I am Fien, officially an autonomous visual artist and I have been traveling around in a camper van for about 3 years now. Almost immediately after graduation, I went after my dream and started living in a camper van. I had saved up for years and got my driver’s license with blood sweat and tears. I really had tremendous driving anxiety and asked myself several times why I had to have this vanlife dream right now. Thinking back on it now, I find it quite comical that my first vehicle ever was a 35 year old ramshackle camper van that I drove around in with my butt cheeks squeezed together haha. In this blog I share my story.
Enjoying a free life
During my first trip around Europe with my ex-boyfriend and cat, I started looking for ways to set up my own online business. At the time, I invested in a mentor so that I could replace my 9-5 income as soon as possible. I really had no idea of the possibilities and knew nothing about the online world. Before I started living in an RV, I didn’t even have internet on my phone, let alone become a digital nomad (of all people)…. And yet, it was absolutely the right choice. I have always been a stubborn kid, I like to do things my own way, dare to question the world around me and only want to do something when I am behind it myself. And what fits such a person better than starting your own company, where you get to decide everything yourself and work with like-minded people!
I started working online because I wanted to travel and how nice it is to generate an income while traveling! In addition, I wanted the freedom and flexibility to schedule my own hours, never have to set an alarm clock and most of all just really enjoy life. In Western society there is so much pressure on everyone, there is always a rush and we live from weekend to weekend. I needed a freer lifestyle, with much more rest and adventure and fun! Being able to really listen to my body, live more according to my own rhythm & cycle and back in connection with nature. I can now say that this has all worked out and I am truly living my dream life and for that I am incredibly grateful.
My online work journey
When I just started working online I entered the world of high ticket affiliate marketing. It basically means that you work with business owners who offer services whose investment costs are higher than, say, products (think coaching programs, retreats and so on). As a result, commissions are also higher, allowing you to make ends meet with 1-2 sales per month. In recent years I have worked with transformation providers, such as female business coaches and photographers who help others go through a certain growth. It’s super nice to be able to work with people who actually care about their clients and are personally involved in their process. For me, it’s so important to do something I stand behind and work with people I resonate with. So I currently have a very nice partnership with a business owner who gives me all the space I need to further develop myself. I can feel the need for a new challenge pretty quickly and when I feel that need I immediately discuss it with her.
Online income through affiliate marketing and virtual assistant
Thus, after working as an affiliate for her, I started working as a virtual assistant and I am still currently doing that. In addition, I also recently created an affiliate team within my business partner’s company, teaching others to do the work I used to do. I host a live video training every month and also have a digital support system where I answer questions and give extra tips. I really mega enjoy transferring my knowledge to others and seeing how much I have grown over the past few years!
I currently work about 6 hours a week and that is enough to make ends meet.
It is important to know that I live in a van in the south of Europe, so the costs are a lot lower than when you are in a house in the Netherlands. In addition, work and private can sometimes get mixed up, so I don’t really have insight into how much I actually work, but the advantage is that it often doesn’t feel like work either!
My dreams and goals
My very biggest dream for the future is to buy a small piece of land in Portugal, build a tiny home and grow my own vegetables and herbs. I have really lost my heart to the Algarve. Right now I’m temporarily living on friends’ land, I’m looking after their little house and animals and it’s really a great way to learn more about off-grid living. Also, the question for me was whether I was already ready for this, more stable, life. After all, I really love traveling around in my van, the adventure, the change. The nomadic lifestyle suits me and I really feel at home “on the road,” but I also feel that I am slowly starting to shift to the next chapter. In addition, I recently came up with the idea of turning it into a kind of small care farm, giving animals I can rescue from the bio-industry a new and free life. This way I can connect all my different passions; art, bringing people together, social work and in doing so also contribute to the local community.
Reduce impact on local population
I want not only to take, but also to give back. How can I design my dream so that it is not to the detriment of the locals? I think many people don’t think about the impact it has on the locals when we from the north all keep buying up pieces of land. We drive the locals away because they can’t afford it, so they have to move. First of all, this is quite selfish and secondly, we would like to live somewhere else because of the different culture, values and customs in that country. If we just keep taking, there will be nothing left of that in no time (and you can already see that in enough places along the southern European coast). How nice it would be if we were a little more conscious about this. For example, you can rent out pieces of your land for a low rent, so locals can continue to live in their own area or work with local farmers. There are so many ways to achieve your dreams in a more sustainable and ethical way.
The entrepreneurial part
Starting your own online business sounds exciting, or maybe you feel that this “lifestyle” doesn’t suit you. We so easily let all kinds of limiting thoughts hold us back, often based on our fear and insecurity. That’s such a shame because it really can all be a lot less complex than you may think! I also still don’t consider myself a “real” entrepreneur because everything I do is mega low key, it’s informal and also my tax issues are a lot simpler because of this.
Entrepreneurship and tax issues
I know better than anyone how overwhelming it can feel to figure out that part of being an entrepreneur, so let me briefly explain how it works (in my case). There is a difference between being an entrepreneur & being an entrepreneur for tax purposes! Whether you are considered an entrepreneur for tax purposes can be checked via the website. First, I make use of the KOR scheme, whereby you stay under a certain income, do not pay VAT and are exempted from doing VAT returns. Of course, I do have a Chamber of Commerce and I report my income to the tax authorities, but because I meet certain requirements I am not considered an official entrepreneur by the tax authorities and so when I file my tax return, most of it is already filled in for you. As long as you keep good records of what you’ve earned and also any investments you make for your business (website costs, internet, etc.) then it’s really quite simple. Keep in mind that as an entrepreneur you always have to contribute to the ZVW (health insurance law) so keep a small pot for this.
My tip: follow your heart!
My most important tip would be to always follow your heart. Often our intuition tells us that we long for something, want something different, but then our mind stops us. Fear of the unknown we all have, but I truly believe that if we have the courage to take that first step, the rest will naturally follow. “Decisions are just the beginning. When you make one, you are in fact diving into a mighty current that takes you to a place you didn’t even dream of at the moment of your decision,” said author Paulo Coelho. That’s not to say it’s an easy road. There will always be setbacks, but don’t let that stop you, because afterwards you’ll see that it was all much simpler (and less scary) than you thought. And if you surround yourself with people who are traveling the same road or perhaps are already further along in the process than you are, you can find so much support there. This is also one of the reasons I share so openly about all my adventures. I really hope that, just as others have inspired me, I can in turn inspire others to chase their dreams. Sometimes you just need a little push to take a leap of faith. I have been so high on life over the past few years and I really wish that to everyone! You can follow my adventures on Instagram @fien.underwater Curious about more stories from other digital nomads? Here you can find several stories of other adventurers.
