New beginnings: the beginning of my van life in my Ford E150 cargo van.

Love how comfortable you are with the camera. You are so easy to listen to also. You keep being you girl. If you cry, so be it! You are an honest down to earth human. ❤

'Just watched you on Butterfly Tracks. You totally inspired me and I'm grateful to have listened to you. 'Sounds like you've always taken care of others and now you will take care of you! Sending you prayers and a big gentle hug ❤

You go, Girl ❤

I'm 67 yrs old. I had wanted to do van life but chickened out. I will watch you & enjoy it vicariously. I wish you the best & am happy for you. Stay corky, sweet & strong. You remind me of Gail King a little bit. 😊

God bless... thanks for sharing 😊

I resonate with you Shelly. I just watched you on Butterfly Tracks, and couldn't move fast enough to find your videos and subscribe. I hope you quickly get many many subscribers. I love your corny humor, your quirkiness. I also learned that I love sleeping in tight spaces, so therapeutic. Im watching and liking all your videos. Keep them rolling, girl.

Great Start Love your Emotion, Shelby Van Gone

Sometimes it is not about the money. Sometimes it’s about peace of mind.

After I saw the beginning of this video, I thought to myself, “she’s got to be my friend”; tooooo funny! I wanted a van so badly and when I FINALLY found one, test drove it and checked it out, the insurance company WOULD NOT INSURE IT because , “they do not insure commercial vehicles for personal use”; it was a high top with a long wheel base. I was devastated! I purchased a 2018 RAV4 and went on a 37-day road-trip from Florida to Yellowstone! I cried like a newborn; happy, happy, joy, joy! I look forward to traveling and hanging out with you. Let me know if you want to meet for coffee!

You gonna be ok.talkung about freedom you got it

Hi Michelle, I'm a new subscriber, I just found you on Butterfly Tracks...I will be 60 this year as well, I have a very different life situation, but I have a 1995 camper van...I am very inspired by your story... please keep posting videos... Wishing you travel mercies and happy trails 🙏

Congratulations i'm excited for you

I saw you on butterfly tracks and I admire you. I'm so happy that you're getting to live the dream. Enjoy your time out on the road. Keep inspiring us.

I love your videos. Just found you this morning, and you have certainly inspired me. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. God bless you with many blessings.

Thanks for sharing❤

I am so happy I found your channel on Butterfly Tracks. Trust me! I’ll be watching every time. Good luck on your journey! Enjoy all your adventures and travel safe. I wish I could do it myself. It was something I’ve always wanted to do, but life has its ways to change one’s plans at times. Thank you for sharing and taking us along. Blessing🙏🏼🤗

Michelle you seem so cool! down to earth! I have wanted to do this for awhile now. You have given me a renewed desire to stop sitting in an apartment and GET OUT!!! Best wishes on your new life!

You are awesome Michelle. I wish you the very best in your van life!

Hey sister! I was meant to come across you here, you are so much my tribe, it's crazy. I'm just starting to research and plan my new life as a nomad and you are so encouraging for me. Thank you for being real, raw and wonderful!

I’ve thought about it… I’m retiring at 65, about a year and a half from now… I imagine myself going from art show/festival to festival, selling my artwork and traveling around the country and just being free after caring for my mom with Alzheimer’s for the last few years. Freedom is calling me! Saw your episode on another channel and had to check you out!

Yaaas! I can't wait to see the transformation in your van, Michelle 😊.

Boondocking is the word you were trying to think of. Congratulations on your dream home. You are going to be so good at this van life with your great personality. Take care and God bless stay safe.

Your vibe is contagious! Smiles from 🇨🇦

I love the fact that you made the leap. I want to so bad but I'm watching my 2 year old autistic grandson and helping out my kids. I'm a 100% disabled veteran and I want this life. Congratulations on making the move.

We ALL found you on Butterfly Tracks! Girl, we are fast friends…you just don’t know it yet. 😂 I’m going to be on the road as soon as I can make it happen and can’t wait to hug your neck and share a campfire story or twelve. ❤

Girl I been out here for over a year in half and I park in my mom drives way and I'm so so happy with this freedom lifestyle

God be with you... get a little chair with wheels to move around. Will keep you in prayer.

Definitely thinking about it. I’m 60 and totally get you. Be safe!😄👍🏽🙏🏽❤️

Butterfly Tracks brought me here and if it’s ok, I’m just going snuggle in here with y’all !! xo

So excited for your new life adventure ❤

So proud of you Michelle and I subscribed to your channel. Looking forward to more content!❤❤❤❤

❤❤❤I appreciate that you’re honest. Thank you! I did subscribe because maybe one day I’ll be van dwelling myself. I love your heart. I once had similar experience from taking care of mentally ill and developmentally delayed individuals for 17 years. I won’t go into too much details but I am still mentally healing myself. Enjoy your journey sweetie.

