Along the Way: Insights from life on the road
Article by Olivia Thurlow, Planner at Eleven Miles
Remote work, hybrid work, flexible work, on-the-go, in-office, WFH… let me introduce you to ‘WFV’ the self-coined term for my current working style enabled by the flexibility of Eleven Miles: Work from Van.
In 2019 my partner and I bought and converted a medium-wheel base Sprinter (just before the trend really skyrocketed, I’d like to add!) with the intention of enjoying some long weekend trips to Cornwall, Scotland… Maybe some two week-ers to Portugal for some winter sun or so. Cue the pandemic, where like many, we were presented with a frank ‘life is short, let's live it to the fullest’ reality check. Fast forward to now and we’re six months into life on the road, having road-tripped the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal, and sailed across the Strait of Gibraltar to explore the varied landscapes of Morocco, all whilst dialing into the weekly All Agency Monday morning kick off call from our 7x2m home on wheels.
I could have taken a quarter-life ‘gap yah’, or I could have explored a sabbatical, but what we wanted to trial was something more of an alternative lifestyle, one that accommodates work with day-to-day life and travel, taking the term ‘digital nomad’ to more of the extreme. Working whilst on the road has provided me with some structure to our weeks, albeit with the novelty of a constantly changing ‘office’ view. It also provides financial security – giving us an excuse to treat ourselves when visiting cities on non-work days, or splurging on ‘once in a life-time’ experiences, like renting out quad bikes to explore the Erg Chebbi sand dunes in Saharan Morocco. Most importantly, I can still continue to learn, develop my career, be challenged and be part of a team, which as someone driven, ambitious and social I saw as a non-negotiable.
Prior to joining the #vanlife community I sat in the Production department as a Creative Producer, a job I love but a job that requires me to be physically on shoots and in the office to work alongside the wider team. Fortunately my skills and interests (of essentially consuming a lot, being intrinsically curious and intrigued with people and coming up with ideas) aligned well with the planning and strategy team as well, and our Head of Planning Victoria took a chance on me as a Planner.
This is one of Eleven Miles’ many great traits, the ability to see past staid job ‘titles’ and instead focus on the individual. This opportunity and change in role and department also gave me confidence in being a generalist or a multi disciplinary with transferable skills, something which can lead to a fair amount of imposter syndrome!
I’m a firm believer that inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, and I knew that life on the road would expose me to fresh experiences and teach me a lot – from architecture, design, cultural differences, traditions and more. There’s no better way to learn about people, communities and what makes them tick than being ‘in the field’. My own thinking has also been shaped and challenged, helping me view things from different perspectives, an important skill as a Planner, but a skill that also applies to life.
I know that this opportunity, the privilege to travel and work from the road, although more demanding and full-on in more ways than one (don’t believe all of the glamourised #vanlife content you see online, and note that my photos are ‘highlights!’) has already shaped and will continue to positively contribute to my career and professional output.
Gain an insight into van life and get some hot travel tips by following Liv’s van account on Instagram @southcoastvandits and by subscribing to her newsletter, Along the Way.