A daring 70-year-old is proving that it’s never too late to take on a brand new adventure!
Virginia is a massage therapist from Canada who recently decided to convert a 2016 Ford Transit into her new home – and take to 24/7 van life! After a client introduced her to a television series about tiny house living, Virginia thought, “I could do that!” And that’s exactly what she did!
After 38 years as a massage therapist, Virginia watched this show and thought about retirement for the very first time.
“And then I just suddenly got it in my head, ‘I’m going to do that and retire!’ And that was it,” she told Tiny Home Tours. “And I’m one of those people that once I decide to do something, it usually is going to happen.”
She enlisted the help of her daughter and friends to put all the bits and pieces of the van together, but Virginia made sure to have a hand in almost every part of the process.
You can see her personality woven throughout the van in features like the embroidered ceiling, bright blue cabinetry, wood quilted doors, and even the tiny space portioned out for her massage table!
She also made sure to install four security cameras around her van to be as safe and secure as possible while traveling alone.
One of Virginia’s favorite parts of van life is the accepting community, regardless of how old you are or where you come from.
“There’s young people and older people and they all seem to accept one another because age isn’t the priority – it’s that we’re in a van life and we have that similarity, so it’s quite lovely,” Virginia said. “I love it.”
This was a future Virginia never expected, but she wouldn’t trade any of it!
“You don’t know what you’re going to be doing in four or five days,” Virginia explained. “Someone can say to you, ‘Well, I’m going to Joshua Tree.’ And you go, ‘Joshua Tree! I never go to Joshua Tree.’ And that can be what you do next! I love that part of it.”
She hopes to encourage others not to let factors like age or “what if” questions keep them from running toward their goals.
“Start! Don’t dream,” she said. “One foot in front of the other.”
Can we be Virginia when we grow up? What an incredible reminder that it’s never too late to pursue our dreams!
Tour her van in the video below, and share this awesome story with a big dreamer in your life.
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