The Wayward Home Podcast

31: Does Van Life Help Mental Health? Katie Larsen of So We Bought a Van Spills All

April 19, 2023 Kristin Hanes Season 1 Episode 31
The Wayward Home Podcast
31: Does Van Life Help Mental Health? Katie Larsen of So We Bought a Van Spills All
The Wayward Home Podcast +
Become a supporter of the show!
Starting at $3/month
Support
Show Notes Transcript

Mental health used to be a taboo topic, but more and more young van lifers are bringing it to the forefront. In this episode of The Wayward Home podcast, Katie Larsen dives deep into her own struggles with mental health, her advice for others who might be dealing with mental health issues on the road, and her journey to a better self through discovery, therapy, and self-healing through van life.

What We Cover in Episode 31 of The Wayward Home Podcast

  • Why Katie started living in a van in the first place, and the different types of vans she's lived in and built out
  • Katie's journey of van life both solo and with a partner
  • Katie's struggles with mental health throughout her life and how van life impacted her state of mind
  • How Katie deals with mental health on the road
  • Katie's advice for other people who might (or might not be) struggling with mental health
  • Why it's so important to erase the stigma surrounding mental health


Follow Katie Larsen:

If you listen on Apple podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review will really help me out. Thanks!

Find out more about Q&A Day, where you'll get 1-1 virtual coaching with me: https://thewaywardhome.lpages.co/qa-day-podcast

Want to live the van life but have no idea where to start? My FREE Van Life Starter kit has specs and measurements on 10 different vans, van buying and build ideas, remote work ideas and websites I use to find free campsites.

Download it here: https://thewaywardhome.lpages.co/van-life-starter-kit-podcast/

Support the show

Connect with Kristin Hanes and The Wayward Home!

Katie:

And this was the first time I ever just sat by myself. Quiet nature. I wasn't working very much at the time, so I just had a lot of free time to really dive into kind of some of those darker places and demons that I hadn't been holding onto for a really long time. That was really the cracking open of really understanding myself and really understanding my own mental health. In this episode

kristin:

of the Wayward Home podcast, how Van Life and especially Solo Van Life really helped Katie Larson tackle her mental health struggles, her tip story, and efforts to destigmatize mental health coming. Let's go. Welcome to

Katie:

the Wayward Home Podcast, all about Van Life, boat life, and Nomadic Living. We'll bring you tips, interviews, and stories from the road and on the water. Now, here's your host, Kristen Haynes.

kristin:

Hey there. I'm Kristen with the wayward home.com, and I spend half the year in my camper van and half on my sailboat. Right now, I am in the Sea of Cortez, along the coast of Baja, Mexico. Earlier this year, I hosted the Vanlife Virtual Summit. Project Van Life. That's where this interview with Katie Larson of, so we bought Avan first aired. So let's get into it. Our topic is mental health, but I first wanted to jump into just some nitty gritty stuff like Katie, I wanna know a little more about you and how long you've been living in a van. So

Katie:

let's start with that. Yeah. Uh, first of all, thank you for having me on. Also, I'm super excited to be here again with you and chatting. So yeah, I've been in the van for, uh, over five years now, full-time, um, which is, I mean, time just flies. It feels. The years. Just keep tacking on. But, um, I am currently in my third van that I've lived in. Um, so I started in 2016 and a sprinter converted that for six months or so. Moved into it, um, spring of 2017. Um, traveled in that for about, uh, two years, give or take. Um, I traveled with a partner for a while and uh, we were. Uh, conno line for a while, and then, um, I've now been in my current transit for about two years now, so, um, kind of a lot of switches, but it's been a really good, a really good route so far.

kristin:

Yeah. And it's interesting that you've lived both by yourself and with another person. So I think you've gotten like really full view of what Van Life was like. Um, just to, um, just to get to know you a little more, tell me a little about like how much you've lived alone versus with another person.

Katie:

Yeah. So I was, uh, with a partner for my first year. Um, traveled really fast, only planned to do it for a year. Um, and then thought that, uh, we would sell the van and, uh, kind. Transition back to normal life, if you will. But, um, I fell in love with the lifestyle and I just was really grounded and I just, I felt, I felt like it was kind of what I was supposed to be doing at the time. So I continued on from there by myself, um, for about a year and a half, I wanna say maybe two. And then, um, traveled with a partner for about a year, year and a half again, somewhere like that. And then, um, have been solo since. So, Kind of a little bit of, of everything. Um, I have a dog with me now. I've had a dog with me for the last two years. So that's also kind of a new way to, uh, to kind of travel. It changes how you travel the same way it changes if you're by yourself or with the person. So, um, yeah, a little, a little taste of everything, I think. Yeah.

kristin:

So in the very beginning, what was it like for you transitioning to solo life? Like, what was that like? I mean, that's not easy for a lot of people.

