The dangers of modern nomadic living
As people like to say, a picture’s worth a thousand words, but behind the curated Instagram of an influencer, it’s possible that everything is controlled to the utmost perfection. Social media has birthed digital influencers, acting on their namesake in multiple factions of life. This ranges from fashion to food to lifestyle, like the nomadic living social media personalities creating a community on the internet.
Content surrounding nomadic living typically sees them glamorize their living space, over-romanticize their relationship with a partner, and claim to share each step of their journey with their viewers. The simple way of living presented to viewers is appealing to those of us who function as normal beings in society, but it can only be assumed how this lifestyle can affect someone who actually lives it. According to destinationtravels.com, a blog about the inner workings of van life, living in a cramped space with another individual can prove to be detrimental to a relationship. Living with a partner full-time can expose all characteristics—good and bad— in a person, and for a relationship to survive such a cramped space, it must have a very strong foundation and boundaries.
Recently, van life has been at the forefront of the internet because of the murder of van-lifer Gabby Petito. According to Christina Maxouris, a journalist for CNN, the Gabby Petito case covers a nomadic, van-lifer who went missing while on the road with her boyfriend. She was later found dead and presumed to be murdered by her then fiancé, Brian Laundrie. According to EJ Dickson, a journalist for RollingStone.com, this case has created a stigma around living in a van with a partner. But when considering someone who is dangerous enough to commit murder, such behavior stems beyond a living situation. When in a confined space, the characteristics of an abuser are simply magnified.
On the other hand, the shock of Gabby Petito’s death has brought the van life community closer together, and helped to improve conversation around the flaws of nomadiscism. Improving upon the current situation, and making the future safer for the community.
As far as solo traveling goes, we imagine perfect sunsets, beautiful national parks, and big smiles. But there's more to living alone—mental health, as anything, can be affected by nomadic living. Although there is a social aspect to meeting fellow travelers on the road, there is a lack of meaningful and lasting relationships made. According to Alexandra Baackes, a travel blogger on alexinwanderland.com, this can be very difficult on someone, due to a lack of routine and stability in a normal job. These factors considered, combined with a lack of normalcy, affect a traveler’s state of mind.
Living nomadically can change someone's perspective on life. There's so much you can see in parts of the world by traveling, and we tend to view our modern lives as over-emphasizing unimportant things or being mundane. Van life specifically has given recent generations a new outlook on life—a simpler one.
photos by bella alimenti