Hi Shel, I just watched your video on Butterfly 🦋 tracks. I just love your personality, you're so sweet. I hope to meet you someday. I'm sitting here in tears, I'm sorry for the hard times you went through, but so glad you're able to find peace and heal. ❤❤❤ Blessings to you. (See below) There's a way to put a copy of the Butterfly tracks video on your channel and I think you should, because it's a wonderful and moving video. It had several people in tears. ❤ .

Eye Am So Proud of U Goddess

I really get a neat feeling of how happy you are about your ,,space,,. It may be spacing you out a bit, but afterall, you are designing yourself around your own interior needs and wants, presently and to come. 11:08 I'm really glad things are going well and I think you have a really clean, open-air look shaping up to make an appealing and uncluttered life style. Very, very impressive🎉. Inspires me to unclutter or downsize into a similar mode of living.

You are the sweetest❤if you have any questions…ask us your fans. ❤

Have a great van journey! Love your personality!

Just found you through Butterfly tracks! Retired & married with 2 small grandkids nearby…but enjoy watching videos involving traveling inexpensively. One day maybe🚗🏕️☀️🌊Looking forward to following your adventure!

Michelle so glad to have come across your channel. I so feel your vibe about the stress of being in higher positions at work and the job just wanting more and more than you can give. My traveling has been put on hold due to family health matters but girl do I miss camping. Have fun happy travels.

❤❤❤❤❤

❤

Wishing you all the best on your new lifestyle.

Love your energy and enthusiasm for this lifestyle....love the van name and look forward to watching you again. Glad i found you from your interview on butterfly tracks.🌄☀️

Saw you on Butterfly Tracks…..hope to meet you one day in my travels. But I’m not traveling yet but everyday I am One Day Closer..✌️

Hey you popped up on my feed😊 of van lifers , Its okay to be transparant, and overwhelmed with a peace of mind. I'll be following your journeys,new subscriber,GOD got you🌻🇯🇲

Hi ya! So excited for you to be doing this! Yes..moochdocking..wishing you the best..

So excited for you, congratulations on your progress 🍀 I've been struggling with housing and now I'm saving money to afford a car to live in too. Hope to see more content from you this was really inspiring 💜

I just watched you on Butterfly tracks so had to look you up. I look forward to watching all your videos. I’m wishing you the best. I’m going to be 70 in 10 days, my wonderful husband is 76. I was a truck driver for 14 years over the road and loved all the travel I did. Living on the road is still my dream. I married this wonderful husband almost 9 years ago after I had retired . We are now working on building a mini bus so we can travel. Right now we are living in a tiny house on 2.5 acres. So looking forward to traveling again.

Hi Michelle, just watched you on butterfly tracks , have to follow you on your new life , something I always wanted to do so I’m going to do it through you empowering ladies 👏 ,

I came here from your comment on the RV Jedeye's channel... I hope your journey is continuing and that you're having fun.

You could always do flexible sheet flooring or like wallpaper/ peel n stick etc over the white for a nice decorative aspect. It's nice to look up at when you lay down ❤ I had my clothes in one of those sweater ones and hung it from the hand grab bar/ dry cleaning hanger bar in the back of the car. Can also hang one off the back of passenger seat or the small hanging canvas shoe rack one (for shoes and other easy grab small items (umbrella, flashlight etc) 😊

I saw you on Butterfly Tracks and am very happy for you. Your van set up looked so pretty. Wishing you safe travels and much joy! 💞

I still love the name Shelby happy to follow you Michelle

Hi there, I saw your van tour with Jan from @Butterflytracks. You have done well. May you have Happy Trails and Safe Travels. I am only a part time car camper, but I am working towards fulltime. Hopefully sooner than later. We all learn from each other. Don't apologize for your tears, they are healthy. When I am travelling I store my clothes in a rug sack or small back pack. I have subscribed to your channel and look forward to your videos. Safe Travels

Hello Michelle! I am still dreaming of being a van dweller! I live in South Carolina so I know some of how you feel about the heat! I love your honest emotions! I was able to retire from teaching right before CoVID. I was completely burnt out! Take your time, love yourself, God is in the mix and He is working all things to draw you closer to Him! Praying for you and your journey!!

Can't wait to meet you on the road! Love that you keep it real about this housing crisis.

Found you on butterfly tracks.. New friend here!!! Lovely spirit ♾️💞

Hi Michelle, I just watched you on Butterfly Tracks. I am here to encourage you on your journey. Praying for a safe and blessed journey on your travels.