Katie:

Yeah. You know, I sometimes think about how perfect everything kind of had to align for me to end up where I am. Which I mean, I kind of feel like a lot of people say that, but I, it wasn't even my idea in the first place, it was somebody else's idea. Um, I wasn't really aware that people really did this as a lifestyle or full-time, or that there was a community. So, um, you know, I, I don't know that. Maybe I would've, I don't know that I would've bought a van though and ended up living in it by myself if I hadn't started with a partner. And I really think that that in a lot of ways, um, gave me a really good foundation to feel. Really confident going into solo, um, female van life. And it still is, I mean, completely doable. I just don't know that I would've ever had the idea really even presented to me. Um, so in that sense, I, I kind of knew like how to drive a big vehicle already. I already knew my vehicle. I'd lived in it for a while. I, um, understood. Elementary level, but I understood how to find boondocking and free camping. Um, I kind of had like a lay of the land in a lot of ways, so, um, that foundation was really helpful for me personally. Um, but obviously there's still a lot of changes. Uh, there's a lot of transitions. You know, I went from kind of. Hanging out in the back and not driving a whole lot to then being the person that drives the entire time. Um, obviously spending every waking moment with somebody and then going to, having nobody around at all is like a big transition. But that part was really, um, challenging, but it was really important and I think that it ended up being kind of one of the mower pivotal moments of my entire five years of living in a van. So, Yeah, a lot of alone time, a lot more slow travel. Um, I think I only went to maybe one or two states, maybe three in the first six months of traveling by myself. Um, I really just slowed down and revisited some of the places that I loved that I don't feel like I had enough time the first time around. So, um, yeah, it was just a really big learning and growth period. And that was really when I kind of started getting into the community aspect. Also, I started attending my first van gatherings, really making friends now that I knew I was gonna be doing this for longer than just a year. Um, and so it was just, it was a lot of pivotal things that totally just transitioned to the way I traveled and lived in the van. So, um, Yeah. Yeah, it was good. Awesome.

kristin:

Yeah. So I wanted to talk, of course, about our, our topic of mental health and, um, how that relates to van life. Like what about your, your story and how does mental health tie into to the van life for you?

Katie:

Yeah. Uh, um, such a big like aspect of, you know, my journey before the van and in the van, and. Why I still pursue it. It's such a big piece of that. Um, it's something I try to talk about as much as I can now that I. Really comfortable with where I am and I have a really good grasp of understanding my own personal mental health. Um, but I, you know, I really struggled as a teenager. I really, um, I had just a lot of emotions. I had a lot of like, high energy and, um, frustrations and I just, I felt really off. Um, and I first started getting help with mental health services. Near my senior year of high school, early college. So, um, I started going to therapy. I really started to dive into that, which is something I still do. Like you and I were just chatting. I said, I have therapy with my therapist right after this, and it's the same person I've been seeing for a long time. So, um, that was also at the same time when I started to take, um, mental health medication and kind of get that, um, squared away. A lot of my mental health has been, At certain times, circumstantial or situational. But, um, I really kind of fall into more of a category of like a long-term chemical imbalance. And I think it took a really long time to understand that. Um, and part of that was kind of living in a van and learning myself, especially by my, by myself. Um, But being able to kind of understand that has really helped me navigate the complex, like things of what to dive into with therapy is medication short-term or long-term for me. Um, how do I manage my mental health long-term? So, um, that was kind of the intro of it all. You know, I, I kind of dabbled on and off with medication for a while and mental health services, I traveled internationally for a while, um, which is a little challenging obviously. Um, make assistance services like that a priority. But, um, when I got into the van, you know, for the first time in 2017, I was, um, really in a weird place. Like my mental health is stable, but I still had a lot of internal struggles and things that were going on that I was really just pushing down a lot. I mean, as many, many of us. Um, and when you're traveling, you know, we traveled 50,000 miles our first year in the van. It was really easy to just continue to push stuff away, push stuff down, say I'm fine. Um, And then my biggest transition was really that part of going into solo, you know, van Life, being by myself all the time. There's not really any distraction, it's just me. Um, you can't really hide from your own thoughts that much when you're by yourself. So, um, while my, you know, travel style and everything changed, that was really, really pivotal also for my mental health and just figuring out who I am. Honestly, you know, in, in college and, and all my twenties, I always lived in a household with multiple friends and there was always people in and out and a lot of busyness and noise and plans. And this was the first time I ever just sat, you know, by myself, quiet nature. I wasn't working very much at the time. Um, so I just had a lot of free time to really dive into. Kind of some of those darker places and demons that I had been holding onto for a really long time. So, yeah, I mean, it's always kind of been a role of management, but that was really the cracking open of um, really understanding myself and really understanding my own mental health. Um, and from there, you know, there's been different seasons, there's been different curves. Um, It's something that I, I've, you know, worked, I don't wanna say struggled with, but it's something that I've just worked with. You know, it's just been part of me for so long and I, I've really come to terms with the fact that that will probably be true for most of my life. Um, but having just the space and the time and the quietness to really dive into that, um, was important for me. And it's one of, like I said, the reasons that I stay in the van is it's really. This lifestyle gives me the opportunity to continue to learn about myself, continue to challenge myself, continue to do maintenance on my mental health. And I mean, it's, it's kind of the driving factor I think of it all for me. So that's my long, long-winded answer my, my history of

