Roadtrek Van Life to World Travel

Introduction

Life has a way of throwing you curveballs when you least expect it. Sometimes you catch them, sometimes you drop them, and sometimes you just take the hit and keep moving forward. For me, the story of Nomadicstan didn’t start with freedom on the open road. It started with survival. Sleeping in my car. Living day to day, trying to piece together a life that felt like it was slipping away.

But here’s the thing: those nights in a Kia Sorento, and later a Volvo S60, were stepping stones. They led me to a bigger life than I could have imagined. By 2018, I had transitioned into van life, bought my Roadtrek 190, and eventually started traveling the world — all while figuring out who I really was after 60.

This is the story of how I went from surviving in a car to thriving in a van to flying across continents. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and learning that it’s never too late to start over.

By 2018, I had already experienced two chapters of car life. First, I slept in a 2005 Kia Sorento out of necessity while driving limos and being one of the first Uber black car drivers in San Diego. Later, I lived in a 2012 Volvo S60 in Silicon Valley, even while making $70,000 a year as a Google bus driver — that time by choice, as a strategy to save money.

But everything changed in September 2018, when I finally upgraded to a 2004 Roadtrek 190 camper van. That decision opened the door to freedom, financial stability, and a journey that would eventually take me across the U.S., Mexico, South America, and Europe.

This is the story of how van life led me to world travel.

Leaving Google and Buying the Roadtrek

Fast forward to 2016. I had climbed a few rungs since those car-sleeping days in San Diego. I had gotten my Class B license, driven buses to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Las Vegas, San Francisco. I was stable.

Then, out of nowhere, I landed a job with Google, making $70,000 a year. The kind of job most people would celebrate by signing a lease on a shiny apartment in the Bay Area.

But here’s the thing: I had learned something during those nine months in San Diego. Expenses kill freedom. So instead of renting a place at $2,500 a month or more, I made a different choice. I lived in my 2012 Volvo S60.

This wasn’t desperation — it was strategy. I parked in safe areas, kept a gym membership for showers, and turned my car into a base of operations. I also stayed in hotels on weekends exploring cities. By doing this, I saved tens of thousands of dollars while working in Silicon Valley.

Some people thought I was crazy. Others thought I was brilliant. For me, it was simple: I was buying my freedom. Every dollar I saved brought me closer to a life I actually wanted.

In late 2016, I had joined the Google shuttle program as a driver, ferrying tech workers around Silicon Valley. It was steady work with decent pay, but the long freeway hours wore me down. After a knee injury and months of stress, I knew I needed a change.

By September 2018, I made a bold move: I bought a Roadtrek 190 Class B van. Compared to my Volvo sedan, this was like moving into a penthouse. I finally had a bed, a fridge, a stove, storage space, and the ability to live with comfort while still flying under the radar.

By December 2018, I officially resigned from my Google job. My life as a nomad had officially begun.

Roadtrek Adventures in the U.S.

I had saved enough and knew it was time to upgrade. I bought a Roadtrek camper van, and suddenly, car life became van life.

This was a turning point. Living in a car was about survival or strategy. Living in a van was about lifestyle. I had a bed, a kitchenette, storage, and most importantly — mobility. I could live comfortably and still move wherever I wanted.

I spent the next few years exploring California’s Highway 1, driving from Half Moon Bay down to San Diego, stopping at coastal towns, state parks, and scenic turnouts. I also started visiting national parks like Joshua Tree, Zion, and Yellowstone.

Van life gave me freedom, but more importantly, it gave me clarity. I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was starting to thrive, the adventures started rolling in.

• Oceanside, California: My first home base after leaving Google.
• Half Moon Bay: Weekends parked near the coast, enjoying festivals and the ocean breeze.
• 2020 Utah National Parks Tour: During the COVID lockdown, I visited Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. The van gave me the perfect way to travel safely and experience the outdoors.

Though 2020 was marked by grief and loss, the Roadtrek gave me a sense of healing. I could drive, camp, and reconnect with nature whenever I needed.

Discovering International Travel

By 2019, I realized that van life was just one part of my freedom. I also had the ability to travel abroad as well as the USA.

