Feature: Cecilie of @fuddethevan — Women Overlanding the World

“Reach for the Moon.
Even if you miss it,
you will land among the stars”

I’m 30 years old and just about to start writing my Master’s thesis about seal behavior. I study biology with a focus on marine mammal behavior. When I start my project my van will be my office for a year.

Right this moment I’m traveling in my van named Fudde; a VWT4 from 1995, so she’s quite an old lady. Right now I travel around Denmark, Scandinavia, which is also my home country. When Covid-19 broke out I decided to stay and explore my own country because I normally don’t do that. And it’s been amazing. In Denmark we have a lot of islands and therefore a lot of coastline. I love the island vibe so love exploring them. In a week I’ll visit the island of Bornholm. My dream is to travel Europe, especially eastern Europe, drive to Morocco and maybe one day ship Fudde to the U.S. and do a huge roadtrip there.

Who or what inspired you to choose independent vehicle travel as your mode of transportation?

I think it started in my childhood. My parents had a van with nothing in the back of it so we would drive to the coast, put a tent on the side of the van and sleep in the back of it. Loved laying there talking at night or listen to the sounds of nature. Now I love the freedom it gives me. I can drive wherever I want to and if I see something interesting or beautiful I can stop and stay for as long as I want. It’s a cheap and easy way of traveling.

Everyone always asks a traveller what their favorite country is. Do you have a favorite country? If not, what is a place that is special to you?

I actually don’t have a favorite country because every country I’ve been to, which is 46 right now, has something special. An interesting history, an awesome culture, friendly locals, beautiful nature or something else. But if I should name a few countries that have given me something extra it would be New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Belize, South Africa, Iceland and Italy. I love those countries a lot. I love New Zealand because it literally has everything; sweet and welcoming locals, stunning nature and all kinds of it, interesting culture and then it’s an awesome country for living the vanlife. Australia has awesome locals and beautiful nature. Belize has awesome nature, diving and wildlife. South Africa is intense. Iceland is just stunning in every way and I love going to study the whales during the summer. Italy has my heart; the food, the people, the vibe, I’m dreaming of getting married there some day.

Travelling has taught me…

A lot about myself. I learn most about life, myself and people when I travel. There are a lot of decisions to make during longer periods of travel and you get confronted with a lot of different things that you have to figure out. I grow the most as a person while traveling.

Overlanding sucks sometimes because…

There are places that I really want to visit with my van that I can’t. If the van suddenly doesn’t drive or something happens it’s your responsibility and you’re stuck somewhere until you find someone who can help you.

I am a badass woman because…

I’m so bad at complimenting myself…. I think all women are badass but I really like women who follow their dreams, like I do.

What is your favorite quote?

“Reach for the Moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars.”

My mum always told me that and since I lost her it means even more to me. You should always reach for the Moon and go follow your dreams or do anything you can to reach your goals.

One of the most common questions we get is about finances. Do you have any tips, tricks or advice on this topic?

Not any good ones! In Denmark we get paid to study so we’re really lucky. But when I have struggled with economy I always stopped traveling for a while to earn some money working in my home town. It feels good to work and earn money that you know will make it possible for you to go exploring.

How has this experience changed you?

Traveling has changed me in terms of how I see the world and life. I feel like I’m aware of how lucky I am and I don’t take anything for granted. I feel grateful for my experiences, the people I’ve been so lucky to meet and get to know.

What do you think is the biggest challenge for women overlanders? And the biggest advantage?

One of the challenges is to feel safe where you are. There are places and countries where you don’t feel like parking in nature is the safest choice but then you can park in a closed camping area.

The biggest advantage is that there is a whole vanlife community that makes you feel like you have a lot of friends on the road.

What are your favorite overland resources (blogs, books, FB pages, etc.)?

I use a couple of Facebook groups. I also keep in touch with other vanlifers on Instagram.

What is a simple life hack you’ve discovered while on the road?

I don’t really have a life hack but I have discovered that I don’t need a lot of things to be happy. I love the idea of downsizing. I think downsizing is my life hack!

What advice would you give to someone with a dream to travel overland?

Just do it. What’s the worst that can happen? You can always sell your van again if it wasn’t really for you. And you don’t have to do it full time. You can have a tiny place and go on trips when you feel like it. Every adventure in a van is awesome.