kristin:

it. No, that's great. I was thinking about when you were living alone and sort of confronting your own mental health and learning about yourself. How did you do that? That's not easy for people to do. Did you journal or were you in, did the therapist help you think of ways to address this or how'd you even start?

Katie:

Yeah, I mean at that point I, I wasn't doing regular therapy, but um, yeah, a lot of journaling, just a lot of truly just sitting, like I would pull up to camp and I would just get a chair out and I would just kind of sit and be outside, go on walks, hike, um, And I really tried, uh, when I was by myself for the first, you know, chunk of time to not fill my space and time with people and noise and music and all of this stuff. I really just tried to be with myself. Um, and it was like a, a, a weird time as you would imagine. You know, your brain is so complex and there's so much going on. Um, but journaling definitely helped. Um, I reached out to people as I needed. My mom is just like a godsend, you know, she can look at me and know if I'm having a good or bad day mentally. Um, so processing a little bit with like my family and close friends. Um, I had a life coach for a little bit, which really dove into some of the bigger, like, philosophical things I was struggling with. Um, and then eventually, you know, I, I started seeing a therapist regularly, but it was really. You know, it's not like I really, I was working through things, but I think a lot of it was just learning to not be scared of myself and my own mind and, and of being alone. Um, I think that was really scary for a long time because I was nervous about what would come out or where my thoughts would travel to and travel too. That's like, so honey. Um, but yeah, I think it was really more of just like an acceptance. Learning to be okay with myself and, and where I was. Um, and then from there it's just, it, it's something that takes constant maintenance, you know, it's something I have to be aware of. And like I said, there's always seasons and I have to pivot and shift and learn how to tackle that. Um, but it's just kind of a, an ever. You know, an ever-growing learning curve, i g a For sure. And

kristin:

if someone is starting to feel certain ways, like are there any tips on how they would know if they, they need therapy or if they're feeling certain ways, like, I'm not even sure how to like say this, but are there any signs that people should maybe start. Pursuing mental health care more if they're especially maybe alone or living in a vehicle for the first time, which can be jarring like for people, I think. So I'm wondering if you have any advice about like that, like when someone maybe should try to find a therapist to

Katie:

help them. Yeah. You know, I think I, I always love talking about mental health. I, I just, I feel like it's always important to say like, We're not professionals, right? But what we can do is we can talk about our experiences and share, and I can say like what my, what my opinion is. But, um, I think personally, I mean, I would just say if you. Or even feeling like you're curious or like you're struggling with anything. I mean, everybody can benefit from therapy. Like I read this thing the other day that was like, if you were a child once and you had your own childhood, you, you could probably benefit from therapy. Um, so I just, I think even if you're in a great place, you know, talking with somebody, learning more about yourself, all of that is, is great. But especially if you're starting to. Opening the door to allow yourself to be okay with discussing mental health and seeking out services, like that's big. Um, and we're also at a place right now, I feel like, where, you know, five, 10 years ago this wasn't really talked about as much. Whereas now I feel like it's like a really prominent conversation that's happening in, in communities and society and movies, media, all of that stuff. But you know, when I was in high school, like we didn't know, when I got on my first antidepressant, I was 17. My mom took me into my pediatrician. Like, we didn't know it, we didn't know where to find services. But, um, nowadays, like my, my primary care doctor is like really in tune with my mental health. He is the one that does the medication. He, um, and my therapist, uh, it's kind of like this all-inclusive. Um, I don't know. It all kind of works in together and uh, there have been times where I didn't have a therapist and I was able to go see a primary doctor and they were able to. Kind of help direct me. Um, I personally use tele telehealth therapy, so obviously living in a van, there's, um, you know, I use better Help, which I love. I, I had a couple therapists I worked with shortly that I didn't love, and then I found one that I did love and I've been with him for three or four years now. Um, I think, what's the other one? Talkspace is another one that does, um, teletherapy and then, There's also like psychology.com. If you don't wanna go with something that's as mainstream, I guess, as, as one of those services you can find. Most, uh, psychologists and counselors and therapists now are offering telehealth therapy, especially after Covid. So, um, yeah, I just, I think, I think if you're curious, it's never a bad idea to dive into your own story and your own emotions, and even just to have emotional awareness or vocabulary to figure. You know, maybe I'm not struggling really bad, but I know I thrive better in this environment, or I know that these things cause me to have a harder day for me. That's like my, my triggers of, you know, trauma or any of the other things I work through. Um, but it's all just, I think a matter of knowing yourself really well. And I don't know if anybody can actually really ever fully check that box. It's not like this journey that you complete and then you're like, I'm done. You know? But there's always more to do. So, Yeah, I hope, I hope that helps. I feel like that was kind of like a round robin answer, but. There's a lot of options.

