18 photos show the reality of van life — and it's a lot less glamorous than what you see on Instagram and TikTok

• For 13 days, I lived in a van. The optimist in me hoped it would be just like what I see online.
• While aspects of the van life lifestyle are incredible, the reality includes plenty of lows.
• I relied on dirty public showers, slept in parking lots, and lived in a messy space. 

I never knew two weeks could be filled with such highs and lows.

But after spending 13 days in a van, I learned exactly that.

In October, I lived and traveled in a 75-square-foot RamPromaster van, crossing six states and driving 3,000 miles.

This was a trip I dreamed of taking for years. I spent the weeks and months leading up to it immersing myself in the lives of other nomads, scrolling on TikTok, hearting Instagram posts, and fast-forwarding through YouTube videos.

I envisioned two weeks filled with remote nature, breathtaking views, and a tidy van I would call home.

While I found each of those things, there were plenty of moments throughout my trip where that vision was far from reality.

For example, my van was often a messy disaster. And when exhaustion from hours of driving set in, I ditched looking for a pretty place to park and settled on parking lots.

While plenty of my expectations were met, the reality was that van life isn't only the glamorous tidbits you see on social media. Take a closer look.