In March 2018, we bought a 2006 Chevy Express and spent four months converting it into a home after work. By June, we moved into the van full-time and lived by the river in Minneapolis for a year and a half.
Recently, we hit the road to ski through the American West. I plan to hike the Pacific Crest Trail while Peyton goes on a climbing tour.
The dream to convert a van started back in 2016 when I hiked the Appalachian Trail for five months, living out of a backpack. It was the happiest time of my life.
Peyton and I wanted a life focused on simplicity and outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, skiing, and water sports, rather than collecting things.
Peyton and I met during a summer internship in Minneapolis in 2015. We planned a camping trip with friends to Wisconsin, but ended up alone and fell in love under the stars by a remote lake.
For the next year and a half, we met for weekend adventures while I finished school at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, and Peyton completed his degree at Illinois Tech in Chicago. After graduating, I hiked the Appalachian Trail while Peyton started his job in Minneapolis.
We cherished our time together, filled with adventures. After moving in together in Minneapolis, we saved up, bought our van, and adopted our puppy, Luli.
Follow our journey on Instagram: instagram.com/sydandpey