kristin:

No, it definitely helps. And I was curious about using telehealth for therapy as well. Like better help cuz I've heard the ads and podcasts. I think probably everyone has. Yeah. And I was wondering like, is that really a good program? But you've had great luck with it. And do you have any tips for like choosing a therapist that you are meeting online? Like you said the first couple didn't work. Is there anything you should, any tips that you have about choosing the right one?

Katie:

Absolutely. I mean, I am like. Passionate about finding a therapist that works for you. I hear friends that are like, I've been seeing my therapist for six months, and I just, I don't love it. And it's like, therapy can be expensive. It's time, it's energy, it's you're emotionally cracking yourself open. And, um, you should be, it should be quality for you. Like you should find value in that. So, um, I always say if you don't, like, if you're not vibing with your therapist, switch, like, just do it. There's. You know, you're not gonna date somebody or be close friends with somebody if you guys don't match, you know? Um, and I mean, the thing that I loved about tele telehealth therapy is like when I was first trying to find somebody, you don't even have to have a conversation with them. Like, Hey, I'm, I'm gonna go seek services somewhere else. You just click a button that says, like, find a new therapist, and then it terminates that you don't have to have an awkward conversation. And that is really great. You also fill out a, uh, a form, like an intake form. So you can request if you really want somebody that has, um, a specialized area like, um, sexual assault or DV or, um, a religious background or specializes in divorce or whatever that is. So being honest in your intake forms. Um, and then like I always do my research. Like I look at the therapists, I look at their. Um, some people prefer to work with, um, you know, a, a certain age range or something. Um, I look at like the type of therapy that they do. Um, there's a lot of different styles of psychology and different, a lot of people will include like a, a psychologist that you would study in like a textbook or something that they kind of follow their theories. So I do some research like that and I just try to figure out, does this sound. Good for me. A lot of people just want talk therapy. That's just like a therapist is listening and is a sounding board. Whereas some people really want someone that's more active with driving the conversation or assigning homework. Um, so finding somebody that does literally sessions the way that you think you would receive them well, but also your first session, I, it can be hard to just have these really intensive emotional. Trauma drop intakes with somebody. Um, so while you're getting, letting them get to know you, I always say like, be honest with what you are wanting. If you say like, I really need homework, or I really need you to ask me open-ended questions, or, I want to focus on a topic every week, verse. I want you to ask me how my week was and if anything happened this week. Like it's, it's, you're in control of, of it, it's you or like you're paying somebody else to work with you on your mental health. So, um, I just try to give people like confidence in that starting process. Like it, you prioritize yourself. Be really honest. You know, and even if you don't know what you want, you can say that, but communication with them is gonna be important. I mean, it's therapy. That's the whole point. That's the whole point. So,

kristin:

yeah. Yeah. That's cool. There's just so many options these days out there for people. And um, so some of it's probably covered by like health insurance and some is probably you have to pay out of pocket. And I think sometimes that cost is maybe deters people from getting. Um, I don't know if you've talked to anyone who d have any advice surrounding, like, paying for therapy or how

that

Katie:

