Many do not question that status quo and would not entertain thoughts of an unconventional lifestyle, If you grow up in a city like Ventura, where most people work during the week in an office or for a company and have little to no free time during the weekend, then this probably rings valid for you. However, before you sign your life away by going to college until you are in your twenties and after that spending the rest of your life working from nine to five everyday, I suggest you consider your options, including a life on wheels, or a more nomadic lifestyle. 

Some may see nothing wrong with the nine to five lifestyle; however,  it is difficult to understand why any would be okay signing off to this lifestyle for the rest of their lives when there are so many other possibilities to experience. 

If you suffer with mental health issues like depression or anxiety from a day to day basis, a conventional job job might not help with this, and in some cases may even worsen it. In fact, one study conducted in the U.K. and the U.S., found that the average person spends at least 35% of their waking hours at work and if we are not happy with our jobs, then it can  have a far reaching impact on our relationships, sleep, physical health, and ability to relax if you truly enjoy an office job or any number of time consuming occupations, this does not apply to you

Some signs that a nine to five job may not be right for you include that you don’t like being inside or being in an office all day, you don’t like having to work a certain amount of hours or having a strict schedule, and you dislike being told what to do (. The reason for this is you may get tired of having a boss telling you what to do or barely having time to enjoy the outdoors . Some may call this cabin fever, however this is far from a temporary issue gained during summer or the school year. If you begin feeling this way from your profession it could last years and years until you retire or realize you want to do something else. 

Yes, there are other options. Recently on social media there has been a new lifestyle trending and that is living on wheels. People take old vans or school buses and transform them into a home. These contain beds, kitchenettes, and depending on the space, indoor bathrooms and more. Eamon and Beck are people who have done this multiple times and have even had a Youtube channel for many years, vlogging their travels on the road, and more recently in a small remote cabin they have bought and are now renovating. This is a link to their Youtube channel. I highly recommend checking out their videos along with other ‘home on wheels’ videos if this is a  lifestyle you are seriously interested in.

What are some of the positives of living in a van or bus? Well, your day to day expenses would be cut down drastically. For a lot of people this is also a more obtainable option because you’re not tied down to a lease or a large house. You have the freedom to travel from place to place and sleep in a different location every night if you wish. You can make money online by starting a Youtube channel or blog. 

The negatives of this option is security. Vans are a lot easier to break into if you’re staying in an unsafe area or leave your car unoccupied for a long amount of time. That being said, there is always the option of installing security cameras and extra locks to be safe. 

In general, whether or not you want to go a less traditional route after high school depends on the type of person you are. Do you like to travel and not be tied down, or do you want to settle down and stay near family? Are you the type of person who wants to have a schedule and rules, or do you prefer to take it day by day and go with the flow?

 Take this fun quiz to see if you might be cut out for it, and if you get a “yes” I encourage you to try it out! If worse comes to worst you can try it out and if you don’t like it settle down somewhere and sell your van, or save it and keep it for road trips in the future. After all, if you are in high school now you have so much time to think about these options and to experience different things. Don’t rush and make sure you truly love the route you are going.