Billy and Emily have been friends for about 12 years and met working in an alternative greetings card shop in Brighton. They have always been scoundrels together and have gotten up to all kinds of mischief, so it was no surprise to their friends when they got together about 3 years ago, in fact, they basically all just said finally… 

They both love adventure and are very spontaneous, so to them, living in a van seemed like the perfect solution to leaving the 9-5 to give them the freedom to do whatever they want in the moment. 

Last year (2023) they finally found the perfect van to convert, after looking at honestly, almost 100 vans! With absolutely no prior building experience, they literally spent every spare hour they had learning and turning it from a builders van to a cozy cabin on wheels, they were both working full time, so it meant that every evening and every weekend was just full on van build. But after 8 months of the hardest work, they were FINALLY ready to embark on their biggest adventure yet!

Was your decision to live alternatively a sudden realisation or a build up of moments over time?

For both of us it was different, Emily has wanted to live alternatively for the last 6 years, but with Covid and working in retail, it had never been the right time and she had never quite had the money to do it on her own. As soon as we started dating, Billy was completely on board with the lifestyle change and we started to work towards it as a shared goal straight away! 

How do you approach making major life decisions?

We are both very impulsive. We trust our gut and we just go for it. If it doesn’t work out, it always leads to something else! This can certainly be confirmed in our chaotic YouTube videos!

Have you ever made a major life decision based on the needs or opinions of someone else?

Never! We are both pretty strong characters, with our own vision. Literally, people tell us we’re crazy or wrong all the time and we just carry on with what we’re doing. We haven’t regretted a thing we’ve done once though, so we’re pretty confident in how we think. 

What core values guide your decisions and actions in life?

We both have a very strong sense of justice, so our main objective is to always treat people and animals with kindness, to always speak up when we witness something that doesn’t feel right and to give back to society and the earth in whatever way we can. 

How have your values evolved over time?

Because we are both very impulsive, we definitely have had issues in the past with spending and buying things we don’t need. This lifestyle forces you to be mindful. Do we actually need this, does it bring us joy, is it a necessity? We have found that stripping ourselves of the things that we’d answer no to those questions, has actually been very cathartic. The longer we live alternatively, the more we realise the beauty in simplicity. 

What are your hobbies?

Billy’s a multi instrumental musician, who’s main passion is composing, producing and performing, but he also loves Nintendo, cooking and coffee! Emily loves to read, is currently studying Astrology and is also a cooking fan. Together we enjoy wild swimming, playing board games and going on hikes (preferably to a waterfall). 

What are you most proud of in your life so far?

Actually managing to build this van! We still can’t believe that we, two idiots who have never built a damn thing, managed to create our cozy little home, with no help except the university of YouTube! 

How do you envision your future?

We would like to continue our journey of living simply. The ideal scenario would be to buy a little place in the middle of nowhere and become fully self-sufficient. Animals are also really important to both of us, so we would want to incorporate some kind of animal sanctuary in that as well. 

What advice would you give to someone facing a major life decision?

Go with your gut. There is no such thing as the perfect moment, so you may as well just try! If it doesn’t work out, the universe always provides another path. 

Want to follow Billy and Emily?

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/cursedwitharoamingheart

YouTube -> https://youtube.com/@cursedwitharoamingheart

Check out their van tour vid! It’s absolutely stunning!!