So, everyone has a dream, some are small, attainable things, others seem huge and far away. One of my dreams has always been to set off into the unknown, to explore, see things, have adventures without needing to come back. Sure, i will probably want to come back, to see people and share my stories; but the idea of not having to, of being free, really appeals.

As you might imagine, such freedom costs. Never having played the lottery, my chances of winning it are somewhat small, therefore a creative (by which I mean cheap) way to explore must be found. This need to explore and still afford to eat is what led me to be attempting to drive a 1978 VW Campervan on a freezing January day. The plan was to hire a van for the weekend to see if campervan life was for us, whether or not we could survive and perhaps thrive in such an environment.

Having had a 5 minute test drive with the hire company we were left with the van and a vague plan of where we might go. Turns out, going is hard, particularly in a van that hates first gear. However, once we got it in gear and slowly trundled off, we started to get excited about the adventure – that was until the first roundabout. What those amazing Instagram pictures of cute VW’s travelling the world don’t tell you, is that they are a NIGHTMARE to drive! The brakes barely work, they stall frequently, and occasionally need a 30 minute rest before they will start up again. Also, those fancy air vents are just there for cold air, the red lever doesn’t actually change the temperature, just reminds you that other cars have heating. Sure, we have been pampered by fancy modern cars with their power steering and lights that actually illuminate things, but I rather like being pampered!

All of which might lead you to believe we had a rubbish time; we didn’t. We had a gas stove (apart from on Saturday when it wouldn’t light) we had hot water bottles, electric hook up for a fan heater and a big sleeping bag – so stayed cosy. The best thing was waking up somewhere, knowing you are already on your adventure. Cooking bacon sandwiches for breakfast, as it is allowed when you are camping; drinking hot tea out of a cafetiere as the hire company only provided one mug! Hearing nothing except a babbling stream when you go to bed, no cars, no people (I was slightly concerned the stream would have a negative effect, but luckily not!)

So, despite the hardship, I would suggest you go explore, hire a van (not from the people we hired from) and get out there. Our experiment is not over, we know that a classic VW old school camper is not our next home…time to check out a fancy new one!

Check out more pictures at: http://www.instagram.com/luxuryexplorers