In the past year, I spend eight out of the twelve months living in and out of my car. Approximately four months travel and four months in Copenhagen. There’s been a lot of ups and downs and I’ve gained so much from this experience.
Backstory
The idea of living in a car was actually planted in my mind years ago. Three years to be more specific. I had a few friends who had previously been an au pair and spoke highly of it, and I was in a point in my life where I felt like something had to happen, and after a conversation with one of my friends, I made the spontaneous decision to quit my apartment and go to Italy for three months as an au pair. The overall experience was not that amazing and thrilling as I’d imagined, but there’re always some positives to be found. Little did I know that this time in Italy would inspire me to go on two of the most epic adventures I’ve ever been on and inspire me to overcome my fears of the unknown more often and take more chances in life.
While I was in Italy I had three weeks to myself where I just had to take care of the house and the animals while the family was on vacation, I had a lot of free time and that led to me spending a lot of time reading and going deep in the black whole of randomness and information that is called Youtube. I watched a lot of the #vanlife videos and I spend so many hours looking at different vans, builds and destinations. I decided then and there that when I got back to Denmark I’d get a job specifically to save up for a van and money to travel for. I went on a couple adventures before getting back to Denmark again, like skating through Switzerland on a pennyboard and going on a youth project in Macedonia, but those are stories for another day.
Roadtrip
After having spend 3 months in Italy, and a few other spontaneous trips, it was time to save up for my car and road trip. It’s not easy getting a job these days, especially without a master or bachelor degree, so I decided to use my former elite swimming skills and became a lifeguard for one and a half year.
Also it’s not easy to find an affordable room while saving up a lot of money, and somehow I ended up renting a room on top of a BDSM club. Now, I believe that should also be a story for another day, but just know it was in the basement and I was on the second floor, and no, I was not able to hear anything…well only once or twice, but I’d say that’s pretty good for one and a half year. I did share the apartment with the owner and her friend, but the owner was only there two or three days a week and her friend had a wife in Thailand, so he was gone half of the year. I know it sounds crazy, but what is even crazier, is how quickly you get used to someone walking up in a latex suit while you’re cooking dinner. Things you gotta go through to save up money these days huh?
Aaaanywho, that allowed me to save up for my car, which ended up being a 2004 VW Caddy Life, the small tweaks, bed frame etc. that had to be done before my road trip. I’d spend a lot of time watching Youtube videos on how to build the van, but when it came down to it I made it very simple. I took out the back seats, cut a thin peace of wood that fit as the floor, build a simple bed frame that had storage underneath, and put a mattress that could fold in three on top of it, found a cool cabinet and cut off the bottom to make it fit, which also worked as my table, put some dark fabric on the wooden plate in the ceiling and doors for some aesthetics, got some fitted tinted plastic plates for my windows that I just popped in, and that was basically it. No sink, no fridge, no freezer, no extra battery. Done.
The bed was made so I could fold up the front half of it, making it into kind of a chair, so I could sit with my feed out the back and enjoy the view.
Also I made a portable shower/dishwasher using a weed sprayer and a cheap shower head. You just pump it a few times and then you have running water.
To be honest I didn’t use it much as a shower. Actually only like two times. For showers I’d usually sneak into camping grounds, jump in lakes or the ocean and the occasional wet wipe shower. I’m also very fortunate to have been working with youth projects through an NGO that I became a part of after going to Macedonia before the road trip, so I knew a few people in and around Europe, and of course I had to visit some of them and I’d shower there as well. Also I met people along the way who were so kind to let me use the shower and the occasional couch. The travel in itself was absolutely amazing, but I met people along the way, who I’m still in contact with to this day and it was such an important part of the journey. It’s also how some of my new tattoos comes into the picture, but I’ll get back to that.
