A reflection from my Vanlife years — rewritten for the wild-hearted mamas.
Before motherhood, I lived in a van not to live in a van…but to live outside.
Eighty square feet with a partner and two dogs taught me plenty about coziness, but the real reason I chose that life was for the wild spaces: practicing yoga in the open air, chasing waves, pedaling through forests, hiking until the noise of the world fell away.
Back then, I didn’t always prioritize time outdoors. Before Vanlife, I worked a traditional 9–5 for a real estate agency and freelanced for The New York Times. I believed I had to earn my time outside — two weeks of vacation per year. Sometimes I’d squeeze in a hike or surf session, but mostly I was burning off stress on a treadmill, trying desperately to keep my anxiety from swallowing me whole.
I wasn’t alone. A 2017 Stress in America report found that 75% of Americans experience at least one stress-related symptom every month.
Progress, productivity, competition — they’re baked into our culture. They can move us forward, but they can also quietly burn us out.
Six-plus years roaming North America by van taught me that nature isn’t optional — it’s medicine. And now, as a mother, I feel that truth in an even deeper way. Getting outside isn’t a luxury anymore; it’s how I reconnect to myself while holding space for a little human who’s learning from everything I model.
Here’s what time outdoors gives us — especially as mothers.
1. It Expands Your Comfort Zone (and Your Resilience)
As a Vanlifer, I learned that weather never asks permission:
The warm sunny day turns stormy.
The trail is muddier than you expected.
Winter demands layers; summer demands patience.
The hill you thought you could climb easily becomes a metaphor.
Motherhood mirrors this perfectly — unpredictable, uncomfortable, full of surprise terrain.
Being outdoors strengthens the part of you that can adapt, flex, and breathe through challenge. Cold air sparks immunity. Uneven ground builds proprioception (your body’s internal GPS). Nature nudges you toward resilience — a resilience you carry into parenting, partnerships, work, and your own inner landscape.
2. It Enhances Creativity + Mental Clarity
On the road, I learned something magical:
When you step outside, your to-do list fades, and a quieter intelligence takes over.
The rustle of trees.
A dragonfly landing on your hand.
Your heartbeat syncing with the ocean or river.
Your child collecting rocks like they’re jewels.
This is what neuroscientists call soft fascination, a meditative state where your mind unwinds and your imagination switches back on. It’s a counterbalance to the chaos — the screens, the schedules, the “What’s for dinner?” whirlpool.
As mothers, creativity isn’t just about art — it’s problem-solving, intuition, patience, innovation. Time outside keeps that channel open.
3. It Improves Your Physical + Emotional Health
More than 190 million people were studied in a sweeping analysis, and the results were clear:
Time outside reduces:
• Type II diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stress levels
• Sleep disturbances
And it improves:
• Mood
• Gut health
• Immune function
• Overall vitality
For mothers — who are often depleted, overstimulated, or spread thin — these benefits matter more than ever.
A Life That Includes the Outdoors — Not as an Escape, but as a Homecoming
Motherhood is full, beautiful, and demanding. And being outdoors doesn’t require a van, a big trip, or a perfect schedule. It can be:
• A barefoot walk in your backyard
• Nursing on a blanket in the sun
• A stroller walk at dusk
• A trail adventure with your child in a pack
• Ten minutes of fresh air while your little one naps
Imagine a life where time outside is a pillar, not an afterthought — where you feel grounded in a changing environment, supported by nature’s rhythms, and reconnected with the version of you who is still in there: radiant, curious, resilient.
The great outdoors helped me thrive on the road.
Now it helps me thrive as a mother.
And it can help you, too.