HOME IS WHERE YOU PARK IT.
Allison Bove from Delaware, United States loves to adventure and took a leap of faith quitting her 9-5 job to make her dreams of traveling come true. She converted a cargo van into a home on wheels to make the most out of the 2020 lockdown time. After graduating from business school at York College, she started working in a sales position, aiming to lock in a job in marketing research. When she realised she was working for the long weekends and her next adventure, she finally decided to stop chasing the perfect job and create her DREAM LIFE instead. She left her job and started building her own business online allowing her to create an income whilst working from anywhere.
ALLISON AND HER NEW HOME ON WHEELS
Heartbreak made HER reach further.
A year ago, if you had asked her where she would be today, she would have told you to be engaged, beginning the next chapter, traveling with her life partner and creating a family. It turns out this wasn’t what life had planned for her. After a deeply emotional breakup, it all seemed like her plans to travel the country would be taken away from her, since her initial plan to travel had evolved around her ex-partners job travel requirements.
Through the sadness and anger and a lot of prayer, Allison realised she didn’t need to wait for someone else to come along for her dreams of travelling to come true. Her heartbreak made her learn about herself and realise how powerful she is on her own.
Allison had a friend who had converted a van and gone travelling with his husky, but was about all she knew about living in a van. She started researching more and got entirely overwhelmed… “Holy crap van life is a thing! Once I researched more, I knew I could make it happen”. She set a target date to be on the road and started planning accordingly. Firstly, she bought a van and three months later moved back home to convert the van into her new home for herself and her cat Jankins.
ALLISON WAS A TYPICAL CITY GIRL.
It wasn’t until she moved to Pennsylvania and actually started hiking and exploring, when she fell in love with nature. Going out there to be with the animals, sitting down by a river, spending time outdoors has taught Allison to slow down. She says, it’s easy for people these days to get caught up in the business that surrounds everyone; always having three things going at once with music blasting in the background, it’s no wonder everyone these days has anxiety. Sometimes she finds herself falling in the same trap. Being out in nature makes you stop and enjoy the moment, to be present with the people you are with, and find peace in all the chaos.
JANKINS THE TRAVEL CAT
FINDING ADVENTURE DURING CORONA.
Right when she should have been leaving the USA, the borders shut down and her travel plans were paused. Now, five months later, still with no big travel story under her belt yet, it feels like an eternity and sometimes she finds herself feeling like a failure. To stay strong and win perspective, Allison reminds herself this shutdown is just temporary and it has given her the chance to finish the van before the big take-off. Now, as things are starting to open back up she is ready to fly and take on the wilderness on her own.
Allison has learnt, that adventure means more than just going somewhere. Adventure is the spirit of excitement, the thrill of spontaneity, the joy you get from going outside your comfort zone. It’s a trip to the mountains, it’s finding shells on the beach, going treasure hunting at your local thrift shop. Anyone can create their own adventure.
In her journey to take on the wilderness of the United States on her own, she encourages other females to seek the same freedom. Her mission is to embrace every day as an opportunity to learn something new while owing respect to nature and people. Travel tips are to respect the places you visit, eg. don’t litter, leave no trace, respect other people you meet and listen to understand them and their story and perspective of life.
WHY ITS IMPORTANT TO ENCOURAGE OTHER WOMEN.
ALLISON GLACIER HIKING IN ICELAND
To Allison, it's great to see people turn their passions into a career but there is another benefit in sharing your passion for the joy of teaching others. Especially on social media, if other local females are liking or commenting on adventure posts, offer to bring them hiking with you, share that extra surf board that doesn’t get used, have coffee and share your knowledge, unite adventure women and empower newcomers. Everyone has a reason they aren't following their dreams. Let's unite adventure women together to stop making excuses while inspiring and encouraging each other to pursue those dreams. I hope more women will see how incredible they truly are.
“I realised I didn’t need to wait for someone else to come along for my dreams to travel to come true”
The United States alone have a large territory of unique and unexplored wilderness to see and experience. Allison plans to spend 2 years travelling, starting with the Northwest of the USA. She has created the foundation to work online and is running her own marketing business from her van.
If you would like to get in contact with ALLISON, please visit Allisonbove.com And Allison_bove on INSTA.
We hope you enjoyed this article.
Stay true to yourself, dare & care.
X
Lara