#thevanproject

Costco…in some ways it’s the antithesis of what Amanda and I believe in.
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High volumes of consumption, bountiful plastic packaging, a huge multinational corporation encouraging us to buy! buy! buy!
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And as much as we cringe at these undeniable facts, Costco (or more specifically a third party company) has provided us with an opportunity for some lucrative short-term work these past few weekends in the San Francisco Bay Area, selling organic kombucha to the masses.
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Have we sold out our values? We’re not sure. It’s definitely a dilemma though. And this experience brings up the question of morality in life and in work. And what do you do when your values may be at odds between the two? And which is better, original or peanut butter Puffins (there’s only one right answer here) Any and all opinions welcome in the comments below
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All we know right now is that after this weekend we’ll be done with this gig and our big life adventure can continue. We’ve got some really exciting things on the horizon. And we’re really happy to have you all along for the ride ✌
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Ps- If you didn’t see yesterday’s feed post we’re teaming up with some amazing brands to give one lucky follower an ultimate solar package worth over $400! Supes easy to enter. Will take you 1 min or less. Pop on over to that post to enter now!
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#giveawaycontest #giveawaytime #giveaways #giveaway #iggiveaway #thevanproject #vanlifers #therealvanlife #vanlifemovement #vanlifestyle #brandambassador #digitalnomad
(at Costco)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPgtCYljQ6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1carupjenasld

Last night we definitely had the coolest neighbors on the block. We *finally* got to meet Jessy and Mander, her 1978 Dodge Commander @a.girl.and.her.commander in person! (We’ve been chatting online for well over a year at this point!).
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Although we’re putting in long days driving to get from Denver to NorCal to attend @theoutbound @pursuit.series in Bear Valley this weekend, we made a tiny detour to see our friend Gavin @winnebagowanderlust (with the badass AMC pacer in this shot) and meet Jessy. We spent less than 24-hours together but quickly bonded over our vintage rigs, and many on-the-road repairs.
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Hope to see you on the road again soon guys! MANDER ON!
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#thevanproject #vintagecar #vintagecars #clarkcortez #vanlifecommunity #vanlifers #vanlifediaries #vanlife #vanlifeexplorers #vanlifedistrict #vanlifeculture (at Utah)

The #coloradovanlifegathering is under way! Are you here?
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On our first evening together we assembled our best eats for an amazing potluck dinner followed by awesome and inspiring conversations.
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There are almost 100 vehicles here and each is as unique as the people who own them.
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The time is literally flying by so we’re gonna get back in the mix!
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#thevanproject #vanlifemovement #vanlifediaries #vanlifegathering (at Basalt, Colorado)

Gang’s all here!
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We’ve been having an awesome (and exhausting!) week at #outdoorretailer here in Denver. Last night we helped raise funds for public lands at @ratiobeerworks with @vacayvans @tinyhousetinyfootprint and @josiahq. We had such a blast giving van tours and meeting all of ya’ll who came out.
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As much as we’ve been loving it here in Denver, we can’t wait to get our feet back in nature. We’re heading to Basalt this weekend for the #coloradovanlifegathering. We know @van.there, @theladiesvan will be there. Who else will we be seeing there?
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For those of you who can’t make it out in person we will do our best to share lots of van interior snaps in our stories. What else do you want to see?
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#thevanproject #vanlifegathering #outdoorretailer (at Denver, Colorado)

What up what up what up Denver!!!
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Amanda and I will be arriving shortly to attend our first @outdoorretailer at the Denver convention center and we are psyched! Then we’ll be heading to Basalt for the #coloradovanlifegathering next weekend. And then, we’re going to make another attempt at Climbing the Petit Grepon in Rocky.. lots of excitement over the next two weeks!
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If you are unfamiliar, Outdoor Retailer is the biggest trade show in the US (and world?) for outdoor recreation & gear.
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If you are going to be at OR and want to connect, send us a DM and we can schedule a meeting!
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And even if you aren’t attending OR, come down to @ratiobeerworks from 6-9pm on Tuesday night to hang out, drink beer, and raise money for our public lands! It’s gonna be an awesome event and you’ll get to hang with us as well as @vacayvans , @tinyhousetinyfootprint & @josiahq
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#thevanproject #outdoorliving #outdoorretailer #vanlife #vanlifemovement (at Colorado)

