Vanlife Journey - @TheWanderTravels

Hi there! My name is AJ and I am an adventure travel photographer from Maui, Hawaii, (@thewandertravels  on Instagram).  

          For as long as I can remember, it has been my dream to travel the globe full time and share my love for the world through my photography.  Immediately after high school, I chose to follow my dream and go full force into dedicating my life to being able to experience the world through my lens, and living the life that I was destined to.

          This past winter just after my 20th birthday, I started planning a trip that many would say, would be a dream of a lifetime.   I would drop everything and live on the open road for six months, road tripping across America.  

          With only two months of preparation time, I worked my tail off to save up for my new adventure.  I sold my car, packed up everything I needed to move out, bought a 1985 camper van on Craigslist on the mainland without even seeing it or test driving it, quit my main job, took an extended leave from my 2nd job, and bought a one way ticket with no return time!

          Uprooting my "stable" life in pursuit of my dreams, instead being stuck in the same revolving door everyday and struggling to make ends meet.  My passion is to live a life of fun, adventure, and travel everyday doing what I love, and why live a life that you don't want to live if it is not making you happy?

          I departed for my trip in March and have been living on the road for the past three months!  I can truly and honestly say that it has been the happiest I have ever been in my entire life, exploring through the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.  

          I have been living on the road, doing what I love, and watching my dreams come true right before my eyes.  The experiences that I have had, the places that I have been, the people that I have met, nothing can take away these amazing moments!  I have learned so much about not only myself, but about life and the world.  

               
                                                    But unfortunately, all great things must come to an end.


          Just a week ago, after putting over 7,000 miles on the van during the course of my trip, I took it in to get a normal checkup for regular upkeep and maintenance, but it turned out that it needed much more than a couple normal fixes.  Everything from the brakes, fuel pump, battery, shocks, multiple leaks in the engine, and many more, all needed to be fully replaced.  

          I was, and still am, completely devastated.  Without the financial capability to repair it and continue on my journey, I have been forced to put the van in storage, forfeit my dream, and return home.  With three months still left and only half of my goal completed, I have been working non-stop to get back on the road again.  

          I have spent so much time and effort into this trip, and to see it come to a screeching halt like this, I just can't put it into words of how heartbreaking it is.  

                                                                                              __________________________
   

          Living on the road has been the happiest time thus-far in my life, and with your help, I can repair the van and get back on the road as soon as possible in order to reignite my dreams of traveling for my photography.  Thank you so much for your generosity and love.  From one dreamer to another, I cannot wait to continue to share my story and my travels to all of you, and appreciate all of the support from all of those around me on my journey.  Mahalo and Aloha!            

                                                        -AJ,  @thewandertravels