Hi Michelle also saw you on butterfly tracks and had to look you up and subscribe. Firstly I’d like to congratulate you on making your dream come true and having the courage to live it not just dream about it as I am currently doing. Dreaming and watching KZhead. Anyway I too was in similar job for many years and was also attacked at work. So after many years of working in a sector I loved I too saw the changes in lack of forever homes for low income or those with support needs. That and my PTSD I had to leave so when I saw you and heard your story it filled my heart with admiration for you. And by the way you look amazing I thought you were younger then me and I’m 51 ! Anyway I have so much I still am yet to do and you have inspired me. Look forward to seeing your van life journey all the way here in UK Stay safe sis much love

The beginning 😂 I love it! You are my people 😃 Can’t wait to see all the adventures of you and Shelby!

The Pacific Northwest is absolutely gorgeous. Specifically Oregon. Tons of BLM land. Tons of boondocking spots along the coast. April can be chilly but gorgeous. May-November best months. I reside in Medford, OR. I have only boondocked 1 time on HipCamp. We still camp out of our Toyota Sienna Van in State Parks. Camping this Mother’s Day weekend at a beautiful State Park. Still working full-time. Weekends are when we take off. Be blessed.

You are so inspiring! I just started van life part time with the goal ti be permanent. I an so encouraged by you!

I Shelby. I saw you on another channel, and you inspire me. I own a Tesla Model 3. I don't want to trade in my car or sell my things that are in storage, but I want to travel and see the country. I'm proud of you.

Great video Michelle!

🦋

Hi Michelle, I would love this I know what you mean about having to pay rent bills... I have a mortgage , I found you on Butterfly tracks, And loved how you designed your van its beautiful. I look forward in seeing more videos as I find you encouraging.. Watching from Ontario Canada .

Hello Shelby love ur name I'm 60 as well and happy I found your channel!!! I would love to do this I watch àlot of people doing vanlife I think it's awesome

Looking forward to seeing how you make your new house into your new 🏠 home! Best to you and stay safe and blessed.

I just watched you on butterfly tracks, looking forward to more videos you are an inspiration. I bought my minivan 1 year ago and have been working on m no build and doing some local camping over the last year. I am attending my first meetups this year and I am super excited. I saw you have craft supplies and a space to create, that is one of my priorities in my van art supplies and space to create. Hope we will meet up down the road

Hi Michelle! 👋🏾😊 The way l cracked up laughing when you slid into frame at the beginning😂; I immediately knew we could be friends. I was like, “WOW”, so many similarities as to why van life is the journey I now need to pursue. Congrats on jumping out there and doing it. I’m so eager and ready to do the same ASAP! Can’t wait to watch more videos and learn from you. I’m happy to be a new subbie! 🎉

You are going to do great😊. I am 70. My where did the time go? Well I live in Virginia Beach,VA. My son bought me a Dodge Grand Caravan before he passed from Acute Leukemia. It's been 2 years and it's like he knew I was going to need that van . I live in a 18ft travel Trailer in a park but it's just like living in sticks and bricks coz I work come home and TV time. Time to get the courage and head out. I have hopes that getting away from here and out of this trailer will heal me on my sons death. I understand what it means to be ok one minute then you tear up the next. Your a beautiful and Positive Lady. You are on the right track. You will do great with the UTube channel. Just be yourself and talk to us like you are talking to your best friends. We all have your back!!!😊

Ive been doing part-time van living for about 2-3months and hope to be full-time in about a month, and i just posted my part-time van-tour a few days ago🙌🏾 (Didn't realize i was on my other account, This is the Van-Life Channel)

I'm with you! 🙏 I think what your doing is great! I talk myself out of van life not only because I do not own one but I'm not good with the wrench drill nor a desire to learn it at this point in life... lol. I did a slow fall into a much lower socioeconomic status many years ago. I did live in my car thru 2016 after a serious auto accident & met lots of great strangers thankfully. I'm not the greatest at reaching out for help. I never had even a fender bender. I paid that car off in March of 2016 & my youngest had just left for college out of state so it was a rough one in life & the guy just walked away. Again I didn't push enough partly because I was physically hurt & just was not able. I let all that part of my life go & began to rebuild physically & mentally. You can make all the plans in life & then there are just things that happen beyond our control. I hope I preached that into all of my kids brains. You do have to be safe out there as a single female even males do. I don't want to ever go back to that but navigating this economy is scary especially at a mature age 😉 My landlord has chose to sell & the lease ends July 31. I'm on so called wait lists for rentals & guess what? I'm a Florida native & have lived in Tampa for 43 yrs. I was born south of here a bit but after I graduated college I remained. I totally get the freedom & I understand the financial struggle & stress it can bring. No matter how great we have dealt with stress in the past both good & not so good we have to keep going. And you will. My 4 adult kids are spread out & I don't have alot of contact with them. I realized years ago when I was putting together decor for a move that I have always based it on men & children living in the home! Lol. Unfortunately or fortunately I think many females do that. I keep saying now is my time & I'm still not there. It is just moving fast & don't you want to experience less responsibility & enjoy you in life? It is scary & a damn shame we can't get it right for the homeless & other populations. It makes no sense. I would love to meet you sometime. Not sure exactly how to arrange that w/o blasting it on u tube but I think we have somewhat of a similiar backround just listening to you.😊 There are van life videos as you know. Some are helpful depending on where your at in life. I'm rooting for you & keeping you in my thoughts & prayers!😊 I subscribed & if you come up with a way we can communicate I will watch for your notification. I think your going to have a blast!😊

