“What about when you get old?"

This is a question that we get asked time and time again when people find out that we live full time in our motorhome, and if you dream of living this way too then it’s likely to be one of the fears that hold you back.

This blog isn’t for those who feel completely fulfilled in their current lifestyle, nor is it meant to mock or belittle anyone’s choices. David and I don’t claim to be life experts. Instead, this is for anyone who dreams of living differently but feels hesitant about change or uncertain about what the future holds. We live full-time in our vintage Hymer S700, and we have the freedom to travel wherever we want. We truly have a home on wheels.

Love him or loathe him, Ricky Gervais perfectly encapsulates the urgency of living in the present with this quote:

“We are on a rock travelling around 1 of 100 billion stars.Our species is 1 of over half a billion that have ever existed.Our chances of being born are about 1 in 400 trillion. You're not special, but you are bloody lucky.Enjoy your amazing life. You'll never exist again.”

It’s easy to hear this quote and nod in agreement, only to fall back into the illusion that we have all the time in the world. Yet, time slips away, and before we know it, we’re caught in the endless cycle of daily routines. Each year that passes seems to make the clock tick faster.

For a long time, David and I, like many, were content with our lives. We worked hard, earned good money, paid our bills, and filled our home with more “stuff.” We enjoyed a couple of nice holidays each year, thinking this was the definition of success—because it’s what we’ve been taught to believe. The ultimate goal was retirement: that magical day when we could finally live the life we had always dreamed of. Yet deep down, we longed for freedom and adventure in midlife and to create a whole new chapter whilst we were still young enough and fit enough both mentally and physically to enjoy it. Our biggest fear was always about what the future would hold, and this fear held us back for much longer than it should have done.

We grew up with a blueprint for life: excel in school, secure a stable job, get married, have children, buy a house, and retire comfortably—ideally with more money than we’d know what to do with because we had made the perfect plans as walked through every passing year, investing wisely and accumulating wealth through sheer hard work at determination. We envisioned ourselves enjoying a leisurely retirement, traveling the world, dining out, and never worrying about bills.

But as we’ve learned, for some, that day never comes. One of David’s best friends, a healthy 40-year-old, tragically died from a massive heart attack, known as a “Widow Maker.” One moment, he was enjoying a happy family Sunday with his 7-year-old son; the next, he was gone.

These stories remind us of life’s fragility. We often think we are immune to tragedy, believing, “That will never happen to me.” But the truth is that none of us know what tomorrow holds.

David and I realized in our late 40’s that living in fear of the unknown was preventing us from truly living the life that we craved. We would tell ourselves, “We’ll do this when we retire,” or “When we have more money, we’ll finally start living.” Like so many, we believed we could plan everything out to ensure a secure future. However, life doesn’t work that way.

The Covid pandemic provided us the opportunity to rethink our priorities. We aren’t wealthy; we don’t have pensions, and while we have some savings, it’s nothing extravagant. During lockdown, we sat down and considered whether we could live full-time in the van. We reached a pivotal realization:

• Choice A: Continue as we were, hoping our hard work would secure a comfortable retirement, but risking the chance that we may not even reach that age or stage.

• Choice B: Choose to live a better life now, doing the things we wanted while we were still young enough to enjoy them.

Ultimately, we recognised we couldn’t have both. This was a big decision, and we needed to agree since it would impact our future.  Living a life that we dreamed of, in a way that we wanted to means that we probably sacrifice financial security later on but some of us cant have our cake and eat it.  That’s life!

Clearly, we opted for Choice B, and here we are, 4.5 years into the best adventure of our lives.

We’ve chosen to embrace the present and whilst we do have times when we think about what might be coming, we no longer live in a state of constant fear about the future in the ways that we used to be. Whilst we don’t have all the answers, we can assure you there is immense freedom and joy in living without waiting. Life is short, and every day is a chance to create the life you truly want.  Have a think about this, how many people do you know that have retired, sold it all and are now living the nomadic life that they always dreamed of?  Not many!

There are a few reasons for that, declining health, family commitments, fear of being away from home, regular medical prescriptions, lack of ability to drive a large vehicle, the loss of a partner and solo travelling no longer being an option or desirable.

It’s funny because people who are our age or younger, always say ”when we retire we will definitely do what you’re doing” and older people always say “Oh, we wished we had done that when we were younger but it’s too late for us now”

If you’ve been dreaming of a different life but feel held back by fear or uncertainty, remember this: the future is beyond your control. What you can control is today. Don’t let fear steal your time, dreams, and moments filled with excitement and fulfilment. While the unknown will always be there, so will the possibilities.

Life is too precious to spend in hesitation. If you feel the pull to change your path, take that first step. Adventure awaits, and the time to start living is now. Don’t let fear hold you back from the life you’ve always wanted.

“What About When We Get Old?”

Simply put, who knows? We are far too busy living our adventure to stop and worry about something that may never happen. If it does, perhaps we’ll be too busy cherishing our wonderful memories to care.

So, here’s to living fully today, embracing the journey, and creating a life filled with joy and adventure!

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are too busy living our fears”