works? Oh yeah. I've done all of the routes. I've done, you know, in-person therapy when you're in like college or something, a lot of times that those resources are free or if you like work a, a job at a business full-time, a lot of times they do have services that are connected that they can help kind of, um, you know, maybe it's like you get six pre-sessions or we can at least find you somebody, but. The one thing I will say is if you're just gonna go find somebody on your own links, psychology.com, um, there are a lot of different ways that therapists bill. One of them is through insurance, which, um, you know, a lot of insurance does cover, especially individual mental health therapy. Um, sometimes it's a limited number, sometimes it's unlimited, but sometimes it doesn't cover therapy. Um, some therapists only take specific in-network patients. If they don't receive your, if they don't take your insurance, you have to pay out of pocket. If that is the case with a private practice or a private individual, um, they can offer sliding scale options. Sometimes it's for a specific number of people, but that basically is like you pay in. And percentage to your income. So I've done that before where it was really personalized to me. And um, that's always just a really gracious thing of anybody that works in any human service field to offer. Um, but one of the reasons that I love better help is because my insurance requires. Me to see people in Oregon and they have to be in network. And I obviously am not in Oregon where I, I'm a resident here, but I'm not here that often. So, um, better help, um, is fairly, uh, reasonable with pricing. It's a lot more reasonable in my experiencing, in my experience than, um, seeking out a private practice. Um, and they also do offer. Um, different billing plans. So like, I just recently went and looked at my billing and I was like, I'm paying every month and if I bill quarterly and pay upfront for three months, I save$150, whatever it is, you know? Um, and Better Help does also have, I feel like this sounds like I'm like sponsored by Better Help, but I, this is truly dissolved my, my personal experience. But they also do have kind of like a scholarship where you say, this is my income, and they can give you deductions based. Your own personal situation. So, um, I have found at various stages of my life where I have a little bit of money or more money to put towards something like this, um, better help has really been, for me, the most affordable, um, and most willing to just work with my circumstance as it shifts. So, um, I think during Covid they, they gave out, uh, like a month of free sessions too to a lot of people. Or if you refer friends, you get free sessions. It's, um, it's a really good program. I've, I've been really, really impressed.

kristin:

Cool. That's so good to know. Cause I think there's so many boundaries for people seeking this out or barriers and I think that that helps break down some of those barriers for people to reach out to someone and get that help they need. So that's very helpful. Yeah. I'm wondering also the stigma, you know, the stigmatization and de-stigmatization of mental health. Do you think more and more people are, are talking about it? Are you seeing this in the Van Life community?

Katie:

Yeah, I, I think, um, I think it's definitely being talked about more in, just in general, but I also do feel like, you know, the Van Life community tends to be, in my experience, more. A vulnerable population we're more, um, I feel like to live in a vehicle and to travel and to just live kind of small and intentionally, no matter how you live in a van or travel in a van, you kind of have to have some sort of mindset, um, and intentionality with your time and your effort. And you have to be okay with, you know, being fluid and being by yourself. So I think that there's already like kind of a really strong foundation that I've found almost all of my friends I've met since living in a van and that also are living in vans. Um, we had mental health discussions like right off the bat. Um, most of my friends now, um, we have really similar behaviors or mental health seasons and patterns. Um, I've never met. Like more people that are just willing to talk about it, which is so incredible. Um, and I've tried to see that kind of trickle out into the rest of my life as well. But I just have been always really impressed with how open and honest people that I've met that live on the road are. Um, especially, uh, you know, a couple years ago at some of the Vanlife gatherings that Vanlife Diaries was putting on, um, I was asked to help out with a mental. Kind of seminar. So there was an hour where, I don't know, a group of maybe 50 people, maybe more, sat in a giant circle, just like on the grass. And we had, I was kind of a, a mediator, a mon monitor I guess, of some sort, me and a few other people. And we on, we all shared our own stories and then we kind of opened the floor up for other people to share their stories. That kind of turned into this popcorn of like, one person shares one thing, somebody encourages them, somebody else says that I had a really similar experience and um, it was just like the most, I get chills thinking about it. It was the most beautiful thing. And then, you know, of course we all did a huge group hug at the end. And, um, it was really, really powerful. And it just gives you this look into a person. No, you know, some of their more vulnerable moments of their life, just so quickly. Um, I, I, maybe it's probably why I feel like my van life friendships have blossomed very fast and very strong. Um, but definitely I think, I didn't really even talk about it my first year in, in the van or on the road when I met people. And now like it's one of the first things I feel like people know about me because. Well, I think there is of course, you know, still a stigma. I do think that so many people are making steps in the right direction and companies and businesses are, you know, making efforts to help support employees. Um, And I just feel like in general it's, it's becoming more of a societal conversation, which I'm just like so happy to see. I'm so happy to see it.

kristin:

Yeah. So what if there's other Van Lifers on the road and they want to find people to talk about this stuff with, like, what are some ways that Van Lifers can connect with other Van Lifers to have these types of discussions? Um, I mean, how do you find people?

