100 DAYS AGO, I SOLD UP MY LIFE AND MOVED INTO A FORD TRANSIT VAN WITH MY DOG. 

Yesterday marked 100 days of being on the road. Can you believe how fast that's gone?

It hasn't been a total walk in the park, but I don't regret my decision. 

I've had lows, taking the shape of a medical issue that would have been life-changing, and as most of you know well, about six weeks of breakdowns. Some were me, but mostly my van mechanically. Getting rid of my three businesses and everything that came with it was a hard blow. 

BUT. 

In that time, the highs have been immeasurable.

I've hiked, climbed, swam, ran, paddle boarded, watched sunsets, and ate my way into incredible memories across over 6,000 miles; three countries and counting. 

In no particular order, I thought I'd reflect on my lessons, experiences, and takeaways from #VanLife so far and answer some of the questions I often get asked.

Reflections

💚 I've become remarkably good at identifying different colours of engine smoke and I could probably stumble my way through taking my engine apart and putting it back together at this point.

💚 The RAC/AA have helpful loopholes if you know where.

💚 Salad and bananas don't last well. I don't know if it's the heat or where I have them. Vegetables, apples, and oranges work well. 

💚 The West of Scotland is superior to the East. The islands are even better. 

💚 Our ancestors were arseholes— I've had a few anti-English remarks. I had a little run-in in NI, which immediately made me want to head down to ROI. 

💚 Scotland romanticised Van Life a little for me because it's so easy. There is space and facilities everywhere, but it was good as it was a gentle introduction to "life". Northern Ireland was still relatively easy, with fewer campsites, and the camps that are there are less friendly about paying to use the facilities without staying, which is common in Scotland. Ireland is noticeably different. For one thing, there are barely any bins ANYWHERE because it's a privatised system, so there have been days my rubbish was piling up. There seem to be more laundrettes randomly dotted about, though. There are far more height restrictions on many destinations and, surprisingly, many "strictly no dog signs", even up a mountain.

💚 I've enjoyed hiking more in Ireland than in Scotland; however, Scottish mountains have superior views. One reason in particular is fewer mosquitos. But also, I'm terrified of ridge walks, and I'm still building up to them. I found it tricky to work out whether I would walk to my certain death or not in Scotland. I've not encountered any ridges in Ireland yet, and they're a lot smaller, with an average height of 500m-700m, so I can get up and down in 3 hours (useful as it's always raining), and still feel satisfied because they're still great peaks. 

💚 I've deduced I ironically don't like tourism, ha. I try to keep as small and quiet as possible; the more people don't realise I'm there, the better. And I tend to avoid the crowds. I refuse to hike Ben Nevis for this reason. If there is a conveyor belt of people somewhere, I will likely avoid it. 

💚 A continuation of the above is that the NC500 is overrated. I did it in 3 days and didn't enjoy it at all. Scotland has an abundance of magic. You won't find it here. 

💚 Even though I barely brought anything, I packed too much. I wear 1/3 of the clothes I packed, then live out of my clean washing pile. The slow cooker was ambitious; I'm going to sell that. 

💚 I never know how to answer "What's your plan today?"; it changes 049538434 times. 

💚 Groceries are cheapest in Scotland except for the Isle of Skye which only has Co-op's. Then you need another income stream! Ireland is working out pretty pricey too.

💚 Solo travel is really handy. You get the best seats at shows front and centre because there is always a couple looking to create space on either side. And you're more likely to get a table made up for you in a fully booked restaurant because you don't take up that much space. 

💚 I'm so proud my dog is living his best life.  

💚 Things I couldn't be without:

• My Dare2Be base layer and neoprene socks. I love getting into wild swimming, but I feel extra sensitive to the cold in certain areas. These two things mean I can jump straight in and be comfy. 
• Packing cubes for your wardrobe. It's a game changer, especially when you write on each one—section into top, lower, pants, socks, or whatever works for you. 
• Aux cable. Actually, this one only started today; I've spent the whole time with my phone on loud and hearing the tunes through the radio has made me question why I've put it off so long. 
• Quiche. I love quiche. It's good for a mountain snack and lunch when you cannot be bothered to faff making things.
• Drawstring net bags. I use mine for 1) laundry and 2) my wash kit. Easy to store and pull out when you need. 
• Those weird magic net bags are tiny to store but surprisingly hold a lot of weight. Perfect for fruit and veg. 
• My Robie. Ideal for wet hiking days, you can get naked in the car park and not flash everyone, all while not dripping all over the van.

💚 No matter where you go or are in the world, Oasis Wonderwall is an excellent way to get that home feeling 

💚 Fave experiences:

There have been a few! 

