Van Life Personal Growth Journey: How Virginie Turned the Road into a Path of Inner Freedom
What happens when life suddenly collapses… and instead of rebuilding it the same way, you choose to rebuild it on four wheels?
Virginie’s story is not just about van life. It’s about courage, intuition, and the kind of freedom that begins inside before it shows up in the outside world. From a conventional life in Strasbourg to a nomadic existence guided by instinct, simplicity, and deep inner work, her journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most unexpected turns lead us exactly where we are meant to be.
Living with her two small dogs, working as a holistic life coach, writing books, and turning movement into a philosophy of life, Virginie has transformed her van into more than a home: it has become a space of healing, creation, and reconnection with what truly matters.
In this interview, she shares her story with honesty and sensitivity: the moment everything changed, the challenges of life on the road, the magic of Norway, the lessons learned in solitude, and her dreams for a future that blends freedom, love, and conscious living.
This is not just an interview to read.
It’s an invitation to slow down, to feel, and to question what freedom really means to you.
Interview with Virginie – A Van Life Personal Growth Journey of Freedom and Self-Discovery
Hi Virginie! Can you introduce yourself and tell us what inspired you to begin your van-life journey and create “L’Aventure Incroyable Coup de Cœur”?
My name is Virginie, I’m 35 years old, and I come from Strasbourg. I’m single, and I live in my van with my two little dogs, Teddy and Choupii, for the past two years (Teddy is a 6-year-old toy Australian Shepherd, and Choupii is a 15-year-old long-haired Chihuahua).
I work as a life coach and holistic coach. I’m deeply passionate about human development, psychology, philosophy, and of course about the world around us: nature, discovery, different cultures. All of this is what makes me feel truly aligned with this nomadic lifestyle.
My van life began two years ago in a rather unexpected way. At that time, I had an apartment in Strasbourg that I had just rented out for the Christmas market season. It was planned that I would go and live with my ex-partner during that period (we had agreed on it together). But one week before my first tenants arrived… we broke up!!
So I suddenly found myself “homeless,” in quotation marks of course, because I still had my family and friends in Strasbourg. And that’s when I had this revelation: this is the perfect opportunity to get a van or a camper! 😁
That’s how everything started, and then… it was a huge love at first sight! I simply couldn’t stop. And it really shows that when we feel like “everything is falling apart” or when things don’t go the way we expected, another door opens. And very often, it’s a door that is much more in alignment with our inner self ♡
As a passionate coach and a lover of Life, I created a new, more flexible and immediate coaching concept: L’Aventure Incroyable Coup de Cœur, close to the Self ♡
https://www.laventureincroyablecoupdecoeur.fr
What was the moment or experience that made you decide to exchange a conventional lifestyle for life on the road in a van?
I started my van life little by little, by going away on weekends and during long holidays for a few months. I was able to wander through Switzerland, Italy, and France. But very quickly, I began to feel “trapped” by my permanent contract at the hospital and by the rigid schedule that came with it.
First, I took three months of unpaid leave. Then three years. And finally, I resigned.
I did it to be able to live in total freedom, to fully develop my coaching activity, my guidance work and energy healing, and also to focus on writing my books (which are coming soon!).
I wanted a life that truly reflected who I am, a life that would allow me to explore, create, and grow without feeling constrained by a fixed routine or an imposed structure.
As someone who travels and lives in a van, how do you structure your daily routine and work as a coach while being constantly on the move?
To be completely honest, organizing life in a van is truly an art! Especially because I don’t have a shower, apart from my extendable mixer tap… and no hot water. So in winter, it’s a whole different story!
I spend a lot of time:
- looking for places to sleep or simply to park and settle,
- finding swimming pools or gyms where I can shower,
- searching for water and emptying the tanks,
- setting up the van and tidying everything so nothing falls when I drive.
I’ve had the chance to live incredible experiences in my van, like in Réunion Island or in Norway. In just one year, I visited absolutely magical places where organization and logistics played a big role. But of course, I have absolutely no regrets!
Today, I feel the desire to settle a little more (surprise, surprise… I still don’t know where yet!). I would like to limit the constant change of spots every single night, in order to dedicate more time fully to writing and to my coaching sessions (Of course, I will always keep a van!).
How has your mindset and personal growth evolved since you started your nomadic life? In which ways has living on the road changed you?
I would say right away that I have gained simplicity, humility, and the ability to let go. Life is lived much more day by day, and routine is almost absent, which leaves space for the unexpected, for surprise, for life itself.
I learned to “take my time,” to truly take the time to live. To stop, to look at the view, without checking the clock, without looking at my phone, and without running through a mental to-do list. It feels incredibly good. I think I love life, nature, and humanity even more now!
At the same time as these two years of van life, I continued to train in personal development, to read, and to follow different courses. So yes, I have changed a lot. My vision of the world has changed, my daily life and my priorities too ♡
I have also gained confidence: confidence in myself and confidence in life.
Traveling alone, far away, and in a van taught me to rely on myself. I never doubted my ability to live this kind of experience, but I come out of it feeling proud, happy, and filled with extraordinary memories.
It also reconnected me to my emotions and to a kind of purity of the universe. When I was living on “autopilot” in my apartment with my permanent contract job – subway, work, sleep – I was only in doing, in action. I was moving away from my feelings, from my dreams, and ultimately from myself.