The toilet situation is probably one of the biggest challenges when on a road trip. Also one of the most time consuming. Camping grounds, public toilets, restaurants and fast-food chains are some of the best options while on the road. As someone who’s not fond of supporting places like McDonalds anymore, there’s a certain satisfaction to just go in, drop one, get out, and get back on the road like “peace”, haha. Other than that, when you’re hanging out at a completely remote and empty beach for a week, then there’re basically only one option and that’s the good old bush. Now that’s something else you have to get used to.
When I got back from my road trip, I re-activated my gym membership and from there the shower and toilet situation was easy.
As what goes for light, I probably should’ve gotten something stronger, but I managed to get by with just two small battery driven LED lights and later on I got a chain with some lights that I could hang around where I wanted. To be as stealthy as possible I cut out some fabric to hang in front of the windows, so people didn’t notice the light from the outside. Light was the only thing that people could see through the tinted windows. I just held those up with some strong magnets and I put a stronger peace of black fabric between the back and the front seats to cover for the front window, and that was it. No one would ever expect someone to be sleeping in there, let alone living there.
It did take a bit of time to get used to sleeping in the car because you’re at a different spot most nights, but you adapt very quickly. I used earplugs to block out the noice and after realizing that no one really cared about a random car on danish plates, it was no problem from there on. I slept in places from Lidl and Ikea parking lots to public streets to beaches and forests and never had any problems. I think I only changed location two or three times because I got some bad vibes from the place I was at.
And it’s only after getting back to Denmark I’ve had the police “visit” a couple of times, but on the road trip, the closest I came to trouble was someone writing “wash me” on my back window and people peeing and taking drugs next to the car, because they had no idea I was in there. But that was very few times. And regarding the police situation, it’s illegal to live in your car in Denmark, because it’s not legal to sleep in there, unless you need a quick break from driving if you’re too tired. But the few times I had the police come by, was in this public beach area that I stayed at a lot, and they just drive around the area as routine, to make sure everything is good. They would usually come up to the car with their flash lights and try to look inside, but I’d always have my “curtains” up, so they couldn’t look through the windows or the front. Usually they’d just say something like “there’s a curtain in the front, I can’t see anything” and then they drive on, because they’re not able do anything. Again, my car is not exactly one you’d expect someone to sleep in, because from the outside it looks like there’re not even room to lay down inside, and also when I lock the car, there’s a small light in the front that blinks to show the car is locked.
Now for the absolute biggest challenge for me living in my car, both on the road trip and in Denmark…the food! Now, for the longest time I’ve always made my own food. In the past I spend a lot of my time in the gym and therefore I did’t eat what the normal mortals ate AKA my family, so I would always make my own food. And nowadays I’m on that vegan lifestyle, and I have trust issues okay, so I make most food myself.
I brought my pressure cooker, my pan and a small gas stove and that’s what I had to work with. Now for obvious reasons I didn’t pull out a gas stove in the middle of a public street and started cooking, so there were a lot of quick meals and ready to eat food. I like to eat semi healthy and I like to snack a looooot, so this was not easy for me. Obviously I ate fruits and nuts and all that easy stuff, but there were also a lot of bread with peanut butter and hummus, instant noodles and the occasional rice with vegetables in the pressure cooker when possible. Obviously outside the car or with multiple doors open, because you should never use a gas stove in a small closed space. Not only because of fire hazard reasons but also because the gas takes out the oxygen, and you know, we kinda need that to live, so don’t do that please.
Also while on the road you pass by a pretty good amount of Ikeas and they have their own vegan veggie hotdogs, and I’m kind of ashamed of how many of those I had on the road, but you know I had to show my support for them taking a step in the right direction, right? And for 0,5 € a peace in some countries…yo.
Lessons learned
Now after watching all those vanlife videos and pictures on Youtube and Instagram, you easily get the impression of “the good life”, minimalism, “less is more”, and all that good stuff. But of course I came to find out that reality is a lot different. Surprise! IG and Youtube is not real life.
