Yosem, a National Park in the Dark

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Michael and i were looking forward to the fifth and sixth days of our trip in joshua tree national park. We had only managed to bathe once since leaving the hot springs, a semi public undertaking at an r v park near yosemite. Frigid winds were incoming with gusts up to 50 miles per hour. As the gusts meant camp fires were discouraged, i suggested we'd treat ourselves to dinner at a nice restaurant i'd heard about. It turned out to be a souchi restaurant in the desert despite having been presented with hundreds of reasonable opportunities do so over the previous days. Michael credited hise found peace and stamina for uncomfortable situations to the vapasina

The Times journalist Caity Weaver was tasked by her editor to go on an adventure: With an old college friend she would spend a week in California, living out of a converted camper van, in pursuit of the aesthetic fantasy known as #VanLife.

Given the discomfort that can arise even in the plushiest of vehicles, it’s a surprising trend that shows no sign of letting up. As Weaver explains, even the idea of living full time out of a vehicle has “become aspirational for a subset of millennials and Zoomers, despite the fact that, traditionally, residing in a car or van is usually an action taken as a last resort, from want of other options to protect oneself from the elements.”

Unpacking the craze by testing it herself, Weaver offers a humorous account of the trials of not being adequately prepared, claustrophobia, long restaurant lines, the increase in traffic within the national parks, and the disappointment that occurs when an Instagram aesthetic bumps up against reality. Sometimes fantasies are too good to be true.

This story was written by Caity Weaver and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.