Sometimes you just have to live in your van and get a job

Vanlife isn't always a vacation, sometimes it's just a financial reality

Get an address

The first thing you should do if you know you are going to be in a city full time for a while is get a PO box! This is essential because you can have an address in the city for all your important documents to get delivered to. Post office boxes can cost between $19-$75 a month depending on the size and location of the box. 

Get a home base

Second thing is to get a gym membership! Gyms are great places where you can get water, a shower, you can make friends, you can even get a locker in some places. I find gyms to be really helpful mental breaks from the real world. I turn my headphones up loud, get on the treadmill or stair master, take a nice long shower and just unwind from my day. 

Get alternative transportation

Third thing is to get a bike! If you can locate a nice safe space to park that isn’t too far away from the places you need to be, then you should get a bike with some hearty bike bags. Biking saves you a lot of the stress of parking, you can save money on gas, and exercise is always good for lifting your spirits.  

Lock down a routine

You should also develop a routine. I need a routine in order to thrive, if I’m too lax I start to get lazy and then I start to get lethargic and then I just start to fall apart. It’s nice to know I need to get up at 7 and go to the library, get some work done and then bike to the grocery store and then the gym. 

Get into nature if you can

And finally, my last tip is actually to leave the city every once in a while! If you are trapped in a situation where you have to be city bound for a while, at least take the weekend to go outside. It can be really draining to live in a van in a city and giving yourself that break is really crucial to not going absolutely crazy. Go to the beach, make some friends and go on a hike, swim in a lake, go rock climbing outside!