A couple who fell in love after taking a road trip together have revealed how they left the corporate world to become full-time nomads living out of a van.
When Brittany Lojko decided to hit the road with her longtime girlfriend Taylor Putman for three weeks, she had no idea what would follow.
The New Hampshire couple, now 30 and 32 years old, quickly fell in love and, after noticing they were “inseparable,” didn’t want their adventure to end.
Instead, they decided never to return to their old lives and have since given a candid account of the good, the bad and the ugly of van life.
When Brittany Lojko decided to hit the road with her longtime girlfriend Taylor Putman for three weeks, she had no idea what would follow.
The New Hampshire couple, now 30 and 32 years old, fell in love quickly and, after finding themselves “inseparable,” didn’t want their adventure to end.
Instead, they decided never to return to their old lives and have since given a candid account of the good, the bad and the ugly of van life.
The pair, who previously lived in house shares and each spent $2,528 a month on rent and bills, knew they wanted a different way of life that would give them more freedom.
Brittany and Taylor bought the 2014 Ram Promaster 3500 for $25,000, but additional supplies pushed the cost much higher, totaling $45,000.
After ten months the van was complete, largely thanks to Taylor’s DIY skills, picking up tips from YouTube.
Taylor explained: ‘(To build the van) I had to work 60 hours a week to raise the money and once I had the money to buy materials I went to work until the money ran out again and started I restart the process. .
“For me, it got hard around eight months because I just wanted to be done and live in the van.”
Anyone looking to renovate their own van should also be aware that it may be fun, but it can also be expensive and take months depending on the condition of the vehicle. So be prepared to put in the time.
And, dDuring their time on the road, the couple encountered obstacles.
Taylor says, “There was (a) time when our diesel heater stopped working because it was -13 degrees Fahrenheit. The exhaust pipe was actually frozen solid and forced our heat out.
The pair, who previously lived in house shares and each spent $2,528 a month on rent and bills, knew they wanted a different way of life that would give them more freedom.
Brittany and Taylor purchased the 2014 Ram Promaster 3500 for $25,000, but additional supplies pushed the cost much higher, totaling $45,000
‘Because it was so freezing and we were in the middle of nowhere, it was difficult.
‘We were both so cold and became irritable with each other and it was tense. (It) definitely pushed us overboard and it made Brittany want to give up the van life for good. It was scary.’
Van life has also forced the couple to face relationship issues head-on.
Taylor admitted, “Living in the van together really forces us to face all our problems face to face.
“It’s made us better communicators and our relationship is strong because of the amount of time we actually spend together.”
“It has its challenges and if you need some space it’s hard to get.
“But often, if one of us is having a hard time and we don’t know why, the other will notice and talk about it.
“It takes patience and kindness to listen and understand someone you love.”
Brittany and Taylor left full time in June 2022 and since then they have visited the Redwood Forest, Glacier National Park and The Badlands – just to name a few locations.
Van life has also forced the couple to face relationship issues head-on. Taylor said, “Living in the van together really forces us to face all our problems face to face.”
Taylor shared, “It’s made us better communicators and our relationship is strong because of the amount of time we actually spend together.”
Brittany and Taylor left full-time in June 2022 and have since visited the Redwood Forest, Glacier National Park and The Badlands – just to name a few locations
The couple spends their days hiking, rock climbing and snowboarding.
And they are accompanied by their nine-year-old Mika, who has quickly adapted to the nomadic and environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Despite the challenges along the way, the couple has no regrets about Brittany adds, “We are inseparable and love the life we have built.
‘We are living our wildest dream and are extremely grateful that we met each other.
“We wouldn’t trade this for anything.”