I gained simplicity in the way I live. I reduced my “expectations” (which were always extreme!), and I adopted a simpler, softer way of looking at the world. Life is “simple”; everything depends on the way we choose to look at it. Life doesn’t ask anything from us; we are the ones who put up barriers and demands. So now I like to live gently, in love, and in acceptance of what life offers me ♡
In your coaching practice, how do you integrate the lessons and freedom of van-life with helping others transform their lives?
In my coaching practice, I have integrated the freedom and spontaneity of my van life into an innovative concept: guidance through voice messages, a format I have already tested with great success. It allows for immediate exchanges, without the constraints of strict schedules, while still keeping the possibility of video calls to go deeper into certain topics.
This concept offers flexibility, responsiveness, and closeness, while respecting each person’s rhythm and daily life. Even while moving or traveling, it is possible to progress toward your goals and to benefit from personalized and authentic support, right where life is happening.
What has been your most memorable or transformational destination or encounter on the road, and why did it stand out?
Norway remains etched in my memory like a heartbeat. There, everything opened up: the landscapes, the sky… and something within me. It was an outer journey, yes. But above all, it was an inner journey, powerful, almost initiatory.
Facing the snow-covered mountains, the silent fjords, the northern lights dancing as if the sky itself were breathing… I felt like I was witnessing something sacred. It was vast, it was wild, it was unbelievable. And it awakened in me an intensity I didn’t even know I carried.
That’s where I felt fully alive. A deep vibration, an inner light, a breath that nothing could extinguish. Alone in front of the icy sea, I felt a sense of alignment, of truth, of strength. As if everything had finally returned to its rightful place.
I watched the Norwegians with a smile of admiration: their simplicity, their calm, their ability to welcome life exactly as it is. No complaints, no agitation. The sun would rise at 9:30 a.m. and set at 2:30 p.m., and yet everything felt harmonious. At the same time, my friends in Strasbourg were calling me to complain because “night falls too early.” That contrast made me laugh so much.
This journey was a mix of pure wonder, immense gratitude, and deep humility.
In the cold, in the darkness, I was happy. Happy because I had chosen to live this experience as magic, and it revealed itself exactly as such. I truly felt the power of thought: a thought that creates, that shapes, that illuminates. A thought that opens the way.
Norway transformed me.
It reminded me that the strongest light is often the one we carry within ourselves.
Looking ahead, what are your dreams and goals for the future of your van-life adventure and your coaching work? Do you envision staying mobile long-term or creating a hybrid lifestyle?
To continue discovering the world, ideally to accompany life as two, then three, then four. For me, it would be beautiful to see my future children grow up the way I live today.
To learn geography by moving through the world, to discover different languages, different ways of thinking, different cultures.
To continue writing my books, offering my coaching, my healing sessions, and my trainings.
I would also love to experience living on a boat for a certain period of time. Not to cross oceans, but rather to sail along coastlines. It must be absolutely magical.
Ideally, since these are dreams and everything is possible, I would love to have a home base one day (I have no idea where yet!). A place to anchor myself, and also a place where I could organize seminars and gatherings, always connected to personal development, psychology, and philosophy.
I love creating: sharing my photos, my videos, and my life experiences. Why not create something directly connected to this lifestyle?
In any case, my dream is to continue walking a path of love, sharing, and gratitude 🫶
And as time goes by, I know I will have more dreams, more goals. As it is so beautifully said: it is the journey that matters. And I am completely in love with this journey on the road, and with the importance of the present moment that bohemian life brings me every single day.
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I know it now: even with a stunning villa in a dream location, my van would still be there, parked in front of the house, ready. Like an open door to somewhere else. Because I will always need those escapes, those endless roads, those impulses of freedom that ultimately bring me back to the deepest part of myself ♡♡♡
Today, I live this life by choice, fully, and every day in the van is a true happiness. Everything happened gently, step by step. A house, then an apartment, then a motorhome… and finally my van. This gradual path allowed me to appreciate every stage, in alignment with myself. I’m not sure I would have lived things the same way if I had gone directly from a house to a van. This slow transition guided me toward a freedom that truly reflects who I am.
Van life makes people dream, with its incredible landscapes, its sunsets, and that feeling of space opening wherever the van stops. Yet, this lifestyle also requires real adaptation.
It offers immense freedom, yes, but with simpler comfort and a more raw relationship with everyday life. Some people love it, others feel less aligned with it. Everything starts with our values. Mine carried me toward freedom, and today I feel fulfilled.
I felt it was important to share this. Because van life can become a grand adventure when it resonates with what we carry inside. And it can also become a difficult experience when we jump into it unprepared, only imagining the “postcard” side of it.
As for me, this life has opened me, revealed me, and soothed me. It has taught me a rhythm, a presence, and an immense gratitude. And every day, I continue to savor this road!
Thank You, Virginie!
We sincerely thank Virginie for the time, openness, and authenticity she shared with us in this interview. Her words, her energy, and her journey are a true source of inspiration, reminding us that freedom is first and foremost a state of mind, and that life becomes extraordinary when we dare to listen to our inner voice.
If her story resonated with you and you’d like to continue following her adventures, reflections, and coaching work, you can find her here:
🌿 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/incroyablecoupdecoeur/
🌍 Website:
https://www.laventureincroyablecoupdecoeur.fr/
Follow her to dive deeper into her world of van life, personal growth, and conscious living, and to be inspired every day by a journey guided by love, simplicity, and authenticity.
