New York Times article - How NOT to experience van life........

[user 29855]

Hi everyone, I subscribe to the digital version of the New York Times, and recently read (with amusement and horror...) an article written by Caity Weaver. Amusement, because it is at times quite funny, but horror because of the "life experience" it portrays. While it's obviously exactly what will happen if you set out for a day or a life in a van, it certainly would discourage anyone thinking about such a move. Anyhow, it can be read online or listened to in an audio version.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/magazine/van-life-dwelling.html

 

[abnorm]

PayWall shut me down

Edited to add was she really sleeping in the roof tent as the first photo implied ?

 

[peteg59]

Same here...

 

[Morgana]

Try this
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/...I5Q4S8hKwCpm-YngvYXG3RhZ8TeDDv&smid=url-share

(I have a subscription, it let's you "give" 10 articles a month and that's what the link looks like. Should be very safe to click on.)

 

[Ripper238]

Reading that was stressful. lol I would hate to live in a van with that state of mind.

This statement really got me.
"I wondered aloud, in a nonchalant tone that made it clear I wasn’t asking for myself, if there was “definitely enough oxygen in the van, right?”

 

[Morgana]

Hysterical. Reminded me a bit of Bill Bryson's Walk in the Woods ... or a Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum escapade.

 

[Tony's Dream]

I agree. Van life might be something one falls into......or by choice.....but you really have to have a positive mindset that you want to be there. That can help you through any issues that may come up. Having a poor attitdue might cause you to quit when issues occur.

 

[Morgana]

What struck me was how little preparation they did -- not knowing their gear, trying to set up after dark (right? IIRC), picking one of the busiest parks in the country ...

OTOH if the goal was not to make a success of vanlife but to gather enough material for a story, then I guess she did that all right!

 

[AmargosaWayne]

Didn't bother reading the article.

Don't take advice on living an outdoors, nomadic lifestyle from the NY Times.

Maybe shouldn't take any advice from the Gray Lady.

 

[Morgana]

It wasn't an advice article.

And anyway that's like saying you don't take advice from Canada. Lots and lotsa very different people write many different kinds of articles for the New York Times.

 

[Bunpoh]

It was funny sometimes, and at the same time made me cringe. She was coming from such a place of privilege. It's not so funny if you don't have a choice.

Also, it seemed to be written by someone who doesn't even understand the point of it as a choice when you do have the ability to choose it.

I guess I find it gross when people do these things - build tiny houses or live on the road - as a fashionable edgy trend to follow rather than understanding the real reasons why it makes sense for people, whether it's economics, adventure, sustainability, freedom, etc. I guess it can be viewed as a parody of people just following the herd.

 

[Morgana]

Kinda what it looks like when someone with a moderate amount of writing talent and not much work ethic phones it in.

 

[Zoomyn]

Hope they got an ’excellence by attendance trophy’ instead of a paycheck.. .

 

[user 29855]

Didn't bother reading the article.

Don't take advice on living an outdoors, nomadic lifestyle from the NY Times.

Maybe shouldn't take any advice from the Gray Lady.

Perhaps reading the article would have given you a better opportunity to form an opinion on it......

 

[user 29855]

It was funny sometimes, and at the same time made me cringe. She was coming from such a place of privilege. It's not so funny if you don't have a choice.

Also, it seemed to be written by someone who doesn't even understand the point of it as a choice when you do have the ability to choose it.

I guess I find it gross when people do these things - build tiny houses or live on the road - as a fashionable edgy trend to follow rather than understanding the real reasons why it makes sense for people, whether it's economics, adventure, sustainability, freedom, etc. I guess it can be viewed as a parody of people just following the herd.

I couldn't agree more. Obviously she had no interest in learning anything about the life choice, let alone the life style. Personally, it wasn't a choice at first, but now it has been for several years. Wouldn't change it for a stationary anything!

 

[Catalystgrrl]

Her writing was hilarious. Found myself chuckling often. She had to do it as a work assignment and is deathly afraid of driving, so it makes sense that she didn't enjoy it. The rental van seemed pretty cramped too.

 

[NomadCat]

Yeah, I read the article when it came out; this was my comment on it: “This was amusing, but more about the author and her personal quirks than van life itself. If you want to learn more about actual full time van life, see the book (or movie) “Nomadland” by Jessica Bruder, or “How to Live in a Car, Van, or RV” by Bob Wells. Or, NY Times, I’ll write you an article for an appropriate fee (have to pay those increased gas prices somehow!). I’ve been full time for over 3 years and prefer this to paying enormous rent and utility bills.” NYTimes hasn’t asked me for an article yet. . If you read the comments (often the best part of a NYTimes piece), more than half the readers didn’t think much of it…

 

[peacetara]

This was overall a hilarious piece, though I'm in agreement with NomadCat that it's more about her than vanlife. Also, it does point out something, the day to day life of living is very different from what most people are used to. It's easy for us that have been at it a while to forget those first few days/weeks of living like this. I don't frequent tictok or IG, but the little I've seen def. spin it as some amazing adventure, when that's not remotely true some days. Some days are very very hard.

 

[YUIPME]

while reading, i wondered if the writer exaggerated to generate emotion rather than to go into the experience with a open mind. IE when she wakes up feeling claustrophobic+ freaking out thinking there is a lack of oxygene and jumps outside the van onto the ice cold ground. who reacts that way? If anything she could have rolled down the windows or ran the heater. Either this person is living in some alternative reality where they dont understand how everyday life works or is dumb as a pile of bricks or made it all up. i just cant imagine someone *who is rational* would sincerely react in this way. This is why NY times is seen as a journalistic rag

 

[Retired 96]

Hi everyone, I subscribe to the digital version of the New York Times, and recently read (with amusement and horror...) an article written by Caity Weaver. Amusement, because it is at times quite funny, but horror because of the "life experience" it portrays. While it's obviously exactly what will happen if you set out for a day or a life in a van, it certainly would discourage anyone thinking about such a move. Anyhow, it can be read online or listened to in an audio version.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/magazine/van-life-dwelling.html