Episode 65: Finding Your People: Building Community on the Road

Feeling connected while living a nomadic lifestyle can be challenging. In this episode, solo female van lifer Courtney Stephenson shares her best tips for combating loneliness and finding community on the road.

Courtney talks about how she leveraged social media connections to find and befriend fellow nomads online when she first started out. She then eventually met some of these internet friends in person while traveling. Courtney explains how attending van life gatherings and events is one of the best ways to meet fellow wanderers. She discusses some popular events like Descend on Bend and the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous.

We also chat about the pros and cons of seasonal travel and how winter brings more interactions by nature while summer allows for more exploration and independence. Courtney weighs in on the need to find balance between community and solitude, even as an extrovert. She also talks about dealing with loneliness amidst the highs and lows of van life.

Whether you’re a solo traveler looking to make road friends or a couple hoping to connect with other nomadic pairs, this episode covers actionable tips for combating isolation. Tune in to hear Courtney’s hard-won advice after 3+ years living in her van.

Follow Courtney on Instagram

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What We Discuss in Episode 65 of The Wayward Home Podcast:

Courtney shares the story of how she started van life during COVID after quitting her job and traveling overseas. She decided to continue the nomadic lifestyle in a van when returning to the US.
Leveraging social media connections is key – Courtney directly messaged fellow solo female travelers on Instagram to start making “internet friends” before meeting them.
Attending van life gatherings is one of the best ways to combat loneliness and meet fellow nomads in-person. Popular events include Descend on Bend and Rubber Tramp Rendezvous.
Finding balance between solitude and community is important – especially as an introvert, Courtney values alone time as much as social time.
Dealing with loneliness amidst the highs and lows is part of van life. It takes effort to continually put yourself out there and find/maintain connections.

About Courtney Stephenson:

Courtney is an avid hiker and traveler who has been living out of her 1999 Ford E150 camper van since 2020. She’s driven over 50K miles throughout the US and down the tip of Baja, Mexico, while working remotely as a content strategist and writer.