Hey, we just wanted to let you know that even though it may seem to you like we’ve got it all figured out, we don’t.
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Always remember that these images capture only a second of our lives. We’re still figuring so many things out. But we do our damndest to make small progress towards our goals every day. Because as the saying goes.. a marathon starts with one step.
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Today, do one thing (anything, it’s okay to start small) that empowers your soul and brings you closer to your goals. So, what are you going to do?
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(No, Matt didn’t fall in the water.)
#thevanproject #leapoffaith #alpinelake #mountainrange #mountainlovers #mountainviews #mountains #visitwyoming #snowyrange (at Wyoming)

Matt was browsing through the rare shots we took of us together. There were lots of cute ones but when he found this one he said “we’ll give the ladies some man porn.” So, here ya go…
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Idaho is a dream for hot spring lovers. And lovers in general. We just wish they recycled here so we didn’t have a month’s worth of recycling hanging out in our rig… but who’s complaining when you’ve got hot springs like these.
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#thevanproject #visitidaho #salmonriver #hotsprings #hotspringsbound

“You are all as much extraordinary phenomena of nature as say, trees, clouds, the shape of fire, the arrangement of stars, the formation of a galaxy. You are all just like that. There’s nothing wrong with you at all… except you have in you something that thinks there’s something wrong with you… but there’s nothing wrong with that either because that’s part of the flow.” - Alan Watts
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Sometimes we all need a reminder ☝️Nothing like a massive alpine setting to remind us always and again how we’re all simultaneously tiny and impermanent and massively beautiful.
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We’re still here Idaho, soaking up as much of your serenity and beauty as we can before we start the journey back to Denver for @outdoorretailer later this month and then to NorCal for @theoutbound Pursuit Series in Bear Valley. Anyone else going to either of these events?
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#thevanproject #visitidaho #stanleyidaho #stanleylake #sawtoothmountains #sawtoothwilderness #wildernessnation #wilderness_culture #mountains #mountainviews #mountainrange #hikeidaho #idahodaily #idahophotographer (at Stanley, Idaho)

HALP creatives!!! I’ve been struggling something fierce on the creative inspiration front the last few weeks.
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Sometimes what I write doesn’t feel insightful or deep enough to do our situation or Matt’s beautiful photo justice. Sometimes I just can’t get any words to flow. When this has happened before I turn to nature but that hasn’t seemed to snap me out of it. I know some of you have experienced a version of this before… is there anything specific you do to help get yourself out of a creative funk?!
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Right now I’m trying the ‘hot spring method’…
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#thevanproject #visitidaho #hotsprings #mountainviews #sawtoothmountains #stanleyidaho #idahodaily (at Stanley, Idaho)

Oh heyyyy. Happy early 4th of July. We hope you spend it with someone special ❤️
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#thevanproject #goldendoodlepuppy #puppylove (at Ketchum, Idaho)

Does going a month without disposable plastic seem like a huge challenge?
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We live in a society that prioritizes convenience over responsibility, short-term happiness over long-term consequences. What we’re saying is that it’s OK if it feels hard, because it is! The infrastructure we rely on doesn’t give us options, alternatives, or any easy way to avoid single-use plastics.
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By joining the ‘team’ and living a #plasticfreejuly you are doing more than reducing your footprint on our planet. You are also making a statement. You are telling our society and the world that you care, that you want options, that you want convenience AND environmental responsibility. It’s all possible, we just need to make our voices heard.
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This July, let’s make the mountain that is single-use & disposable plastics into a molehill. Who’s joining us? (Peep the highlights for details about our zero-plastic shopping kit- it’s everything we bring with us when we shop to make sure we can stock up plastic-free).
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#plasticfreevanlife #thevanproject #vanlifer #vanlifers #campervanculture #nomadstays #campervanmagazine #vanlifemagazine #rvliving #rvlife #grandtetons #grandtetonnationalpark #explorewyoming #visitwyoming #mountains #mountainrange #mountainlovers #choosemountains #clarkcortez (at Grand Teton National Park)