Scotland 

I LOVED the Arran islands. The Blue Pools were the best. I got lucky with the heat wave, so I dive-bombed straight in. 

Loch Lomond, I really enjoyed it. We climbed the Munro Ben Lomond and then spent the afternoon canoeing the loch and looking for the wallabies on an island. 

Fringe festival in Edinburgh. It's something I've always wanted to do, and it made it SO much cheaper by having the van and parking for free about two streets away from the action compared to booking a hotel. The Fringe festival was incredible. I watched about 5-7 shows a day, from music, theatre, comedy, drag, cabaret, and magic; I couldn't recommend any higher to anyone to go at least once in their life. 

Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris was one of my favourite beaches, of which there were many. The Outer Hebrides is unrivalled for beauty, and for days, we didn't see a single soul on many beaches, especially in the more remote islands. Barra was unreal. It takes patience to get to it, but it's worth it. 

Seeing one-day-old baby lobsters. Oddly awesome. 

Northern Ireland 

The Mourne Mountains are magnificent. There are some decent spots to swim wild, and there are some lovely ranges to climb. Naturally, I went for the tallest and hiked up Slieve Donard. It was windy as hell, as most NI/Irish mountains have been, but there were sensational views.

Dunseverick is my favourite waterfall so far. It's a freaking waterfall that goes into the ocean; how cool is that? 

The GOT door tour. So many of you were loyal through my GOT door tour. Seeing the locations was cool, but the doors were my fave. For those of you who missed the story, in the 2017 (I think) hurricane that hit the Dark Hedges, HBO bought some of the damaged trees, gave the wood to their crafts department (I do which one), and created ten beautiful GOT scenes into them and distributed them across NI.

Marble arch caves. We did this one today, and it was unbelievable. It is said to have been formed 340 million years ago; I LOVED wandering around and looking at all the different rock formations inside. I got told off by the tour guide for lingering, but he did not argue when I said, "You can't expect to show me something cool and then not let me admire it". He let me linger.

Just driving through the countryside in all of the countries, especially through the mountain ranges. The views are insane. Bealach Na Ba Pass, AKA "the road to Applecross," is horrific to drive in a dodgy 3-tonne Transit, but probably the most beautiful view I saw on the whole trip. 

Ireland

I'm still settling into Ireland. The food is wank, but the beaches are superb. They are better than NI and southern Scotland, and some are close to the standard of the Hebrides. Murder Hole Beach was probably the best so far. 

I am and will always be in love with Galway. Good for them - as the locals would say - Craic. I'm not a huge drinker/party animal anymore, but there is so much to love. There is an abundance of live music, so alone or with company, drinking or sober, you're guaranteed to have an insane time. The Quays is my favourite place. I'm going to go again before I leave. 

Generally, just being in the van, getting in and out whenever I want, has been a whole experience on its own. When I love something, I stay; when I'm done, I move on. It's so liberating. 

💚 What have my struggles with sustained income on the road, AND is Vanlife a cheaper way to live? (Because the answer merges). 

I've been fortunate because I had my businesses before and have a good network of people. So, I only need a few clients spread over the month to survive and have a decent income. My van without extra spending is 10% (£300) a month compared to what I was paying when I had the house, the car, and the bills that come with it. On top of that is my choice. If I travel more and eat out more, it costs more. For the most part, I'm pretty self-sustainable. I only need to fill my water up once a week, which at most might be £5/£10 from a campsite (if anything), and I can survive just wild camping the rest of the time if I want to. If I moved slowly and didn't splurge on eating out, I could get by on barely anything. I have solar panels, so I don't have any energy bills. The more luxury and experience I want, the more it costs. But I would say it's 100% more affordable than my old life. Some people ask if they should keep a home base. I have a storage locker, and that's it. I can't see myself stopping unless I fall in love or get bored; neither seems to be happening any time soon! 

💚 Do I miss home or feel lonely? 

Very rarely. I speak to my friends regularly, but I've always been a loner and super comfortable with my company, so it doesn't bother me much. If anything, I miss seeing my friends in person, but because of my lifestyle, most friends are already long-distance. At least now they can come and see me and vice versa, and we can have an adventure instead of just sitting on my couch! I do miss my Xbox, though. I'll be picking that up when I next fly through Manchester. 

It doesn't have to be a massive trip to still be an adventure. If you're standing on the edge of a decision that's outside of the standard 9-5 and you're worried whether or not to do it, this is your sign to say "yes".

Check out my Insta @VanLifeWithG to stay up-to-date.