Anjali Justice

03/05/2024

In Every battle between my head and heart my heart has won. In Logic vs Gut there is no contest.

How is Logic to know that things will go wrong if he hasn’t tried them? Gut learns with each misadventure, she adapts and grows with each change of course never losing her optimism. Logic will sit there and say “that won’t work” or “this doesn’t make sense”, but Gut has experienced things he can’t even imagine. She knows how far she can push, how rough the road can get before she turns back. “What’s the worst that can happen?” she says, “nothing we can’t handle”. “But how do you know?” replies Logic? “I just have a feeling. It’ll all be ok.”

These days the head knows to just go along with what the heart says. He doesn’t argue, he trusts her. They work as a team, heart reaching for the stars and head silently planning for if things go awry. “What’s the worst that can happen” she says, “nothing we can’t handle” he replies.
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26/04/2024

The problem with being a traveler is that your sense of adventure never dies out. Your need to explore new places and see new things never goes away. No matter how much of the world you’ve covered there will always be more. But at the same time you’ll want to revisit old places. See the same places in a different season or from a new perspective. You’ll be living your life and suddenly remember the perfect day you had somewhere across the world, and you’ll have a pit in your stomach because you want so badly to be back there right now. It’s the best problem in the world to have, but one I’m never sure what to do with.
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17/04/2024

I’m 26 today. I was thinking about how 26 is a pretty uneventful birthday, how nothing really happens at that age. At least at 25 I could finally rent a car (which I still haven’t done). But then I realized that 26 to me is actually a very important year.

At 26 im happier than I’ve ever been. I’m that carefree, throw caution to the wind, invincible kinda of happy. It’s just me and the dogs living life exactly how we want, with nobody to tell us to stop… not that I’d listen anyway.

At 26 im finally starting to be comfortable in my own skin. Starting to like the girl who stares back at me in the mirror. I wear the clothes I want and don’t worry about how stylish I am. I love the curls that I spent years trying to hide. I care more about how my body feels than how it looks in a swimsuit. It’s a never ending journey but it has been so uplifting thus far.

At 26 I’m still growing. I change my mind daily, and drastically alter the trajectory of my life. I’m learning from mistakes and making new ones all the time. I’m learning to be perfectly imperfect.

There’s so much to be said for 26 years on earth, and I can’t wait to see who I become this time around the sun 🌞

06/04/2024

A few month ago I was interviewed for Tiny Home Tours and the video just went live!! It’s so cool to finally have an actual tour of my van 😊 if you have 11 mins to spare go give it a watch!

Her Social Media Links:Her Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anjalijustice/Interested In Being Featured On The Channel? : http://bit.ly/Tour-ApplicationV...

05/04/2024

Desert daze

You don’t have to be in awe
There are days when you’re tired
And a tree is just a tree
The colors seem dull
You can simply exist with it
Neither of you acknowledging
each others beauty
You just are
And it just is
And that’s ok

29/03/2024

Solitude sparks creativity.
That’s what I’ve learned out here.
I’m not wasting my time.
I’m finding the things that bring joy.
I’m finding the music.
I’m making the music.
And the canyon echoes it back to me.
Like the loneliest duet.
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22/03/2024

When it rains here the dirt becomes like thick paint that covers the clean white canvas that is Remis hair. But I kinda love it. I love watching strangers smile when they see my half red dog and realize it’s because he was out playing in the desert. And I love seeing his colors change each day depending on what adventure we’re on. White for snow, orange for sunny days, red for rainy days, and brown for puddles.

Sure my van gets a little more red and a little more dirty, but still… I think I like when it rains.
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14/03/2024

Moments from Mexico that I think about often 💭

1. One of our last days. We camped at a perfect spot and didn’t ever want to leave. This is when it hit me that our Baja trip was ending.
2. One of many nights spent dancing and screaming and laughing with friends. This one was particularly wild. Larissa and I did cartwheels on our way home.
3. Heidi and I rented paddle boards and explored Bahia de conception. I saw a ray in the water and we watched birds then met puppies.
4. One of the best sunsets in Baja, we watched it after enjoying many happy hour margs. We all watched the sky and swung on the swings and made a scene like we always did.
5. Remi and Theo and I watching hundreds of surfers in La Ventana. It’s always special when they both sit with me and enjoy the beach. I decided to come back next year and learn to kite surf.
6. Our last happy hour as a group. It was bittersweet, we all laughed and got drunk and then went to another bar for more margs. It was the perfect ending to our caravan, very us 🍹

04/03/2024

Blurry memories are sometimes the best 📸

It’s been over a week since our caravan split up, but it feels like just yesterday we were covered in dirt in Arizona buzzing with excitement when the last of us decided to caravan to Baja. For the past month I’ve laughed myself to tears, I’ve shared in long talks around in fire, I’ve discovered that tequila doesn’t give you a hangover. It feels like I’ve been with this family forever, like I’ve known them for years.