Had I had an actual camper with running water, a toilet and electricity then that might be a different story, but I just had a car with no back seats and that of course comes with challenges. I spend a lot of time on practical stuff and I had not planned enough places to visit along the way, even tho I got to see some crazy and amazing places, I feel like I could’ve done more to have even more experiences in the bag. But it’s all just lessons for next time.
But having just a “normal” car with a simple build, did allow me to travel for cheap, go to more remote places easily and to be more stealthy.
The absolute best parts of the journey, besides the people I met, was being able to go explore some cool beaches, lakes and mountains. I went to visit bear and other animal sanctuaries, I went to an old underground salt mine that had been turned into a small amusement park with mini golf, a lake, ferris wheel and everything. I went to cool beaches that I had all to myself because I travelled in the off-season and I saw the clearest night skies I’ve ever seen in my entire life, because there were absolutely no light pollution around. It gave me time to read more and just being with myself. It allowed me to remove a lot of noice in my head and deal with stuff that had been going on for a long time. It taught me how to laugh in tough situations and deal with life in a better way.
The other thing that I truly appreciate was the people I met and the friends I made along the way. Now, I’m introvert AF and still dealing with some social anxiety, so I’m terrible at meeting new people and initiate conversations with strangers, but I had a secret weapon for that. The vegan community. More specifically, the activism community. While traveling I did as much activism as I could with the groups Anonymous For The Voiceless and Animal Save Movement.
I’d already become familiar with the groups in Denmark before I went off and the beauty is that no matter where you go, the concepts are always the same, so I felt confident about going. That was such an easy and meaningful way to meet like minded people along the way. Most places they go to eat and hang out after the events and that made it easier to talk to people. I did events in 5 countries. Multiple times in some, and I had a great time with some of those people. Some led to funny moments and good conversations and others lead to even more activism and matching tattoos. Moments and memories I’ll cherish forever.
The one that stands out the most, is a friend I made while I was in Slovakia. I was partaking in an activism event in Bratislava and after the event I decided to stay there for a week to participate in another one the following weekend. That weekend two organizers came from Switzerland to help out and we got to hang out for a few days afterwords at an activist’s place in Bratislava. We did a few other events and brought some stuff to an animal sanctuary, which was basically just this very sweet lady’s very small backyard turned into a home for a lot of pigs and rabbits.
In those days I really connected with one of the organizers from Switzerland and she offered me a couch to sleep on, should I ever come to Zurich. Couple off weeks later I was ringing her doorbell. It rarely happens that I really connect with another human being, but this woman and I were in the same wavelength. You know, one of those people who get the jokes and you can talk to about anything. The kind of person you can just have a funny conversation with about Buddhism, rural areas, God and anglerfish, in the car on the way to an animal sanctuary, and then get matching tattoos of said anglerfish and a reference to your favorite book because of that conversation. You know…Right?
I know you will be reading this my friend and we will reunite, hopefully in the near future!
On the trip I also went back to Macedonia to attend a Youth project, organized by another friend of mine. Here I made even more friends and I got so inspired to take my photography skills to the next level because of my bro Matt from Poland that I met there.
All in all I’ve come to learn that I’m not really a destination person. Especially if there’re no people at the destination. I thrive more being on the road. I just enjoyed driving in the mountains, just being in the car, just driving, listening to music, singing and rapping along to songs or listening to insightful podcasts. Shoutout Rich Roll Podcast, Generation V and Plantetinget!
I’ve learned that when I’m in bigger cities I seem to struggle to figure out what to do and what to see and experience. For me, most cities look similar and architecture and history are not really my thing. Instead, give me an open road that leads to an empty beach somewhere and I’m good.
Another lesson I’m taking from this, is to appreciate the little things more, like running water, electricity, light, health, access to good food and free information. That it’s very important to try out the things that you can’t seem to get off your mind. And sometimes, but only sometimes, it’s a good idea to plan a bit ahead.
