Life Done Differently
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Life Done Differently The Nomad's Ultimate Guide to NZ One Size Does Not Fit All
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Life Done Differently
Following your own path in life
 

Welcome to my blog

This is where I share my personal journey. I write about what it’s like to live in a van and my experiences and thoughts as I navigate life outside the norm. For each blog post I write, I follow two simple rules: Be authentic and be honest.

 
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Vanlife
Self-Discovery
People
It’s all a Matter of Perspective
It’s all a Matter of Perspective

Have you ever noticed how people can have completely different views of the same thing – especially when it comes to personality traits? And how our view of ourselves can be so different to how others view us?

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Happiness, Relationships, Self-DiscoveryLisa JansenNovember 18, 2019Comment
Making Myself at Home: Campervan DYI Deco Ideas
Making Myself at Home: Campervan DYI Deco Ideas

It’s been over two months now that I’ve been been living in my new van and I’ve been busy making myself at home. Here are some of the things I’ve done to give the van some character.

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Campervan Improvements, VanlifeLisa JansenOctober 29, 2019 Comment
What it's like to shun the paycheque and reject the 40-hour work week – the full story
What it's like to shun the paycheque and reject the 40-hour work week – the full story

A journalist from the Sunday Star Times asked me some questions last week about what it’s like to have left the full-time working life. Not surprisingly, only a fraction of my answers made it into the story that was published in the paper so I thought I’d publish my full answers on my blog.

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Happiness, The Why, Self-Discovery, VanlifeLisa JansenOctober 17, 2019 Comments
Escaping The Vicious Cycle of Stress
Escaping The Vicious Cycle of Stress

I feel like everywhere I look, I see busy and stressed people who seem unaware of how big an impact their stress has on themselves and the people around them. I think it’s time to escape that vicious cycle of stress!

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Lisa JansenOctober 10, 2019Comment
Video Tour of the New Van
Video Tour of the New Van

Since a few people have been asking for it, I did a little video tour of my new van so you can get a better idea of what it’s like. Enjoy :)

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VanlifeLisa JansenOctober 3, 2019 Comments
It’s so Good to be Myself Again!
It’s so Good to be Myself Again!

Just a short post today, but I wanted to share with you how good it is to feel like myself again. 

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Happiness, The Why, Self-Discovery, VanlifeLisa JansenSeptember 27, 2019 Comments
Week One Back in the Van – Heading North Instead of South
Week One Back in the Van – Heading North Instead of South

I've been back in the van for a week now, and after a bumpy start, I'm starting to get back into the rhythm of it. I’ve decided to head north instead of doing the big South Island trip I had planned. Read more to find out why.

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Happiness, VanlifeLisa JansenSeptember 3, 2019 Comment
Out of Alignment
Out of Alignment

I'm a week away from being back in the Van, and it's not a day too soon. The last five months in Auckland have been challenging. But they have also taught me a few valuable lessons.

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Happiness, Inspiration, Self-Discovery, VanlifeLisa JansenAugust 19, 2019 Comments
A New Van!!!!!
A New Van!!!!!

This is the post I’ve been looking forward to writing for months! YES, I finally found and bought a new van.

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Travel, VanlifeLisa JansenAugust 4, 2019 Comments
Everything You've been Wanting to Know About Housesitting
Everything You've been Wanting to Know About Housesitting

I've been getting a few questions lately about housesitting, so I thought I'd write a blog post to demystify the concept and answer some of the questions I’ve been getting. 

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Travel, VanlifeLisa JansenJuly 14, 2019Comment
Follow my Journey as an Author
Follow my Journey as an Author

Just a quick update today to let you know that I’ve set up a separate website/blog to share my journey as an author and updates on my book.

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My Book, WritingLisa JansenJune 21, 2019Comment
Goodbye Josie!  Hello ???
Goodbye Josie! Hello ???

Now it’s official, I’m going to say goodbye the Josie  :-(

I’m sad to see her go!! She's been such an awesome first van, and I have so many amazing memories with her. But I'm also excited for what is next. 

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Travel, VanlifeLisa JansenJune 6, 2019 Comments
The Real Value of Money
The Real Value of Money

Lately, I’ve noticed an interesting change in my attitude towards money. And it’s not so much because I have less, but mostly because I have come to understand the real value of money.

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Happiness, Inspiration, The Why, Self-DiscoveryLisa JansenMay 26, 2019Comment
There's nothing wrong with doing what everyone else is doing!
There's nothing wrong with doing what everyone else is doing!

Last week, I attended NZ’s Tiny House and Alternative Living Conference. The day was incredibly informative and inspiration but also made me question my decision to stay put in Auckland for a while and go back to doing what everyone else is doing.

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Happiness, Inspiration, Self-DiscoveryLisa JansenMay 2, 2019 Comments
Life is a Rollercoaster
Life is a Rollercoaster

My usually pretty mellow life has turned into a rollercoaster ride this last few weeks with me receiving some of the best and worst news in a long time. But the good far outweighs the bad and as so often, its the challenging times that help you learn and grow…

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My Book, Self-Discovery, VanlifeLisa JansenApril 22, 2019 Comments
6 Things Vanlife has Taught Me
6 Things Vanlife has Taught Me

Here are the six most significant lessons I’ve learnt since leaving the rat-race and ‘normal’ live to live in a campervan 18 months ago.

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Happiness, Self-Discovery, VanlifeLisa JansenApril 6, 2019Comment
Meet Liz & Alan: Retirement on the Te Araroa Trail
Meet Liz & Alan: Retirement on the Te Araroa Trail

For most people, retirement is a time to slow down. A time to put your feet up and relax and enjoy the comforts of life. But not so for Liz and Alan. Instead, they are using their retirement to explore New Zealand - on foot!

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Inspiration, New Zealand, People, Stories, TravelLisa JansenMarch 25, 2019 Comments
And then Life Throws You a Curveball...
And then Life Throws You a Curveball...

Life throw me a curveball this week. After I finally decided what I want to focus on this year, I now had to change plans again.

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Self-Discovery, VanlifeLisa JansenMarch 14, 2019 Comments
I Guess I Won't Do ‘Normal’ After All
I Guess I Won't Do ‘Normal’ After All

This is the ‘follow up’ to the blog post I wrote a few weeks ago about considering to go back to doing normal - at least for a while. I’ve decided not to. And here is why.

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Happiness, Relationships, VanlifeLisa JansenMarch 6, 2019 Comments
My top 11 Vanlife Hacks and Tips
My top 11 Vanlife Hacks and Tips

Someone recently asked me what my number one vanlife hack is. After thinking about it for a while, I came up with lots of little tips and tricks that I figured out over the last 14 months living in my van, so I thought I’d do a blog post about it.

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Campervan Improvements, Creativity, VanlifeLisa JansenFebruary 27, 2019 Comments
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