# vanlife

Even before the COVID shutdown in 2020, my partner and I were overdue for a vacation.
We daydreamed about a camping trip in our van. A week, a weekend, even a night away
under the stars to enjoy a moment of unburdened peace in the bush, at the beach, in the
countryside (we weren’t picky).

The hashtag #vanlife on Instagram (and other social media platforms), falsely promotes
these adventures and ways of life as always peaceful, happy, vibrant, fun, and easy.
First it was Covid, then time, money, and health issues interfered with our getaway plans.
Time and time again we would create plans only to have to scrap them.
And even though we knew the hashtags were a confected fantasy of unrealistic ideals, each
time we had to postpone our escape (yet again), we would look to them as a source of
comfort, hope, and ideas for the future.

This distorted portrayal inspired me to construct my own staged and performative photos;
while incorporating my own personal, humorous take – emphasising and exaggerating the
less glamorous realities of the #vanlife experience and reflecting on the empty promises
beneath the glossy veneer.

Unexpectedly, the process of creating this collection of made-up vacation pictures, turned
out to be a genuinely enjoyable time. Shooting after hours, in the tired, cold, wet nights of a
Melbourne winter, my spouse and I experienced meaningful moments of fun, creativity,
intimacy, and connection - all within five kilometres of home.