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  • Mountain Lifer

La petite histoire de la van life / A Brief History of Van Life

  • April 29, 2021
  • Ned Morgan
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mots :: Maxime Bilodeau.

Tout commence par un mot-clic. En 2011, Foster Huntington, un jeune New-Yorkais, plaque son lucratif boulot chez Ralph Lauren afin de vivre dans son vieux Volkswagen T3 Syncro. Au fil de ses pérégrinations en Californie, puis dans l’ensemble des États-Unis, il fait connaissance avec une communauté qui vit comme lui. Ses clichés de fourgonnettes stationnées ici et là cartonnent sur Instagram, où il les publie. Il n’en fallait pas plus pour que la #vanlife devienne un véritable mouvement. Depuis sa création, le mot-clic a été utilisé à près de 7 millions de reprises.

La petite histoire A Brief History of Van Life Julie in front of van photo Alex Lepine
Photo: Alex Lépine

Surtout, il en a inspiré plusieurs à opter pour la vie de caravanier. C’est le cas de Julie Plante, l’artiste maquilleuse derrière La Muse, la première caravane beauté au Québec. Depuis deux ans, la trentenaire sillonne la province au volant d’un Ram ProMaster 2500 converti en salon d’esthétique — elle y habite le reste du temps. Entre une séance de maquillage et une manucure, cette adepte de plein air devant l’éternel pratique le kitesurfing, la planche à pagaie et le vélo de montagne. « La van life me permet de combiner toutes mes passions. Une cliente requiert mes services dans les Laurentides? Je vais à sa rencontre et j’en profite pour jouer dehors dans ce coin-là », explique-t-elle.

La petite histoire A Brief History of Van Life aerial photo by Alex Lepine
Photo: Alex Lépine

C’est la volonté de s’affranchir d’un 9 à 5 aliénant qui a poussé Julie à faire le grand saut. Passer de la sédentarité au nomadisme ne s’est toutefois pas fait sans compromis. « J’ai tout vendu pour faire rentrer ma vie dans 19 x 6 pieds. Désormais, une seule tasse, quatre fourchettes et un t-shirt blanc me suffisent pour être heureuse », affirme celle qui prône un minimalisme certain. Son nouveau quotidien exempt de superflu a eu pour effet de la ramener à l’ici, au maintenant. La planification de rares et lointaines vacances a cédé la place à une question toute simple, fondamentale même : « Coudonc’, où est-ce que je dors ce soir ? »

Malgré son mode de vie « qui lui correspond », un minuscule grain de sable s’est récemment glissé dans l’engrenage du bonheur de Julie. Oh, ce n’est pas grand-chose, juste une nostalgie atavique d’un pied-à-terre où s’ancrer. « Je ressens le besoin de pouvoir me poser, d’avoir un endroit bien à moi où me stationner pour souffler un peu avant de reprendre la route. C’est une question d’équilibre ; je ne me vois pas papillonner pendant encore des années », admet l’artiste mobile. Elle n’a pas à avoir honte ; Foster Huntington a lui-même délaissé la van life. Il habite dorénavant dans une maison haut perchée dans les arbres du nord-ouest des États-Unis.


A hashtag changed everything. In 2011, young New Yorker Foster Huntington ditched his high-profile job at Ralph Lauren to live in his old kitted out Volkswagen T3 Syncro. As he drove along the coast of California and throughout most of the United States, he came across other people living the same lifestyle. Staged snapshots and clichéd pictures of his van parked in scenic locations quickly blew up on Instagram. It didn’t take long for #vanlife to become a worldwide movement. To date, #vanlife has been used more than 7 million times on social media.

La petite histoire A Brief History of Van Life shoes photo by Alex Lepine
Photo: Alex Lépine

It has inspired countless others to leave their traditional lifestyles behind to become nomadic vanlifers. That’s what drew in Julie Plante, makeup artist behind La Muse, Quebec’s first-ever mobile beauty studio. For the past two years, this young 30-something has been travelling around the province and beyond behind the wheel of her Ram ProMaster 2500 turned mobile beauty studio and full-time home. When she isn’t busy doing makeup or manicures, this nature-lover is taking in the great outdoors by kite surfing, paddleboarding and mountain biking. “Van life allows me to pursue all of my passions. If a client needs my services in the Laurentians, I simply pack up and go to them. After that I’m free to explore the local natural beauty,” she explains.

Julie was drawn to van life because she was sick and tired of the mundane 9-to-5 lifestyle. However, leaving your stationary life behind for a tiny home on wheels does come with challenges. “I sold everything that I owned to live out my dream in a 19′ x 6′ home. I quickly realized that all I needed to be happy was one cup, four forks and one white t-shirt,” says the self-proclaimed minimalist. Her new no-fuss lifestyle has forced her to live in the moment. Instead of planning elaborate getaways, she now simply asks herself, “So, where will I be sleeping tonight?”

La petite histoire A Brief History of Van Life group photo
Processed with VSCO with a5 preset

Despite her lifestyle being “a good fit,” recent thoughts have crept in and caused a rift between Julie’s love for van life and her longing for stability. Oh, it’s nothing big, just toying with the idea of having a place to settle down and plant some roots. “I’ve been craving someplace to call home. Somewhere I can slow down and catch my breath before heading out on the road again. It’s all about balance. I don’t really see myself continuing to go wherever the wind takes me in the long term,” admits the mobile beauty guru. She doesn’t have to feel bad—even Foster Huntington eventually quit van life. He now lives in a home nestled among the treetops in the northwestern United States.

Excerpted from Vie en Montagne summer ’20.

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