The VanLife App

The San Diego Union Tribune's Would you live in a van? Two San Diego women launch startup for boho traveler movement covers a new app - conveniently called The VanLife App - targeted at VanLife nomads.

The article provides a good description of VanLife:

"For those who haven’t heard of it, “vanlife” refers to a recent bohemian trend of people buying cargo vans, old ambulances, school buses and other boxy vehicles, and converting them into livable apartments on wheels (think of it as a do-it-yourself RV). Many vanlifers are also “digital nomads” who work remotely online, such as freelance writers, software developers, or content creators. With no strings tying them to specific cities or towns, they wander from destination to destination for months on end."

Regular readers know we love new buzzwords here at Small Business Labs and we hadn't heard of the "boho traveler movement".  

But some quick research showed it's a contraction of the term "bohemian homeless", which dates back to the bohemian movement of the 1800s. 

But the recent use has been mostly fashioned related. Boho-chic refers to a mix of bohemian and hippy styles. 

And boho traveler has similar connotations. We think the term is a bit limiting because many #Vanlifers wouldn't describe themselves this way. But it's still a fun new buzzword.

The app providers traveling VanLifers with lists of campsites and other places to park overnight. More importantly, it provides a series of community features that allow VanLifers to find and connect with other travelers. 

This helps to connect people, reduce loneliness and add a sense of community, all of which improve the Vanlife experience. The picture below is from the app's website.

About 7.3 million Americans consider themselves digital nomads and many are VanLifers.  The VanLife App is an example of the growing support system of tools and services targeted at this growing group of travelers.

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