Hey, my name is Matty. As you may know, I currently live full-time on the road in my Nissan Interstar self-converted campervan. This lifestyle gives me the time and freedom to explore and learn what I can about the world around us including the food and medicine mother nature has to offer. This year marks my 4th year living as a nomad, but let’s go back to the beginning and discuss how it all began.
Just like many others, I was following the step-by-step guide that society teaches us: School > good grades > university > graduation > well-paid job > work > retirement > death. I’m no genius, but I did relatively well at school and then went on to university to study Computer Games Design.
I returned home to my rural village and of course the demand for Games Designers was….well, zero. So I got swallowed up by the catering industry. I worked my way up the ranks from kitchen porter to head chef in the space of a couple years.
Then came about an interesting opportunity! A friend of mine regularly spent her winters in the Alps skiing and suggested that me and my partner at the time should join her. So we did, we dropped everything and headed snowboarding for 5 months where I catered for an 18 person chalet. Safe to say we took advantage of our guests unlimited wine privileges.
After the winter season it was back to work but I’d had a taste for travel now, the freedom, the adventure: it was in my veins. So I tried again, ended my rental lease, quit my job and bought a van. I’d known about van life for years through YouTube but this adventure was short lived as I stayed in campsites every night, my van was basic – as you can see below – and I tore through my savings quickly. It was essentially a glamorous holiday and I never saw it as way of life – yet.
I eventually landed a relatively well-paid and stable job as a Graphic Designer, something much closer to what I had studied than being a chef! A job that I could work until I retired. However, despite climbing the ladder to head of design and getting a rise I never felt truly satisfied with my success. I began to ask myself why? For the first time in my life I had a growing savings account and of course I considered putting it down as a deposit on a house, because that’s what we’re supposed to do, right?
I began house hunting and in my mind my new home would have to meet three criteria in order for me to justify spending so much cash and entering a 20+ year mortgage. And so began the search for a rural property with a garden and a functioning fireplace. Realistically I knew I didn’t have much chance of securing all three of these desires with the capital I had available and this soon became apparent. And honestly, could I really part with all my hard earned money and sign the dotted line that defined my next 20+ years for something that didn’t even excite me, it just felt like the thing I was supposed to do?
That got me wondering, surely there are other options? According to societies guide book I could of course continue renting somewhere and pay someone else’s mortgage. Likely still without a garden or fireplace. Then the light bulb moment; what if I drop the guide book altogether and explore an alternative lifestyle? And that’s where vanlife really entered my life.
It was time to try again and really give it my all, I wanted to start a new life, on the road.
I kept working my job, sold my car and bought an old transit van. Bruce was a short wheel based Ford Transit with a low roof. It was the largest vehicle allowed within the regulations of my parking permit. As a 6’5″ man I had wanted something bigger but if I couldn’t learn to compromise then van life certainly wasn’t going to work for me. Bruce was previously a BT van, which was great news because he had good service history but the bad news was the miles and miles of cables within the walls and structure of the van. Off came the plastic wall panels and out came the wires. And there it was, a blank canvas, a home with no restrictions on wall colour, hanging pictures or decorating – my first glimpse of freedom of expression.
With zero knowledge, woodworking skills and very few tools I Googled, cut, screwed and glued my way through the next five months until eventually the van was looking ready to be called a home. The countdown had began, I would eventually hand in my notice, inform the letting agent and swap the bricks for tarmac.
However, the countdown was soon cut short by everyone’s favourite virus, covid-19.
I remember the night vividly. The van nearly packed, the house in disarray, boxes everywhere, cleaning to be done and the world in panic. Sat on the floor with my phone propped upon a cardboard box, Boris Johnston spoke to the nation, announcing that as of midnight that night the country would enter lockdown.
What ensued was the most stressful moment of my life but some how boxes were packed into the van, rubbish was cleared out, the house cleaned and the keys posted through the letting agents letter box. That was it, good bye bricks and motor.
The drive to my mum’s in Scotland was surreal. What if I got caught driving at 3am? Was the world about to come crashing down? It was certainly a baptism of fire. However, that was it: I was now finally, a full-time vanlifer…of sorts.
Lockdown meant I was stuck in mum’s yard for months but it gave me the time to make final adjustments to the van and ready myself for the open road.
I hit the open road and spent three years exploring the UK, from the very top of Scotland down to Devon and everything in between. It was settled, this was my lifestyle and I see no plan to ever live in a house again; I will always live an alternative lifestyle.
With so much extra time to focus on what I love I started a Youtube channel and began documenting my vanlife experience. This soon developed into a channel that helps to teach others about the natural world and inspire like minded people to get out into the wilderness and to question the constructs of society. The community that I have grown brings me so much new found knowledge and connection and I am super grateful for everyone who has joined my journey thus far.
As much as I loved my wee van Bruce I knew that I needed to upgrade to something bigger and the opportunity had presented itself; someone I knew on Instagram was selling a mid-wheel base, high top Nissan Interstar. I bought the van and the process began again. Stripping it back to bare walls and building my dream home. All of which I documented on my Youtube channel (in case you are interested).
So here I am, in my new van, living nomadically, learning about the natural world and looking forward to the future that lies ahead.
I would love for you to join me on my journey. If you are interested in Vanlife, foraging, adventure, bushcraft, frugal living and nature then I suspect you might like my content. You can find me on all the usual social media platforms but I take great pride in my YouTube channel and would love for you to jump over and have a look.
Below you can find my social links and a video of mine that may just teach you a thing or two about well-being and how to look after your body and mind.