The best advice Stacey of @tincanadventure has ever received came from her parents. “Don’t wait until someday, as someday may never come,” they said. She took their suggestion and ran with it. Or maybe we should say, she drove off with it.
Stacey currently lives in a 25-foot Flying Cloud Airstream and travels spontaneously around the west coast in search of good waves and cool camp spots. We got the scoop on why she chose to live in an Airstream, the travel destinations that top her bucket list, and the greatest adventures she’s taken.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and where you are going?
“I’m Stacey and I have been on the road full time for almost 2 years now. I grew up in a small town in Ohio (Sidney), moved to Lake Tahoe after college, then settled in San Diego for 8 years before hitting the road. I’m currently soaking up time in San Diego — surfing lots and just reconnecting with my community as I sort out where I am headed next.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Aug 3, 2018 at 10:15am PDT
What was your main desire for hitting the road?
“I have pretty much worked remotely for my entire career and started seeing people living and working from the road and thought if they can do it, I can too. My parents have always encouraged me to do things now and not wait until someday because we just never know how long we have. So they actually gifted me the Airstream as a Christmas gift as a way to help make my dream come true. I sold everything I couldn’t fit in the Airstream or truck and hit the road full time 4 months later, having zero experience pulling a trailer.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Sep 22, 2017 at 12:47pm PDT
How long have you been on the go?
“I have been full time on the road since May 2017. Coming up on 2 years!”
What rig are you currently traveling in and why did you choose it?
“I am currently traveling in a 25-foot Flying Cloud Airstream. I chose an Airstream because I grew up 15 minutes from the factory and have always thought they were so cool. I honestly didn’t even look at anything else. It was always going to be an Airstream. I also love that the Airstream was literally an apartment on wheels. I knew I wanted to have a comfortable working space, shower, toilet — enough space to have visitors, the works.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Jan 5, 2019 at 8:43am PST
How do you plan your routes?
“I don’t plan. That’s why I am still in San Diego at the moment because I hate planning. My first year on the road I just knew I wanted to go from San Diego to Tofino and surf along the way. From there I went to where friends and family live and parked in their driveways. I kind of just go and plan my routes in the moment. This can be challenging when you are constantly having to book campsites, but it keeps things spontaneous! I use an app called Allstays and Campendium to help me find spots along my routes.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Feb 19, 2019 at 5:44pm PST
What are some of the off-the-beaten-path places you’ve discovered?
“Honestly, I haven’t been too far off the beaten path. As someone who works full time from the road, I always have to have WiFi. But one of the most adventurous places I traveled to was Tofino on Vancouver Island. Getting the Airstream on a ferry was quite a trip! I remember standing on the ferry, watching as we left the mainland, and thinking to myself how freaking rad is it that my home is on this thing with me! It was such a surreal experience, especially once we reached the island and I got in the truck and drove off the boat. Such a strange feeling to realize your home just trekked across the water on a large boat.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Sep 13, 2018 at 9:46am PDT
What location(s) are on your bucket list?
“Baja is on the list! I would love to go back up to Vancouver Island and spend more time in areas other than Tofino. I would also love to take the Airstream overseas at some point and do something like Norway, Portugal, Spain or New Zealand!”
How do you balance work and travel?
“I have worked remotely most of my career, so I had a pretty good discipline established before I hit the road. I think finding balance is challenging as work is always there when you work remotely. So sometimes I have to force myself to disconnect and really plan out time to adventure and explore. It kind of works like it did when I was in sticks and bricks. I work east coast hours, then have evenings free and weekends for the most part.”
“The nice thing is that my office view is constantly changing. But work-life balance is something I am always working on. Especially since I am a photographer/social media strategist and enjoy working on projects outside of work that I guess technically qualify as work. Thankfully I love what I do, so it never really feels like work to me!”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Feb 6, 2019 at 2:20pm PST
What does a typical day look like for you?
“I wake up by 6 a.m., make coffee (I have a full process which gives me one constant in my ever-changing life), check-in with work (emails and communication), work till about 3 p.m. give or take on different days, go for a surf if I am near the ocean or some other adventure usually involving my bike or yoga if I am not near the ocean. I make dinner back in the Airstream, do a little more work before disconnecting and diving into a book, podcast, or catching up with friends/family and then go to bed around 11 p.m.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Apr 7, 2019 at 8:51am PDT
What are your 5 must-have items for van life?
1. “Coffee, pour over style. Having a morning routine is important to me when things are constantly changing. And I love picking up locally roasted beans along my travels.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Jun 11, 2018 at 7:33am PDT
2. “My iPhone. It may sound obvious or ridiculous, but honestly being able to stay connected with friends, family and community is super important to me and I am so thankful that technology allows this. I also love connecting with other nomads online via instagram.”
3. “My surfboards. They can be a pain getting in and out constantly, but they truly have made me feel at home even when I am thousands of miles away.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on May 25, 2017 at 11:03am PDT
4. “Photos. Just because your home is on wheels and smaller doesn’t mean you can’t make it homey! Hanging photos up on my fridge and around my home reminds me of where I have been and who I have seen along my travels.”
5. “My fish tank. I have a wall-hanging fish tank with a fish, Jasper, and snail, Scootz, that reside in it.”
What advice would you give someone wanting to do a long-term road trip or live on the road for a while?
“The best advice I have been given and the advice I will always pass along is ‘Don’t wait until someday, as someday may never come.’ Honestly, if you want to do something like this, just freaking do it. I didn’t have a single thing thought out or planned, because I hate planning and I just don’t operate that way. So I would say, don’t put a ton of thought into the details, you will figure it all out as you go. Just figure out your ‘home’ and let the rest just happen. Getting rid and downsizing can take up a lot of time. So just have friends come over and help keep you honest and be there to remind you that you don’t really need that fifth coffee mug.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Mar 20, 2018 at 10:03am PDT
Rapid Fire Q&A
Favorite place to surf?
“Ahhh tough one! I have to pick two: Cox Bay in Tofino for being the most magical spot on my travels and basically anywhere in San Diego with my friends.”
Best campsite you’ve ever parked your airstream?
“My parents yard. Haha. I love San Elijo State Beach because it’s right on the bluff and some of the best surfing in San Diego is right out my door.”
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A post shared by Adventures in an Airstream (@tincanadventure) on Mar 12, 2019 at 12:40pm PDT
Coffee or tea?
“Coffee!”
Sunrise or sunset?
“Sunset”
East coast or west coast?
“West coast. Although surfing in Maine was magical.”
