Shared passion: Devon and Joe are united in sport.
Fairbanks, Alaska: A young couple gets their sports equipment from the back of a Sprinter: Surfboard, kitesurfing equipment, wakeboard, mountain bikes, skateboard, paraglider and so on. The list of equipment is almost endless. Devon and Joe share their inexhaustible enthusiasm for sport. On their journey through the USA and Canada, they always have their extensive equipment with them.
Joe is 30 years old and from Connecticut. He is a real adventurer and an engineer. The perfect mix to solve just about any problem that gets in his way. Devon is 26 years old and comes from Charleston, South Carolina. She is an artist and has turned her talent into a flourishing Etsy company.
The convertion: Do it yourself.
MYVAN: What motivated you to buy and live in a Sprinter?
Devon: A few years ago, we did an 8,000 mile tour around the US on bicycles. That was an epic adventure! However, we could only carry the essentials. We were able to see the country, but limited to the activities we could do. We wanted to bring the surfboard, kiteboarding gear, more art supplies, etc. That’s when we realized we needed a van.
MYVAN: You converted your Sprinter by yourselves. Was this planned from the beginning?
Joe: There was no question that we were going to do our own conversion. We knew we had the skills and/or could teach ourselves anything we didn’t know how to do. The amount of money you save is amazing! We believe we saved about $60,000 doing it ourselves. Plus, building is the fun part! Designing something like this and seeing it come to life was awesome. We would definitely do it again.
The art of being at home everywhere.
MYVAN: How does life feel in the Sprinter?
Devon: We LOVE it!! We’ve been on the road for a year now and are loving every day. At first I was unsure if I could live in a van for 2 years. Not having a solid group of friends and family around me is the hardest part. After 1 year my thoughts have changed! I could do this for many more years. My friends and family will always be there. As long as we keep in touch and visit them every once a while.
MYVAN: What did your families and friends say about your plans?
Devon: Joe’s family never seems surprised. He’s been travelling since High School for kiteboarding and has cycled across the US twice now. I’d say they’re well adapted to these spontaneous life changes. My family was a little surprised. You should have seen them when I told them I was going to bike across the country! All of our friends, of course, they’re stoked for us!
On to adventure, out of the comfort zone.
MYVAN: Your equipment is impressive – when did you learn all these different sports?
Joe: I have been kiting since high school, Devon has been surfing since middle school, and mountain biking is new to us since living in the van. I started flying paramotor about 8 years ago and started paragliding about 4 years ago.
MYVAN: You’ve been around a lot. Which place is a must-see?
Devon: This is such a hard question, because there are places that are equally beautiful for different reasons. We really loved traveling through Baja Mexico. Traveling in another country really takes you out of your comfort zone. It’s nice to do that every once in a while. We loved going to remote places unsure if we could make it down certain roads. We spent about 3 months there and it was an unforgettable winter. We can’t wait to travel other countries! Now to decide whether we go to Europe or South Africa first!