Everything we need right here.
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What are you and your sweetheart doing this weekend?
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#thevanproject #campinggoals #vanliving #campervanculture #rvliving #campfires #campfire #vanliving #campinglife #campingcar #campingvibes #clarkcortez (at Wyoming)

The Tetons are a truly incredible place, but it’s time to roll.
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We leave Jackson today en-route to Driggs, Victor, and beyond. Our exact route is open (just how we like it), but we do know we’ll head to the Sawtooth mountains near Sun Valley, ID.
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With ID fishing licenses in hand, we’re ready to enjoy world-class fly fishing, beautiful hikes in stunning scenery, all the natural hot springs we can soak up, and a return to ‘normal’ after finally wrapping up from the #tetonvalleyvanlifegathering.
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Is anyone currently in Idaho or headed this way? Is there an awesome little hidden gem coffee shop we need to check out? Favorite fishing, boondocking, and hot springs in Idaho? Wanna meet up? Comment below and/or slide into our DMs
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Above is #oxbowbend which we photographed this morning at 5:45am. These beautiful mountains are etched in our souls and rest assured we will be back (we have our eye on a route on the grand for later this season if timing lines up!)
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#thevanproject #jacksonhole #jacksonwyoming #grandtetonnationalpark #grandtetons #tetonmountains #explorewyoming #wildwyoming #fujixseries #fujixt2 #leefilters #landscape_photography #mountains #mountainview #mountainlake #mountainrange (at Oxbow Bend, GTNP)

Photo number 2 on this #twofortuesday is our 1964 #clarkcortez parked close to the summit of Togwotee pass.
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You can find this epic spot East of Jackson in the rugged and wild Absaroka range of North-West Wyoming. Fun fact: I spent 2 weeks backcountry ski touring at this very spot on a NOLS semester course back in 2007.
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I shot this photo with my #fujixt2 and 23mm f/1.4 lens. I composited multiple exposures using a technique called #focusstacking to get the mountains, RV, and log in the foreground all sharp. I also included two exposures in this composite that were shot at two-minutes+ length using a 15-stop @leefilters Superstopper to achieve the creamy sky and pond surface.
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It was a complex photo to produce but I think it was worth the effort.
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#thevanproject #tetonvalleyvanlifegathering #absarokamountains #absaroka #wyominglife #wyomingphotographer #wyomingbound #wyomingexplored #mountainviews #vanliving #campervanlife #rvlifestyle #leefilters #leefiltersuperstopper #fujifilm #fujilove #fujixseries #wildernessnation #exploretocreate #reflectiongram (at Togwotee Pass)

We’re still in the Tetons and loving it.
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It’s #twofortuesday so today we’ll be sharing two photos with you, starting with this shot of one of the historic barns located along #mormonrow
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Located at the south end of Grand Teton National Park, this iconic barn is best captured at sunrise when the morning sun lights up the barn and West side of the Teton range.
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I (Matt) shot this image with a @fujifilm_northamerica X-T2, 23mm f/1.4 lens, @breakthrough.photography circular polarizer, and a @leefilters .6 soft neutral density graduated filter.
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The image above is actually three exposures, composited using #adobephotoshop
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Let me know in the comments below if you like nerding out on camera gear and techniques (like I do) and tell me if you want to see more posts like this (with detailed shoot info). And make sure to swing by later today for another photo ✌
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#thevanproject #cameranerd #fujixt2 #fujifilmxt2 #fujilove #fujifeed #fujixseries #leefilters #leefilter #leefiltersystem #landscape_photography #landscape_love #landscape_prime #landscape_collection #landscape_perfection #tetons #jacksonwyoming #tetonsnationalpark #tetonvalleyvanlifegathering (at Mormon Row Historic District)