From a Home-on-Wheels to the Stillness of the Mind
In September 2018, my alarm went off at 5:30 AM to catch a train from London to Durham (UK – North England). That day, I stepped into a brand-new Fiat Ducato Compass Avantgarde CV20. This home-on-wheels was generously provided by my sponsors, Elddis (part of the Erwin Hymer Group UK), for a full year of exploration around Europe!
It was named PeterVan through a public competition—a play on Peter Pan. Like his (almost) namesake, it was a symbol of youthful innocence, free-spirited adventure, and the “mischievous” courage to never truly grow up.
What started with a first week amongst autumn colours of the Scottish Highlands evolved into a c. 20,000km odyssey. This was the year the Gr8fool brand evolved from a personal philosophy to a coaching reality, documented across more than 50 blog articles written from the road.
Coaching Across 15 Countries.
Living the “Laptop Lifestyle” (or nomad life) is often sold as a dream, and although it is dreamy, a year on the road taught me the grit behind the glamour. As featured on Bossbabe Inc. article I wrote at the time, I shared that freedom isn’t necessarily the absence of work commitments; but can be found in the “winning combination” of doing what you love while managing the unpredictable “highs and lows” of life.
Coaching from a van requires a radical “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” on a stagnant mindset. Whether I was driving through the NC500 in Scotland, navigating the historic charm of the Czech Republic, enchanted by endless Italian Borghi, exploring the rugged inland and stunning coastlines of Greece, or waking up to the minimalist beauty of Denmark, I learned that change happens when we try something new and different. I discovered that your “next big contract deal” might be stretching on a yoga mat next to yours in a remote location or sharing a coffee at a campsite in France.
Vipassana: The 10-Day Pivot
Five months into the journey, after thousands of miles and dozens of blog posts, I entered a different kind of wilderness. I parked PeterVan in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines of Italy and entered a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat (also known as a “silence retreat”). This is an ancient technique aimed at eradicating impurities of the mind (learn more at www.dhamma.org).
For 10 days, I committed to “Noble Silence”: no talking, no gestures, no eye contact with other participants, and no mobile phone. If Vanlife was the “Paradox of Choice”, Vipassana was the “Power of No Choice”. Surprisingly, the silence wasn’t the toughest part; it was the internal work of observing the mind while managing distractions and thoughts, and meditating 11 hours per day, starting before dawn with the sound of a gong! I became known as the “Big Smiler”—even though I was smiling to myself and in total silence. And it was heart-warming to hear later that my sense of peace and joy was communicated through my every movement.
Vipassana taught me that the sound of silence speaks louder than words. It was a key piece of the “Unlearning” I started a year earlier. Whether you are living in a van or a fixed home, you can increase your awareness and gratitude anywhere.
In Peter Van, every drop of a hot shower felt amazing, and the coffee from the little stove, while parked in the most beautiful places, tasted better. That is the essence of being Gr8fool:
- Mastering Gratitude for the simple basics—like hand-washed laundry or a safe place to park along lakes or near forests.
- Achieving Greatly by having the courage to pivot when the road changes.
Are you craving a change but feeling stuck in the “rat race”? Whether you’re dreaming of a laptop lifestyle or just need to “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” your current mindset, let’s find your path.
