PanAmerican Adventure: Common Questions Answered
Embarking on a journey from Alaska to Argentina for two years is no small feat. Here, I answer some of the most commonly asked questions about my epic PanAmerican adventure.
1. Why did you want to do this journey?
Since leaving home in 2018 and embracing a nomadic lifestyle, I've been drawn to wandering travel—where spontaneity reigns and every day holds a new adventure. The kind of travel where you have no clue where you're going, but you just go. After living this way for several years, returning to a more conventional routine made me feel trapped and suffocated. I've found it hard to stay in one place for too long; usually, after three months, I'm ready to pack up and leave. When researching a trip down to South America, I stumbled upon the PanAmerican road trip and immediately knew I wanted to embark on this epic adventure. Road trips are my favourite form of travel, I love the opportunity to go wherever I want, sleep wherever I want to and see whatever I want. Ultimate freedom.
A self-portrait taken during my 8 month road trip around Australia in 2018.
2. What preparations did you take?
Our main preparations were financial and building our van, Mo. We bought Mo a few years ago with this trip in mind and have been working hard to make him comfortable inside. We've upgraded his electrical system, including better solar panels and batteries. Inside, we've turned him into a cozy home on wheels. Sam is a carpenter and the quality of the work inside is just beautiful - with Canadian maple work surfaces and every inch thought about in great detail. We've done some mechanical work—new tires, brakes, shocks, and general maintenance—but haven't focused much on the engine. We figured mechanics are cheaper in the USA and Mexico. We expect Mo to have some breakdowns, he’s an older van but we’ll work through any situations that arise.
3. How are you financing your trip?
I often get comments about my travel lifestyle, assuming I must have rich parents or a nest egg somewhere. The truth is, I fund all my adventures myself. I work hard to play hard. When delayed in Whitehorse due to Covid and immigration, we seized the opportunity to save money—$75,000 to be exact—over two years. We've pinched pennies, lived in a dry cabin with no wood heat, house-sat to reduce our driving distances, and worked multiple jobs to make this trip a reality. Our budget will be strict to stretch it over the two years we are planning for, and of course we have a separate stash of emergency savings just in case. Along the way we will be engaging in volunteer placements in local communities in exchange for food and accommodation. This helps us stretch our savings, meet local people, get off the beaten path and gives us a break from the van life every now and again. We use a site called workaway to find these opportunities.
>> You can check out the workaway site here <<
4. What planning have you done for the route?
Honestly, not much. That's not my style. I find the best adventures happen when you don't plan too much. If you set off on a journey with a rigid plan in mind, you miss out on the unexpected. Some of my favorite travel stories revolve around the unexpected—like breaking down in the desert in Western Australia and sleeping in a mechanic's yard for a week, or stopping in a bar in Alaska in the middle of the night and being taken in by the locals. Planning takes the fun out of it. We have created a google map of potential spots we would like to visit, but it’s not looking too populated right now! We intend to plan a few weeks at a time as we go along - doing our research about what’s coming up next as we visit each country.
Home in a mechanics shop in Broome, Western Australia in 2018.
5. How will you bridge the Darién Gap?
We'll be shipping Mo from Panama to Colombia. There are several shipping methods, but the most common, cheapest, and secure is in a shipping container. Unfortunately, Mo is about 6 inches too high to fit through the door. When we arrive in Panama, we plan to try lowering him by adjusting his suspension and deflating his tires in the hopes of squeezing him in. If that fails, roll-on roll-off (RORO) shipping is an option. RORO involves handing over your keys to an employee and your vehicle being driven onto the deck of the boat, so it’s understandably more costly and risky. We’ve heard some stories of peoples vans being ransacked with the method, so we’ve prepared for this with safety locks installed on all doors and a lockable door separating the cab from the living space.
6. Do you have any concerns?
Many people have warned us about safety in Central and South America—stories of thefts, muggings, corrupt cops, and even murders of tourists are prevalent. It would be careless to say I'm not concerned, but I'm not fearful either. I have a core belief that most people are good, though there are a few who make less-than-ideal choices. To ensure our safety, we've taken precautions with Mo such as building lockable spaces (particularly for my camera equipment), bolting a safe onto the chassis, installing a dash cam, and creating decoy wallets filled with old cards and coins in case of mugging. We intend to carry a small sum of USD, separate from our personal cash, in case of needing to bribe the police. Being cautious is essential when traveling in unfamiliar places.
Our decoy wallets and phones
7. What are your expectations for the journey ahead?
I anticipate challenges, frustrations, and mechanical breakdowns, not to mention moments that will test our relationship (living in a van together for two years isn't easy!). However, I'm also looking forward to the journey of a lifetime. Someday, I hope to be a little old lady that shares unexpected and incredible stories and say, "Did I ever tell you about the time when..." as I look back on this adventure. The unpredictability is what makes it all worthwhile—the chance to experience life in its rawest form and create memories that will last a lifetime.
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