• Mexico (2019): First with a friend to Huatulco, then solo to places like Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas on my first cruise.
• Washington D.C. (2019): A stateside trip that reminded me how much I loved exploring new places and seeing the Nation’s Capital.
• Europe (2019): I made it to England, Amsterdam, and Greece — destinations that had once seemed out of reach when I was sleeping in a Sorento.

Each trip fueled my curiosity and confirmed that this was the life I wanted: mobility, discovery, and freedom.

Losing my Mom and Financial Freedom Through the VA

One reason I was able to make this shift was financial stability. For years, I had been receiving 30% disability from the VA for an injury suffered while serving, after new claims and appeals, that rating increased and provided some financial relief.

The timing was bittersweet: just days before my mother passed away in 2020, I was out on my first road trip, in my RoadTrek, visiting the National Parks in Utah. I received word of the approval. Although I had sent her some money, which she thanked me for, I never got to share the news officially with her. She passed before I could return. I saw her and hugged her before I left and said I’ll see when I get back.

The increase in benefits gave me the ability to pay off both my van and my car in full. No more payments. No more financial pressure. For the first time, I was free to design my life on my terms.

Latin America and a New Chapter

The freedom I carved out in van life eventually pushed me to take another leap: international travel.

From 2017 on, I began exploring the world. I’ve spent time in Vancouver, Greece, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. I’ve wandered through ancient ruins, stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon, ferried across to Victoria, and discovered small towns along the way.

Traveling solo at 60+ isn’t always easy. There’s the language barriers, the logistics, the energy it takes. But every challenge is matched by the reward of connection — with people, with cultures, and with myself.

In 2021, I traveled to Costa Rica — a dream destination that had been on my list for years. From there, I fell in love with Latin America.

• Mexico (beyond the tourist cities): Guanajuato, Ajijic, Lake Chapala, San Miguel de Allende – History, culture, and affordability impressed me.
• Ecuador: Guayaquil and Cuenca Another step deeper into South American life.
• Colombia: Where I eventually built a relationship, set down temporary roots, and explored cities like Cartagena, Santa Marta, Medellin and Bogotá.
• Panama & Peru: More stamps in my passport, more memories on the road.

Latin America gave me adventure, connection, and community — the opposite of the isolation I once felt living in a car for survival. It also did wonders for my dating life.

My Spanish Was Trash, But I Thrived Dating In Latin America Without Speaking Spanish

From Survival to Freedom

Looking back, it’s hard to believe how far I’ve come:

• 2013: Sleeping in a Kia Sorento, struggling to get by as a limo and Uber driver.
• 2016–2018: Sleeping in a Volvo S60 while working at Google, saving money, and planning.
• 2018–Today: Living in a Roadtrek, achieving financial independence, and traveling across the globe.

The difference is clear: what began as survival has transformed into freedom.

Lessons Learned from the Roadtrek Journey

Here are the biggest takeaways from my transition into van life and global travel:

1. Minimalism creates opportunity. The less you need, the more freedom you gain.
2. Car life builds resilience. If you can survive sleeping in a Sorento, you can thrive in almost any situation.
3. Financial planning matters. From VA benefits to paying off debts, money was the key to unlocking freedom.
4. Freedom is a choice. At first, I had no choice but to live in a car. Later, I chose it — and that made all the difference.

Conclusion: Why I Share This Story

This story isn’t about pity, and it isn’t about bragging. It’s about showing that reinvention is possible — even after 60.

I call this project Nomadicstan because it’s about carving out my own country, my own way of living, no matter where I park or land.

If you’re reading this because you’re stuck, lost, or wondering if it’s too late to start over — trust me, it’s not. If I could go from sleeping in a Kia Sorento to exploring Colombia with nothing but a backpack, you can take your own first step too.

The Story Continues

Today, I continue to travel, write, and reflect on the journey that started in the back of a Kia. My Roadtrek gave me the comfort to explore America, and the confidence to explore the world.

From car life to van life to world travel, my story proves that even the hardest beginnings can lead to incredible freedom.