Back in Denmark
Basically I started this whole thing because I wanted to do the road trip and and the car was good for that, but when I got back to Denmark and I had to figure out what was next, it was not the initial plan to live in the car. But I didn’t have money for an apartment at the time, and as nice as my parents are, I was not planning on staying at their place while saving up enough money for an apartment.
One day I was in Copenhagen for a meeting with our NGO and the guys said “why don’t you just live in your car here? That’s what we’d do” and I thought to myself, why not give it a shot, it will be an experience. Luckily one of them were able to set me up with a job and not long after I moved/drove to Copenhagen. Unfortunately this was after I suffered a shoulder injury and I had to quit the job, as it was very physical demanding and I had to give my shoulder rest and the time to heal. So I lived here for a few months not really doing much, just a bit of small jobs here and there but nothing steady.
However I did manage to save up enough for a room here, because I wouldn’t be able to survive the winter in the car. And yo, it’s soooo good to be able to make good and healthy food again!
The four months living in my car in Copenhagen had a lot of ups and downs. When I got back from the road trip, I didn’t know in which direction I should go in. Something I’ve struggled with for a long, long time. And on top of that I pulled the muscle in my shoulder and I wasn’t able to work out for over 6 months. Lifting weights was my main way of letting off steam and I no longer had that. That just made my situation even more difficult, but I quickly realized that it was something I had to go through and just deal with in the best way possible. But damn it was hard. On top of that I started a new job and it was very frustrating because there was such a long learning process and it’s very unstructured. It was so stressful at times. And to put the cherry on top of that, I bought a lens for my camera from a danish second hand website, and now, a month after, I still don’t have it, and the dude I’m buying it from, is refusing to give me my money back and I still haven’t heard back from the police. Yay.
So there’s been a lot going on and in these past couple of weeks I’ve seen parts of myself and witnessed feelings I hadn’t experienced since I was dealing with a very bad depression. If not for the mental tools that I’ve collected over the past years, I probably would’ve gone right back, but that’s the thing about awareness. Once you’re aware of the situation and are able to notice those feelings as they are arriving or catch them in the act, then you can create distance. You realize what’s happening and you know it’s temporary. I’m not always able to switch and get out of that negative space immediately and the voice in my head just keeps running. It’s angry, it’s hateful and it’s blaming. But the difference from now and then, is that now I know it’s the voice and not me. It’s ego. I know it’s temporary and I can let it ride out and over a small period of time completely let it disappear. Years ago I could’ve staying in that state for months at a time, only getting out when hanging out with friends, working out or drinking.
I realize that this is just another period I have to go through. I’ve mentioned before that my depression and social anxiety was some of the best things that ever happened to me, because of what I gained from the growth process afterwords. This is the same. I know that this is something I have to go through to become stronger. To once again shift my perspective and view of the world. I know that the reason for me being as broke as I’ve ever been in my life, is so I can appreciate what I’ll have in the future, and more importantly to appreciate what I have in this moment, without the money. The things that truly matters.
So what’s next?
That’s the question isn’t it? Once again I find myself being a bit lost. But I think I might have an overall idea.
I’m thinking about leaving Copenhagen again. Either go back to Jutland or somewhere else where rent is cheaper, get a part time job and start focusing on things I really enjoy doing. One thing is for sure. I have to sell the car to be able to do it. But it’s just a car. I’m not sure I will ever live, or travel in one again, but I know for sure that if I decide to do it, I now have the knowledge and experience on how to do it better.
For now, I’m sticking to the job I have until January and until then I’m stuck in this weird and a bit dark place in life, but that is okay. It’s necessary. It’s just the slingshot stretching, getting ready to fly my a** to a better place. It’s all good.
Seriously, thank you for reading! I appreciate it massively! As always, feel free to check out my other posts and until next time, just be a decent human being, man. Aight.
Peace.
Reset Dennis 