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Living in a Van: From Sweden’s Forests to UK Car Parks – My Life in a Van, My Life in Words | By Donna Jones (Miss D Travels)

A Different Kind of Beginning

I never planned this life in the way people might imagine. There was no grand strategy, no Pinterest board of van builds or dreams of Instagram sunsets. It happened slowly, then all at once, like most real things do.

Woman with a dog sits at the open door of a black van, parked near a building. She's in casual attire, creating a relaxed mood.

Living in a Van: How It All Began in Sweden

My journey into van life really began in Sweden.

Over there, it felt… easy. Not easy as in effortless, but easy in the way life should feel when it fits.

I could park up in the middle of a forest and not see another soul. Just me, Barney, and the quiet. Proper quiet. The kind you don’t get in the UK. I had places I could go into the city to wash my clothes, have a shower, empty waste if I needed to — it was all set up in a way that made living in a van feel normal, not like you were constantly on edge.

The Freedom of Van Life in Sweden

Sweden gave me space. Space to breathe. Space to think. Space to just be.

And somewhere in that quiet, the writing started to come.

Writing Life on the Road: Barney and Rainbow

Two dogs sit inside a vehicle, one ginger with curly fur and the other tan. They look outside, conveying curiosity. Trees visible outside.

It began with Barney and Rainbow.

Barney, my little terrier, and Rainbow, my beautiful cocker spaniel who sadly passed, became the heart of my first children’s book. That book wasn’t just a story — it was a way of holding onto something I didn’t want to lose. Anyone who’s lost a dog will understand that kind of love.

Writing it in the van, often in silence, often in between work shifts, felt natural. There was no pressure. Just me, my thoughts, and the world outside the window.

Returning to the UK: When Van Life Gets Hard

Then life shifted.

I came back to the UK for family reasons, thinking it would be temporary.

It wasn’t.

I ended up stuck — properly stuck — living on an Asda car park for four weeks. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t get out of the situation I was in at the time. It was winter. It was cold. And I spent Christmas there.

That part of the story… I don’t tell it all here.That’s in the book.

Let’s just say — van life in the UK is not Sweden.

The Reality of Van Life in the UK

It’s not always forests and freedom. Sometimes it’s survival.

Since then, I haven’t travelled the UK in the way people expect. I don’t go chasing views or ticking off locations. My life in the van is tied to work. I travel where I need to, stay where I can, and make it work around real life — not the polished version you often see online.

Life on the Road: Vans, Travel, and Real Experiences

Black van parked; a dog sits inside. Castle with green domes in the background, trees and fallen leaves. Person walking nearby.

But the van is still my home.

Lady Di — my VW LT35 — has carried me back and forwards to Sweden around ten times now. Before her, I had my old van (Polly Ford), and between the two of them, they’ve taken me across countries, through breakdowns, through moments of freedom, and moments where I didn’t know what I was going to do next.

And through all of it, I’ve written.

Books Inspired by Van Life

Egg Butties came from real life — the humour, the ups and downs, the little moments that make van life what it is. It’s honest, it’s relatable, and it doesn’t pretend this life is something it’s not.

Burnt Toast: The Reality of the Journey

Then there’s Burnt Toast.

That one is different. That’s the reality check. The side people don’t always see — the emotional side, the struggle, the truth of what happens when life doesn’t go the way you planned. It’s raw, but it’s real.

Food on the Move came from the practical side of living this life. Cooking in a van isn’t glamorous — it’s about making something decent with very little, often on a single ring, often in places that aren’t ideal. It’s simple, honest food that fits real van living.i love to cook, and to cook for people always. But always clean, real honest food. Real ingredients. Nothing processed in my van. No super noodles or pot noodles. And all in one pan.

Coming Full Circle: Barney’s Story Continues

And now, I’ve come full circle back to Barney.

My latest children’s book, Barney and Rainbow Go to the Van Life Festival, is based on the times I used to take them both along with me. Those days were some of the best — dogs, people, vans, stories, and a sense of community that you don’t always find elsewhere.

The Truth About Van Life

That’s the thing about this life.

It’s not perfect. It’s not always free. It’s not always easy.

But it’s real.

Why I Keep Going

And through everything — the forests of Sweden, the car parks of the UK, the long drives, the breakdowns, the quiet mornings with coffee and Barney by my side — I’ve kept going.

I’ve kept writing.

Because at the end of it all, that’s what this is really about:

Telling the truth about a life that doesn’t fit neatly into a box…and finding something meaningful in it anyway.

Woman with curly hair wearing colorful sunglasses and a red patterned dress smiles in a car. Blue interior, upbeat mood.

Read the Full Story

If you want the full story — the good, the bad, and everything in between — you’ll find it in the books.


This is just the beginning.


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