Nomadic Couple Spends 6 Years Traveling 80,000 Miles Across Europe in a Van

The Rolling Home Van Life

In the Spring of 2010, partners Lauren Smith and Calum Creasey—founders of The Rolling Home—decided to pack only their essential possessions and to set out on an adventure that would end up being a six-year-long road trip. With little money and a lot of imagination, they bought a Volkswagen T4 and transformed it from a regular transporter van into their dream home.

Starting from their hometown of Buckinghamshire, England, they travelled 80,000 miles (more than 128,000 kilometers) through Europe—from the beaches of Portugal, to the forests of Denmark. Within the self-built van, the couple made sure they had everything they needed, including a compact kitchen complete with a sink, gas hob, and storage.

Earlier this year—with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign—Smith and Creasey combined their love of travel and journalism by releasing The Rolling Home book. It tells their story through a compilation of photos, words, and illustrations, as well as the stories of others they met along the way. Additionally, the adventurous duo create quarterly journals that “celebrate alternative living.” Now in it’s third edition, each journal “documents stories, interviews, artwork, images, technical knowledge and advice,” with an aim to inspire readers to adopt their own “rolling homes.”

Currently, Smith and Creasey are living in their van on a small holding in Cornwall, England. Found through the Workaway website, here they work part-time building cabins, and gardening. The rest of the time they run their small online store—through Stokedeversince—which sells curated items you might need to start your own on-the-road adventure, as well as their own #vanlife merch.

Lauren Smith and Calum Creasey packed their van and went on an 80,000 mile journey through Europe.

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

They transformed an old Volkswagen T4 into their dream “rolling home.”

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home Van Life

Now they're curating their online store, providing everything you might need for a life on the road.

The Rolling Home Van Life

The Rolling Home: Website| Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [designboom, this isn’t happiness]

All images via The Rolling Home.

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#Vanlife: The Wanderlust-Inducing Lifestyle of Roaming Across the Country in a Home-on-Wheels

Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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