Howdy Shel! I came over from your interview on Butterfly Tracks but was hooked to watch and subscribe from your introduction on this video. Let's ride!

Chell, I just watched you on Butterfly tracks and came on over. Love your energy and have subscribed to your channel. I look forward to your adventures. I’ve dreamt of doing van life for over 10 years, hopefully I’ll get to do it soon

Happy I found you 😊

Hello, new subscriber! Just found your channel on Butterfly Tracks! Wishing you continued success on this journey! ❤

Hello I am here from seeing you on butterfly tracks. I am also a women of color thinking about Van life.

Hello🤗 New subbie.Came over from Butterfly Tracks. You're an inspiration. Safe travels and happy trails😁

Just watched you on butterfly tracks wow thankyou. .i am 62 just got a Toyota hi ace 1990 i live in Australia. I cant wait till be a fulltime vanlifer. Could you do a video how you built out your van please

Hi. New subscriber. I Just watched the video with Butterfly Tracks. I like your van and your personality. safe travels

I am in the process of building out my van. I have camped since I was a child. So I am looking forward to having my van for camping and who knows where it will lead from there.

Hi Michelle! I just found you on Butterfly Tracks and had to subscribe to your channel! ❤ I am still in my apartment but taking short trips("finding ice-cream and traveling to try it" 😂) I am looking forward to taking off as soon as ice hits the ground here. I hope to meet you in the near future! Sweet travels!

Hey Michelle- you got this! Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!! 💜☮

Hi Michelle. Welcome to vanlife. I'm new also but part-time. I have a channel also. Brooks 'N Bridges. I hope to see you down the road. I just subbed and I am excited for you. 😊

Hello... I'm here from your tour on Butterfly Tracks. I look forward to following your page. I'm a vanlifer as well. I will be celebrating my 2 year Vannerversary on May 3rd. I wish I would've done it sooner.

Hi there! Made my way over from a Glorious Life on Wheels video that you commented on. Looking forward to following your journey.

Girl, i love you for being honest. All i have to say is di you want a room mate?❤😅

Looking forward to tour video

I've been wanting to do the nomad life now for a long time. My husband is willing to do trips but not full time. We live in a small home that is cozy but my desire is to get on the road. It's just hard financially to do both, live in sticks and bricks plus travel.

Interesting, plan to follow you along your journey, just subbed! 🙌🏾

Hi, I bought a 98 E150 last year and had it built to live the van life, I just haven’t taken the leap yet. I almost sold it but I’m going to keep it now because I might have to give up my apartment soon if I can’t keep working.

You will really love it…..

Get a 12VDC (probably Chest Style) Refrigerator.

I Michelle! I found you via Butterfly Tracks! Thank you for sharing your story! You are definitely inspiring so many of us! Glad to hear you are in Florida. Maybe someday our paths will cross since I’m here too. Happy travels.

Enjoy the journey. I’ve been traveling in my minivan for a month now. Lots of learning, lots of joy, holy moly lots of mountain driving which makes for some awesome cool nights made for sleeping. Good luck with your new channel! Look forward to sharing your journey. 💚🦋

I'm thinking about I'm going to do it I have a dodge ram truck and a rooftop tent...my family and friends think I'm crazy..

Hey Michelle (and Shelby). So fun. Can’t wait to see you down the road💃🏻🐞🙌🏼

Saw ya on Butterfly Tracks channel ... And found your channel ❤❤ So looking forward to see your videos of travels, experiences and love for God's World .. Keep us updated .. Much love, prayers and hugs .. God bless you and your family !!

Hi! Best of luck on everything and congrats on this new exciting change. I’ve been living in an RV for a month, so I’m a still a newbie too. 😊