My older brother, Charlie, often refers to the story of the two woodcutters. If you haven’t heard it, it goes something like this:
“ Once upon a time, there were two woodcutters named Peter and John. They were often at loggerheads over who chopped more wood. So one day, they decided to hold a competition to determine the winner. The rules were simple—whoever produced the most wood in a day wins.
The next morning John showed up bright and early and began chopping away at his fastest speed. To his surprise, Peter was nowhere to be seen. Already feeling a sense of victory, John continued chopping into the afternoon. Only then did Peter arrive.
“Where have you been!?” exclaimed John.
“I spent the morning sharpening my axe” replied Peter.
That afternoon, Peter swiftly chopped down trees with ease as John struggled with his dull axe.
At the end of the day, Peter was victorious. “
I’ve never chopped down a tree or actually held an axe in my hands- though, I am planning on bringing an axe in my van as my protection weapon of choice, along with pepper spray, and nunchucks. However, the moral of the story is that the more well prepared opponent is able to execute the task faster.
Over the past month, my build has been delayed by the installation of my electrical equipment. It has been frustrating not being able to make much progress on the actual build, but I used the time to sharpen my axe, do research, and plan. I have watched almost every YouTube video out there, read every blog, and looked at build books about how to go about the rest of my conversion. I have drawn out my plans, redrawn my plans, made a 3d computer models of my layout, and have thought endlessly about the steps I need to take once the van is back in my hands.
Today marks the beginning of the final stage of my van conversion. The first stage was the foundation and flooring; the second stage was the electrical; and this third and final stage is the grind everything else out as fast as I can. That will include finishing the insulation of the van, framing the interior, putting up my walls and ceiling, building the furniture, and adding the finishing details.
In addition to doing research and planning the last few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time working and saving up gas money, and set aside time to relax and enjoy the beautiful end of summer weather, knowing that once phase 3 starts all of my energy is going into this van until it is done. I’m excited to see everything that I’ve planned and dreamed of begin to unfold. It won’t be easy, I will be working my arse off, but it will be so worth it.
Besides planning out the actual van build, I’ve also put together the beginning of my travel plan. I’m not making a strict itinerary, because part of the beauty of the van lifestyle is being able to go wherever I want, when I want. But, I have generated a list of places I don’t want to miss and people I want to visit as a I slowly make my way westward. I don’t have a timeline, an end destination, or any expectations. I want to see where the road and this journey takes me. My only real plan is to head west via a southern route, everything else is subject to change.
I am so appreciative of everyone who has reached out with suggestions, ideas, and sent build inspo along the way- keep ‘em coming. Also, thank you in advance to the people who have offered showers, meals, and driveways to park in along the way- Churro and I will be taking you up on those.
ABLAZ 