Issue #216: I Vlogged My First Week Living in a Van (!)

Hot takes and honest first impressions.

🎥 ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ in theaters: In this dark comedy, Rose Byrne stars as a therapist and overwhelmed mother navigating her daughter’s mysterious illness and husband’s absence.

📚 Next of Kin by Gabrielle Hamilton: I moved to New York, in large part, because of Hamilton’s restaurant Prune (RIP) and her wonderfully written memoir about marriage and the restaurant industry, Blood, Bones, and Butter (still among my favorite books). Nearly fifteen years later, she’s back with a new memoir about middle age, inheritance, and caretaking.

📺 “The Chair Company,” on HBO Max: A new absurd workplace satire by Tim Robinson, that’s been compared to “The Office,” but more existential. Curious to dive into it and see where it goes!

It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I moved into my van a week ago, considering the fact that I’ve already covered a thousand miles in her, in my rapid-fire trip from Arizona through Utah and into Colorado.

I was incredibly nervous to meet her—her name is Birdie, by the way (!)—after spending the past year working with a builder out of Phoenix to plan every last detail, without ever laying eyes on her. But from the moment I got behind the wheel, I knew that all of my behind-the-scenes saving and scheming had finally paid off.

This was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable, challenging, and beautiful weeks of my life. Along the way, I did something I’ve never done before and documented every gorgeous hike, mishap, and meal in a vlog to take you along with me. Read (and watch!) for:

• Every single place I camped during my first week

• The one (kind of big) thing that immediately broke

• What I cooked and wore each day