TLDR: Earplugs

Being comfortable in your van

The first thing you should do is lock your door every time you leave your van, put up your blinds and hide your valuables. Fortunately for me my van kind of looks like a piece of shit from the outside and I’ve never had anyone try to break into it, but I do know a few girls who have been sleeping in their cars/vans and woken up to the sound of someone trying to break in! So, do your best to make your van look like there is nothing valuable inside it. In some cities this means opening your glove box so people can see that there is nothing valuable in it. For me, I put up my sun shield every time, I put my curtain down, and I take my laptop and camera with me every time I leave the van. If I can’t take my laptop and camera with me then I hide them in my secret compartment inside the van that I’m not going to tell you about. This will make you feel a lot better about leaving your van somewhere if you need to. 

Sleeping comfortably

Sleeping is the hardest part for me.
The second thing you should do is invest in some ear plugs. Living in a city is LOUD and when you live in a van you have no barrier against construction or people walking by or cars driving by. Invest in some ear plugs, it will help you sleep I promise. 

Mental comfort

Another comfort thing is finding ways to get away from people. If you are like me, people overwhelm you sometimes and it can be really stressful to have no break from them. During the day I like to spend my time in public libraries, coffee shops, local parks or the beach. It helps me to gather my thoughts and give myself some much needed emotional space from all the hustle and bustle. I also work on my computer a lot so these places give me free wifi or just a nice space to be. Also, don’t sit in your van all the time, it will drive you insane. 

Be comfortable by staying clean

Another comfort thing I find is staying clean. When I’m out in the world I don’t shower or do laundry very often because I have other things to worry about. But in a city I shower as often as I can because there is a much more serious mental and emotional toll that you go through in a city. Taking a shower, doing laundry is a way for me to feel good in a small way even if I am feeling bad in a big way. 

My comfort advice is to really take care of yourself when you are in a city. Make sure that you have a way to unwind and collect yourself, and get good sleep or you won’t last a week!