From the Ordinary to the Open Road
- karenandsimoncampe
- Dec 2, 2025
- 4 min read
From the Ordinary to the Open Road: Our Story So Far
Hello!
It is absolutely fabulous to have you here with us, following along as we navigate the biggest, boldest change of our lives.
If you haven’t already read our post “Where It All Began”, do go back and give it a look—you’ll see exactly which life-changing moments made us stop, breathe, and completely shift our focus on what truly matters.
Most people assume that the kind of life we’re building—a life on wheels, full of adventure, discovery, and simple living—is something people in their 20s or 30s usually pursue. But here we are, both in our 50s, proving a very important truth:
The world doesn’t come with an age limit. Adventure waits for anyone willing to step toward it.
What we bring to this journey isn’t just campervan experience. We bring our life experience. And that, we hope, will make this adventure richer, deeper, and worth sharing with you.
So today, we want to take you through three parts of our story:
WHERE WE WERE
WHERE WE ARE NOW
WHERE WE ARE HEADING
We want you to see how our journey is unfolding—and maybe feel inspired to chase something extraordinary yourself.
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WHERE WE WERE
For most of our lives, we followed the familiar script.
Jobs.
A house with a mortgage.
A family.
Two cars.
The rhythm of the expected, the “normal.”
And we were happy—really happy. But deep down, there was a quiet feeling we couldn’t quite name. Something missing. A lack of freedom, perhaps. A lack of presence. A sense that life was happening, but maybe we weren’t always living it.
Then everything changed.
Cancer touched our lives.
Nothing refocuses the mind quite like staring down the reality that our time here is finite. And in that moment, everything sharpened. What did we want from our lives? What memories did we want to create? What experiences did we want to collect?
We kept returning to one place that always made us feel alive—
our caravan.
Whenever we hit the road, everything shifted. The countryside, new places, waking up in a different corner of the world… even a simple field could become a temporary home filled with peace. Living simply, surrounded by nature, ignited something powerful inside us.
We started talking—then researching—then truly planning.
What started as a daydream slowly became something real.
We ran the numbers.
We rethought our priorities.
And we began to realise: material things lose their shine, but memories?
They become the treasure chest of a life well lived.
That was the beginning of everything.
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WHERE WE ARE NOW
In April 2025, we did it.
We moved into our caravan full-time.
To test whether the lifestyle would truly work for us, we secured a seasonal pitch—our little patch of earth where we could live, learn, adjust and grow into our new way of life.
And let us tell you:
Going from a spacious four-bed detached house to a four-berth caravan was an education in itself.
We had questions we think many people would have:
• Could we downsize our belongings, clothes, and “stuff”?
• Would we manage water supply easily?
• Would living in a small space feel restrictive?
• Would we stay warm enough?
• What about the heat in summer?
Every single concern felt huge at first—but every single one was fixable.
And more than fixable—they became proof that much of what we fear is only fear itself.
We now live comfortably, peacefully, and happily in our caravan.
And from here, a new chapter is already unfolding:
Life on the road—in a campervan.
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WHERE WE ARE HEADING
Yes… the next step is already in motion.
We’ve bought our campervan:
An Autosleeper Warwick XL
Our new home on wheels, ready to take us wherever the road leads.
We’ve already taken her out on several short breaks, learning how she works, understanding what we need, adjusting to life inside a van rather than a caravan. And of course—blogging every step of the way.
The principles of van life and caravan life are similar, but the small differences matter. We want to share all of it—every lesson, every mistake, every solution, every laugh—with you.
Because the journey ahead is a big one: more about this in another blog!
This is the adventure we’ve dreamed of, planned for, and built our lives toward, and we want you right there with us.
We’ll be sharing our planning, tips, budgeting, gear, challenges, and discoveries on:
✔️ TikTok
✔️ Instagram
✔️ Facebook
✔️ YouTube
✔️ Our Website
Every follow, every share, every comment genuinely means the world to us.
Thank you for being part of our story.
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Follow Us on All Our Channels - please LIKE and SHARE them far and wide. Add your comments, every single one is read and lets us know you are there with us.
TikTok:
Instagram:
Facebook:
YouTube:
Our Website:
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Thank You for Being Here
To all our friends, family, and followers—
thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
This journey is more special because you’re sharing it with us.
If you can do one small favour, please LIKE, SHARE, and spread our pages far and wide. It helps more than you know.
Here’s to adventure, freedom, and discovering life all over again.
With love,
Karen & Simon
CAMPERVAN ADVENTURES 🚐✨
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