Katie:

Yeah. Well I, you know, I mean, I think one of the beauties, um, and you. I know everybody feels differently about it, but social media is like such a big tool. Um, there are goods and bads with everything, but if you can find a way to use social media to really connect with people in an open and honest way, um, that's really. Powerful. I mean, it's how I've, most of my friends that I happen now in the VAN community are people that I met and I chatted with online for like a year or two before I even met them in person. Um, and I think that a lot of people on social media, you know, it's really gone from this like look at this picture to like kind of an open journal for a lot of people. People really share their stories and their own experiences and. You know, there are different seasons and, um, it's something I really try to do so that if I do make a new friend or I'm connected with somebody online, like we can have those conversations. Um, if I see that somebody else is talking really openly about something, I obviously feel comfortable reaching out. To them. Um, and I just, I wanna kind of do the same. So I think trying to, um, fill, you know, the same way you fill your life with the things that you wanna see and do and the people you wanna connect with, like, trying to fill your feed with the people that you feel like either provide resources or education or insight in some way for you. And, um, don't be afraid to, to message people or talk about it. There's also, um, a lot of group therapy that you can do if you're really, um, wanting to dive deeper with a group of people. Um, I recently did a, um, a group therapy for, uh, women who, uh, have a history of, you know, sexual assault and domestic violence, and that was one of the more powerful things I've ever done. It was only five of us and it. Um, it was supposed to be three months and we ended up going five months and we all still communicate really regularly now, and we built these relationships and, um, I'm 30, I was, uh, the youngest, but I think the oldest was like 62. So it was just this great range. So there are a lot of group therapy things you can do, um, as well. And then, like I said, those van gatherings, people are starting to talk about it more, their seminars. Um, you know, I think we're starting to really expand beyond. Um, not just like, uh, how do you cook in a van and how do you change a tire or how do you find boondocking? There are a lot of seminars at gatherings now that are like, how to manage solo safety or how to, um, manage mental health on the road, or how do you get medication on the road? Um, So gatherings are such a big resource. I mean, they're so powerful and you're gonna connect with other people. You're probably gonna learn a lot and you're just gonna have a great time. So I would highly recommend those. And they're starting to vamp up now. Um, that kind of, the pandemic is the world is opening back up. So, um, Yeah, I'm excited. I'm, I'm gonna go to my first van gathering in like a couple years, um, in February. So,

kristin:

yay. And well, you just touched on something I was curious about. How can someone get their medications on the road?

Katie:

Yeah, so I have, I can share how I do it and then I can share how I know some other people have done it. I think it is really going to depend on, The state that you live in, because every state has different rules and regulations, um, or the state you have residents in, if you have health insurance or not. Um, what kind of regulations those health insurance have. And then kind of tying that into like how do you receive mail or packages. Um, some people have a PO box that they use, um, which is great. And there are so many ways that you can receive medications. Now there are services that, um, At a lot of different places that, you know, every month you call and new refill and they ship your medicine to an address or a PO box. So that is really great, especially if you are kind of sticking around one general area. Um, you can always go into a pharmacy and fill a prescription or, you know, go into Walmart and fill a prescription. Target has a pharmacy now. Um, and that really is more, I think if you are traveling far over. Lines and you don't have insurance and you're paying out of pocket. Um, me personally, um, my insurance will not cover mental health medication filled outside of the state of Oregon where I'm a resident. So, um, again, my mother is a godsend. Um, I, uh, I call and I manage all my own prescriptions and I get them filled. Um, and then she once a month goes and picks up the medications for. I'm actually gonna start doing a shipping to the house so that it's one less thing that she has to do. Um, and then I have her mail them to wherever I am. So, you know, you can go U S P S, uh, you know, United States Post Office to a U S P S, you can ship general delivery. And then, um, I always call ahead and make sure that that post office does accept general delivery and if they have any ways they need me to like write on the package. But usually if you do the post office's address, General delivery and then your name. Um, they won't call you when it gets there, but I have my mom do, um, priority mail when it comes with a tracking number. And then I just stick around a place for a couple days, go to the post office and get my meds. Um, and that has worked for me for four years. Um, Some, also some insurance and some prescriptions they'll let you fill for like three months at a time or six months at a time. So when I was traveling internationally, um, I was able to do that, which was really, really helpful. So really circumstantial, but it is not impossible. I think that that's a really big barrier. Like I went off medication for a while when I was traveling in my early twenties because I was like, it's just a hurdle I can't deal with and it's too complicated. But I think that pharmacies are really trying to make. More, um, more doable for people, so, mm-hmm. Yeah, and I'm happy to always help. Obviously I'm not an expert. I don't know everything, but like if, if anybody's like has a logistical question, I, I'm happy to help research or just share my own experiences. So yeah. Great.

kristin:

Yeah. Very helpful advice. And I'm wondering if you have some advice on things people can do to care for their mental health on the road that don't have to do with therapy or what have you found that really works well for, for