Since some went home and others onto new adventures it’s been quieter here. The beaches are calm and the mornings slow. I don’t have someone sitting outside my van at all hours to chat with whenever I want. In a way this is what I imagined Baja to be like. The unexpected band of 6 crazy nomads wasn’t in my plan, the van gatherings, the parties, the late night games, and early morning swims. I’m glad things didn’t go according to plan.

Solo travel is a beautiful thing, something I’ve grown to love so much over the years… so much that I often avoid situations where I travel with people. But this month has shown me there is so much beauty in traveling with others, with people who get you and your lifestyle.

I’ve found my road family, and I hope you find yours 🫶🏽

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16/01/2024

Are you a sunrise, sunset, or starry night person?

I know winter gets a lot of flak for being dark and cold but having spent this winter in the southwest I have a whole new appreciation for the season.

Sure it gets dark earlier but that means that I can watch the sunset and then go in and make dinner without being super tired. And I can finally be awake when the sky is dark enough to se the Milky Way, that never happens in the summer! The sun rises late which means I can sleep a comfy amount and wake up to a glowing sunrise every morning without setting an alarm.

This winter has had me staring up at the sky more than any other season before. Maybe if you hate winter you just need to go somewhere where winter is warm and sunny and full of light and color 🤷🏽‍♀️

08/01/2024

You need to try this new alarm clock! It’s called the sun ☀️

06/01/2024

Want to know the truth about vanlife on the west coast? ⬇️

The views are incredible all along the california coast and I’ve driven up and down HW1 more times than I can count. But one thing you might not know from all of the pictures you see online is that vanlifing along the coast is actually pretty difficult.

While there are tons of pull offs along the road, it’s illegal to park overnight at almost all of them. The majority land along the coast is privately owned (a lot of it is farmland) which means that there isn’t free camping available there either. So unfortunately most “free” camping along the California coast ends up being stealth camping in towns or sleeping at nearby rest areas or the occasional legal-ish pull off.

I’ve spent a ton of time on the coast in my 3 years on the road, the dogs and I especially love NorCal! But stealth camping can really get old after some time and RV parks in popular areas can be crowded and expensive. So if you’re planning to check out the coast in your van just be prepared! It’s not always parking the van at a beach for a week and just vibing.

Have you done west coast vanlife yet? Let me know your favorite place to go!

02/01/2024

What’s keeping you from your vanlife dreams? 💭

For many people it seems like vanlife is an unattainable goal - it’s too expensive, you can’t leave your job, you’re scared of traveling alone. There are thousands of reasons you might tell yourself you can’t do it.

But I’m here to tell you that you can!

When you adjust your perspective a little it’s easy to see how pursuing this dream is the best decision you will make. If you find you’re constantly battling this limiting mindset here are some adjustments you can make to your narritive:

❌: “I can’t afford vanlife, a sprinter van is way out of my price range”
✅: “I dont need the newest most custom built van, I can start out in an older cheaper one while I get my bearings. I can even start in my car!”

❌: “I can’t leave my job”
✅: “If I stay at my job I may have a bit of security but I will regret not seeing what’s out there while I’m young. There will always be jobs around if I decide this isn’t for me. I can find a remote job or ask to be remote in my current position.”

❌: “I’m scared to travel”
✅: “Everything seems scary before you do it, and the internet and social media can make the world seems way more dangerous than it actually is”

So many people I’ve met in passing tell me the same thing: “I wish I had done what you’re doing when I was your age”, “I wish I realized how important it was to adventure while I was young”, “you can work at a desk later, enjoy life now!”. Learn from their regrets. Don’t wait to follow your dreams. Start changing your mindset and get on the road!

Drop a 🚐 in the comments if you’re ready to make your vanlife dreams a reality!

25/12/2023

19/12/2023

Hi friends! There are a bunch of new people around these parts (9,000+??? are you kidding me 🥹) And so I wanted to re-introduce myself so that we can become best friends faster!

