Chasing the Good Life

In 2020, embracing remote work, Erin Vander Plas ’12 purchased an empty cargo van and spent six weeks retrofitting it with her dad and some friends. Now her “home on wheels,” she has used it to travel across the U.S. and Canada, accompanied by her canine companion, Lincoln.

“I started traveling at a time in my life when I was experiencing isolation from the pandemic, work burnout, and personal disappointment. Van life was a tangible way to embrace a courageous spirit and to make room for the future God has for me.”

During the summer of 2022, Vander Plas took a sabbatical from her San Franciscobased career at a large biotech firm to focus on travel and well-being. “My job is highly strategic, and I had put a lot of identity into my work. I really wanted to decouple my worth from my productivity.”

A growing sub-culture, especially since the pandemic, van life has offered Vander Plas unexpected opportunities, from spending more time with family to reconnecting with fellow Calvin alum Ben Landheer ’14 and his wife, Malory, who documented their van life on social media from 2020-2022. She also appreciates finding common ground with fellow travelers of diverse backgrounds. “It’s refreshing and beautiful to connect with people. We have more alike with each other across the country than we do divides.”

Vander Plas, who chronicles her adventures on the social media platform Instagram, commonly fields questions about traveling alone as a woman. Though she encounters challenges on the road, such as waking up after an overnight storm without cell service to her van stuck in the mud, she never feels unsafe. “I hope sharing my story empowers women to believe traveling solo is something they can do.”

At Calvin, Vander Plas balanced academics and athletics, playing volleyball all four years. She co-captained the women’s volleyball team to its first national title in 2010, under coach Amber Warners. She says returning to campus for a recent team alumni event felt like “coming home.”

“Calvin was a place of immense growth. I walked away with some special friendships and built character through mentorship and sports. I still remember my mentor, Aaron Winkle, saying to me senior year, ‘Continue to ask yourself, what is the good life?’”

Vander Plas carries that advice with her. Though she has returned to San Francisco and an office, she still lives full time in her van. She says the lifestyle keeps her focused

Anaiah Zainea ’18 was recently promoted to the position of private wealth management vice president at Goldman Sachs, a global financial institution.

07 Anchor Construction (Granger, Indiana) completed a project for manufacturer of plastic films, Transcendia, outside of Columbus, Ohio. Project manager Daniel Weaver ’16 led the complete design and build of the 60,000 square-foot building. His team included professional engineers Austin Kearby ’16, who conducted the civil site design; Ryan Byma ’16, who completed the structural design, and Matthew Smith ’13, who served as the project manager of design. The team, representing four of the six Calvin alumni who work together at Anchor, values “the collaboration and teamwork instilled in them while at Calvin.” on what matters most to her: community, family, health, and her relationship with Christ.

From left to right: Ryan Byma ’16, Matthew Smith ’13, Daniel Weaver ’16. (Not present: Austin Kearby ’16, who recently moved back to Kenya, but continues to work remotely for Anchor Construction.)

When asked if she will hit the road again anytime soon, she answers, “We’ll see! Alternative lifestyles excite me, and van life might only be the start of living in creative ways.”

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09 Spring

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10 Think of Good

Rochelle

Self-published

11 Gotta

Rochelle

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12 Young Adult Literature and Spirituality: How to Unlock Deeper Understanding with Class Discussion

Bill Boerman-Cornell ’88, Deborah Vriend Van Duinen ’98, Kristine Alatheia Mensonides Gritter ’91, and Xu Bian Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Suzy Kades Karadsheh ’01 holds up her New York Times best seller The Mediterranean Dish: 120 Bold and Healthy Recipes You'll recently returned to Calvin as part of her book tour.

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