Katie:

you? Great question. Great question. Um, you know, I think being outside is huge. I, um, again, one of the reasons that I live in a van is I, like, I really require fresh air. I require being outside and I, I, my mental health diminishes so much whenever I try to like, Stay someplace long-term, or if I go home for the holidays, it's kind of always a harder season for me until I get back in the van and then my therapist is like, you look like yourself again. You know? Um, but just being outside, I mean, is so important. Um, this is the first winter I've had in five years, and that's not feasible for everybody, but like, staying in the sun, like has seriously physically like, changed my vitamin D levels and, um, just my, my mood. Exercise is huge. Like, I think a lot of, if, if, if you're not wanting to do therapy or medication or any of that, or even if you are, you know, your doctor's probably gonna tell you the first thing is sleep, how you're eating. And if you're exercising, like those three things, if you take care of your body, it's gonna, you're gonna feel a little better, you might not feel great, and it might not solve all your issues, but it's gonna feel a lot better than if you don't do any of those things. So, I, I don't rigorously exercise or anything, but I walk my dog every day for, you know, an hour, even if it's broken up. Um, I try to fuel my body with decent food. I'm not the best, but, um, I try to be cautious of what I'm putting in my body, especially like I kind of have some sensitivity, like a lot of sugar. So I really try to, again, know myself over the years, kind of know how did my eating habits affect my mental health. And sleep. I'm so sensitive to sleep. I, if I get like seven hours versus eight, um, I really struggle. So I'm not that great with a routine, but I always make sure I'm getting enough sleep and I prioritize it. And if I need to shift plans or cancel an appointment or whatever it is, like I, I have a little reputation with my friends that I don't wake up before a certain time if I stay up late. But, you know, it's, it's what my body needs and it's what works for me. So, Yeah, it's kind of a bunch of different resources. Journaling, also. Journaling is so great. Um, I think that that's such a good way. Meditation, yoga, stretching, anything that kind of just gives you some quiet time, um, is great. I try to sit for like 10 minutes a day and just total silence and not do anything. Um, and just those tiny things I think really, really help when you build those routines into your days. Yeah,

kristin:

options. Yeah, I think that's so true because I can relate to your sleeping, um, need cuz I have that too. And just knowing your body and what you need and like, I downloaded a Headspace app, I don't know if you've used that for meditation. So I think that's like a great resource for people as well. It also helps put me to sleep immediately if, like, my brain is racing, so, oh yeah.

Katie:

During one, my really like high anxiety seasons, I used, um, I can't remember what it was, but I used an app. Would either like, have stories that they told in a soothing voice and then after a certain amount of time, you know, you're falling locks and shuts off, or like sound machines or falling asleep to like rain sounds. Um, there was a while where I, I couldn't really sit and fall asleep if it was really quiet and dark. So, um, there's so many resources like, you know, ask other people like, you know, what we're doing now, what works for you? Or, I'm having trouble sleeping. Had you have anything that, that you would suggest? Because there's just, there's so many ways that you can learn to, um, try new things and just take care of yourself. So being curious, I think always.

kristin:

Totally. Yeah. That's all such a big deal. And just being outside, like you said, like even now as you can see, I'm in a house and when I am house sitting and when I wake up in the morning, I just, I feel a twinge of sadness. Like where is nature? And, and it's just a funny how when you do live the van life, you become so connected. And I think it just raises your, our spirits as humans to be living in nature, which is probably where we're supposed to live.

Katie:

Absolutely. I have to, I've, I've been kind of parked at my parents' house in their driveway for the winter, like, just because, um, of the holidays and just, I had some appointments I had to do and I've been in the van. Um, and, you know, my dog's also a husky. I really wanted to give her like a colder winter. So we've also been camping around in Oregon to find snow and stuff. But, um, this is my first real winter in five years. And like, man, it has been rough. I never. Like seasonal effect growing up in Oregon. But like I, it made me really, really aware of how much daylight and temperature and the cold, wet rain, it just is like, it's really, really heavy. It's really intense. So, um, Yeah, I, I mean, I, I hear you. I, I don't like to wear shoes very much either. That's like something I don't do when I live in the van. I'm just barefoot all the time. Mm-hmm. The other day my mom was like, Katie, it's like 30 degrees outside and your barefoot like, put on some tennis shoes, you know? But it's one of the things that I like, it, it makes me feel like, you know, people talk about grounding and stuff. It's just kind of, Part of being outside for me, so yeah,

kristin:

me too. I love all that and can't wait to get back out there. I'm like, my dog, the dog that's pinned up, I'm like, ah, I need to go out for my walk.

