Gibbs Gap Year

The first step of any good plan? Research! At this point we’ve begun watching TV shows and documentaries surrounding the subject of ‘frugal living’ shall we say. We never like to create a biased opinion, or funnel our thinking into just one exact path, so programmes go to both extremes. From Hoarders to The Minimalists , Tiny Home Movement to documentaries about nomads, we’ve been watching it. It gives this amazing perspective, and discussing all the issues brought up in the shows really helps to bring YOUR wants and needs into perspective. Discuss, discuss, discuss, research, research, research. Obviously, because we didn’t want to funnel our vision in this early stage, we have been researching all forms of freedom of living, which include some form of adventure. After watching Tiny Home Movement, it inspired us to look at our options surrounding building an IKEA style home, flat packed, ready to assemble, on some land, or even in a family members garden or driveway (...

To our friends, and even us, it seems like a decision we made suddenly. However, it's something that has been building for a while... Matt has always wanted to travel and be adventurous, but it's one of those things that you can never seem to find the money or time to do. On the other hand, I have always focused on the secure, family centric future. We became Mr and Mrs Gibbs on 9th September 2017, just 3 months after our close friends Mark and Zoe said their vows.  In our friendship group Mark and Zoe are the couple who are in the same place as us; they're married, have a mortgage, some pets, and jobs they don't see themselves in the long term.

Road Trip Stories, Advice and Observations Whenever you see blogs or social media feeds of people travelling, it all looks so glamorised and relaxed. The problem is, it's only half of the story. We hope to show the other half as well. Yes, we get to visit beautiful locations, meet interesting people and feel free from the normal daily grime, but that doesn't come without sacrifices or different daily inconveniences; we have to search for free water every few days, live in a confined space, and go without a hot shower for a week or two. Here we share two different types of posts: Our Diary Stories of all the interesting or entertaining things that happen to us, good or bad. Such as the van leaking during a week of heavy rain, or when we were shown kindness from a stranger, or the time Matt shit himself . All the things that really show what it's like to live together 24/7 in a rusty converted van. Helpful Tips - Van Conversion and Travel For anyone...