I’m Anj, I live in a van with my two dogs Remi and Theo. I’m a 25 year old half indian half white girlie with an all consuming desire to be comfy and happy all the time. Theo is a 3 year old bernedoodle who acts like an old man and loves people. Remi is a 2 year old Irish doodle and is actually insane but is also the sweetest boy you will ever meet.

I bought and built out my first van (Vanny) after graduating college in 2020 and traveled around with Theo for a year while working remotely as a software engineer. Vanny is a ‘91 GMC Vandura with a lot of personality, I’ve learned so much about fixing cars because of him and I still live in him part time during the summers in Michigan. In 2021 I bought my current van (Vinny) and spent the next year splitting time between building, traveling, and raising my new puppy Remi. In addition to the two vans I also have a boat (Boaty) in Lake Michigan that that dogs and I live on during the summer! You can say I went a little tiny home crazy the past few years…

Through vanlife I discovered how much I love to build and work with my hands - from fixing cars to building my home it’s all so fun! I’m also finding a new love for storytelling, photography, and creating, none of which I thought I could ever do before. In May of 2023 I quit my job with Amazon to be a full time creator and I’ve been having the best time sinking my teeth into this new art form.

The dogs and I spend our days exploring new towns, playing at the beach, and planning new van builds (I can’t help it). I’ve found some incredible friendships and made some unforgettable memories on the road and I can’t wait to make more, and bring y’all along for the ride 🚐💨

Some other things that I love: The Office, pizza, ice cream, every dog ever, the ocean, big cliffs, flying, my phone (😅), top golf, and waterparks!

Thank you SO much for being here! ok love you byeeee 🤍

15/12/2023

File this under “places I won’t shut up about”

13/12/2023

Rainy days aren’t so bad ☔️

02/12/2023

Been thinking about Iceland a lot lately. I really miss it. I need to go back.

Have you been? Let’s go rent a van in Iceland 🥹

01/12/2023

Like a DINKWAD, but with no income and two dogs…

26/11/2023

Just chillin with my boys Joshua and Joshua and Joshua. Swipe to the end for my creative interpretation of a Joshua Tree.

23/11/2023

The things I’m most thankful for all in one pic 🤍🤎🖤

17/11/2023

On the edge of the world.

Looking at these pictures you can get a glimpse of the magnitude of Yosemite. But it’s truly breathtaking to be there surrounded by it. To look over a ledge and have your vision go fuzzy because it’s so far your brain can’t yet make sense of it. It’s one of those things you sit and stare at, unable to muster up any words to describe it, anything more eloquent than “wow”. Over and over. “Wow”.

And then to sit below these never ending slabs of stone. To walk through the valley and crane your neck all the way back just so you can see the top. From every angle there is something new and grand to experience. “Can you believe people climb that?” “Look at it compared to the van” “Alex Honnold is superhuman”. Once again grasping for some way to understand the magnitude of what’s in front of you. For some words to describe how it feels to be in this place.

All in all, it was pretty neat.

15/11/2023

Got milk(y-way)?

10/11/2023

Sequoi-YUH

09/11/2023

Literally at the lowest point I’ve ever been ✨

08/11/2023

A better look at some of these shots because I’m obsessed with them 😍

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26/10/2023

Nobody said vanlife was clean 🧺
With all the outdoor exploring we do and all the dirt the boys drag me into I tend to rack up a good laundry pile pretty quickly. And in a tiny home it’s helpful to have a tiny detergent.

I’ve been using laundry detergent for the past few weeks and am loving it. Not only does it hold up against the extremely dirty clothes I put through the wash - it’s super compact, biodegradable, and eco-friendly! Being one with the environment is a big part of vanlife and TruEarth detergent is right along with you on that journey. And it leaves your clothes smelling great too 😉

21/10/2023

It wasn’t easy saying goodbye to the fam (especially Finn) but after an eventful summer the boys and I are officially back on the road!!

I can’t even explain the immediate relief I felt this morning when I woke up in the van and my only plan was to drive west. It’s so clear that this is the life I’m meant for. It’s so comfortable, like home.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and Vinny, I just know it will be amazing.

11/10/2023

Some moments from summer that I’m not ready to let go of yet ☀️🤍

22/09/2023

One more Italy post bc it didn’t get enough attention compared to Iceland 😘