November 17th, 2016: A guest post from Lexie Nguyen (my van-mate)

I woke up the morning of my 24th birthday in a Walmart parking lot, wondering if this is what it’s going to be like living in this van for the next few weeks.

What the heck was I thinking? Is this going to miserable? How does Max do it?

I was already questioning this whole #vanlife thing. The sunlight searing through all the unblocked windows woke me up unforgivingly early. I wasn’t sure how I was going to enjoy this, being a city girl from LA of all places. But I was happy to wake up next to Max on my birthday, finally after weeks of not seeing each other.

I felt really out of my element for a while. That morning, I got ready in a Walmart bathroom and was cooking breakfast in their parking lot. It felt weird and it made me feel really homeless, but I held my tongue and tried to keep an open mind. After all, my boyfriend was enamored by this lifestyle, so maybe I just needed time.

It wasn’t until we got to Zion National Park and I started falling into the rhythm of things did the van start to feel a little more like home and I felt a lot less homeless. There’s something about living in a van in a town or city that makes me feel kind of homeless, but out in the parks, I feel like I’m living in the lap of luxury (until we see some really nice van conversions that make us feel like pleebs in comparison).

Since Max already covers each of our adventures with his blog posts, I’ll spare you the details. He thought it’d be a good idea though for me to share what it’s like being a girl and living in a van. It’s not easy, but I’ll share all my dirty little secrets.

1. Speaking of dirty — contrary to popular belief, we still shower pretty often. Pay showers are pretty common in the towns by the park areas so it’s not hard to shower. When it’s warm enough outside or when we’re too far into a park and away from the city, we rinse off using Max’s portable shower and some Dr. Bronner’s. In between showers, I swear by Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. It’s honestly the best dry shampoo out there. Their formula doesn’t leave behind white residue and that’s really important for me since I have dark hair. Plus it leaves my hair feeling clean and fresh without weighing it down.
2. My makeup routine has slowly been on the decline over the past couple of years so it wasn’t hard for me to give up makeup. I moisturize every day. It’s super dry out here, so moisturizing has never been more important and a little moisturizer goes a long way. I still do my eyebrows and eyeliner every now and then. Mostly, I’m just thankful for my eyelash extensions for keeping me feeling pretty and not looking like a total trainwreck every day. #iwokeuplikethis has never been more relevant.
3. I wish there were more outdoors-y brands with more stylish options. The clothes featured in most cold-weather lookbooks aren’t that helpful when it’s actually cold out. It’s hard to look cute when it’s cold out, and being from Southern California means I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold. My North Face Thermoball is really nice though, and I’ve been living out of it basically. It’s so warm for how thin and lightweight it is. It’s perfect for hiking or just hanging out in town.
4. And here’s the one most of my friends ask me — where do you pee??? In a town or city, obviously a gas station or restaurant (but that makes me feel homeless, so thankfully, we’re not in town often). Some park areas have bathrooms or outhouses, but not always. Our first spot was Zion, with designated campgrounds and full bathrooms with toilet paper. We were in Bryce Canyon next, where we were at a campground without a bathroom but right next to town so it was a quick drive to use the bathroom. Some of the trailheads had outhouses but the chances of there being toilet paper were iffy. (Living in a van means you have stock toilet paper at least). By the time we got to the Escalante though, we were pretty much on our own — there was next to nothing out there. And that’s where and when I figured out Max was slowly conditioning me to live more rugged. Guys have it so lucky — they can just whip it out and pee wherever they want. As a girl, every time I pee, I have to dig a hole (Max dug me the pee holes at first) that’s wide enough and deep enough so I don’t get any on my leg or shoes. Then I have to make sure my aim is just right — which is really hard, because unlike a guy, I can’t exactly see the source to help figure out my aim. I have to guesstimate and hope for the best. But so far, so good. Max has been nagging at me though for using up all the biodegradable wipes because of every time I pee, which is annoying because I can’t help what I’m born with. I told him I’d buy him more so he’s okay with it now I think.

Overall though, I’m getting the hang of it though. It’s just tough when it’s cold outside and I have to pee. #vanlife, I guess.