Katie:

Seriously. Yeah. I'm, I'm excited to read it the next season too. Totally. So,

kristin:

yeah. I'm wondering if you have any advice for people who aren't living in a van yet, but curious about it and wondering how it might benefit their mental health. Like what, what would you say to

Katie:

them? Um, yeah, I think. You know, obviously there's not a one size fits all, but I really do feel like being, being outside really helps for me. Also, just part of the, um, the benefit of mental health within the van is really intentionality. But a lot of those principles are things that, like, if you are not ready to live in a van or that's not of any interest to you, you can still apply so many of the things that we're talking about to your daily life. Like, be more intentional with going outside, you know, on your days off. Uh, go for hikes, spend time outside as much as you can, try to get in sunshine. Um, set a morning routine. Um, like one of the things that I, I do. Is always happening in the van. Obviously I'm outside all the time, but if I'm like visiting a friend or seeing my parents, I have this little table and I will like lay a blanket out in the grass and go work like my full workday outside. And I have my, you know, my mouse and I have my laptop and my iPad and everything. And I make a little work office, but I do it outside. Um, and I do that in the van too. I work outside on the ground. So I, I think that you can kind of implement a lot of these things regardless of if you're living in a van, but, um, if you are looking to, uh, you know, live in a van or kind of pursue more of a nomadic lifestyle, especially when it comes to your mental health, there again, there are so many resources. Um, social media is a great tool. It's how I learned. Build my vans, all my vans of N D I Y and that's because of, you know, blogs, YouTube, van Lifers following, or, uh, responding to my dms on Instagram. Um, so, you know, do some research. I have a, a blog post. I think that's all about, um, mental health on the rotor, taking care of yourself on the road. Um, and yeah, get curious, ask questions. And I know it's never this simple, but like if I can just give one thing, it's. I don't feel like life is meant to be miserable. We don't have to do anything that we don't want to within reason. So if you're not, if you're not feeling great, if you don't, if your mental health is struggling or if you're not happy with your life or something, like, I would encourage people to see if they can, if they have the ability to, um, make some changes and try to figure out what works for you. No matter if it's mental health, you're living your job, your relationships. Life is meant to be fulfilling and it's meant to be enjoyed. And even as a person who struggles mentally so frequently and deeply sometimes, like I still am able to find moments of joy in the things that I do, um, even if it's not all the time. So intentionality is so important. I still believe in that and I really think it's like the biggest tool you can have in your toolbox.

kristin:

Yeah, so true. Such great advice. And is there anything else you wanted to say before we wrap it

Katie:

up? Um, I mean, I think just, you know, I, I love to chat with people. I'm online. Um, if you are a van lifer, or even if you're not, if you travel in your car or you're even near where a van gathering is, like, hop in your Prius or your Toyota, whatever it is, like go meet people. Try to find people that are, you know, living intentionally talking about mental health, have the same. Same priorities as you and just, yeah, there's a lot of van gatherings coming up, you know, so, um, I'm gonna go to Vanlife Pride in Arizona at the end of FB February. Um, there's a lot of those. And again, all those can be found online through, you know, Vanlife Diaries or Van X has a calendar, so, um, Yeah, I just always here to connect. Always happy to chat with people. And I think I also do just wanna say like, if you are struggling and you'll have the, the emotional ability to reach out to somebody, please do. Please do. You've been, if it's somebody and you just need to tell them and nothing happens, like. Do that please. Um, and also just, we all just gotta be nice to each other. Like everybody is struggling in their own way. You never know what people are going through. And sometimes one thing can be said and if somebody is having their own struggles already, like you never know how big of an impact that can have. So we just gotta be nice to each other. We have to. It's important. Yes.

kristin:

So true. Well, it's been such a joy chatting with you and of course people can find you online. Um, just tell us real quick where people can and can find you.

Katie:

Yeah, so, um, everything I do online is under, so we bought a van, it's s o w e b o u g h t a v a n, um, so on Instagram. And so we bought a van Facebook. So we bought a. Um, I have a website, so we bought a van.com that has different resources that I use, different, um, you know, information about living in a van, building a your own d o y van or gear that makes living on the road a little bit easier for me. Um, there's also like a form submission there, so you can send me a dm, send me an email. Um, I have like five videos on YouTube of, you know, different chunks of my van build if you wanna see that too. But, um, yeah, I'm online, so come say hi. I'd like to connect.

kristin:

Awesome. Well thank you so much for joining the summit.

Katie:

Yeah, thank you so much. I'm really excited to see everything, so I really appreciate you having me.

kristin:

I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Wayward Home Podcast. If you like the podcast, it really helps me out a lot. If you share it with someone you think would enjoy it, also make sure you subscribe. Ever you listen to our podcast and if you listen on Apple Podcasts, a review is much appreciated. Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you next time.