A woman has left traditional living behind and embarked on a life on the road in a van, now travelling the world with her partner in a vehicle just big enough for two.
Nic Roams, 29, is a YouTuber from Telford, Shropshire, who shares details of her nomadic lifestyle with her followers.
She set off alongside her IT project manager partner, Sam Hollings, 30, earlier this year on a trip around Ireland and Northern Ireland after previously having explored the UK and Spain.
Now a full-time content creator, Nic said she wanted something new after she grew tired of traditional western life.
Nic said: ‘I am somebody who questions life and is always asking why we are programmed to live the way do.
‘Why we get told to climb the career ladder? Why are we told we must have a family? I always just have to do the opposite; I just cannot explain it.’
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The former HR worker embarked on her van life journey in 2018.
She added: ‘I actually became very eco conscious whilst working at Selfridges thanks to an awesome campaign on sustainability. I started trying to live and promote this lifestyle on my social media.
‘This got me into minimalism, and I discovered van life from social media posts in America.
‘You cannot be absolutely eco-friendly all the time, especially living on a small budget as I do now. It took a bit of a backseat due to the reality of my lifestyle now, but this is what sparked my lifestyle.
‘Two months after I learned about the lifestyle, I had my first van and left my job to pursue my new life.’
Before she got together with Sam, Nic travelled around parts of Europe in other vans.
She said: ‘I have converted Sam to enjoy van life.
‘We were friends before and he used to always tease me for living in a van and now look at us!
‘Through Covid we became very close, and we spent a lot of time in my previous van, which led us to getting a new van with more space.
‘We built the van together with the help of family and then hit the road last month where we took a spontaneous trip to Ireland.’
The couple first arrived in Northern Ireland and, thanks to their kitted out van, they were able to travel freely around the island.
Nic said: ‘I had never visited here before, so it has been amazing travel vlogging the journey. The locals are the most welcoming people I have ever met, I was blown away by the plethora of beauty as we drove the open roads.
‘One of the coolest places I came across was Bloody Bridge, Newcastle County, which had stunning waterfalls and natural pools.
‘It was the first day of the recent heatwave when we got there and a dip first thing in the morning, it was the perfect wake up, it’s great for your mental health too.’
If you’re tempted to make the switch to van life, Nic said the costs of living that way can vary depending on the size of the vehicle and the equipment you’ve got inside.
She added: ‘If you decided to live without luxuries your costs could be around £2000, but the top of the range equipment can take you to £7000-£8000 for the internal set up alone.
‘In our current van we have a full kitchen set up, toilet and shower facilities, garage for our mountain bikes and a corner sofa where we can enjoy the never ending changing views
‘Since Covid, van prices have skyrocketed. I wouldn’t be to start out in this current climate at all.’
Nic also highlighted that the lifestyle isn’t all winding roads and picturesque views – as with everything, there are some downsides too.
She said: ‘You have to learn to dispose of your waste and get used to confined spaces.
‘You are also dealing with the upkeep of the van like any other vehicle which can always become an expensive task.
‘I love the travel and the freedom, since I started, I have not looked back!’
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