or something that adds value to your life outside of generating money.” You can see more of Nate Murphy’s work online at his YouTube channel, his blog and his Instagram.