Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Fisher.
Hi Carol, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’d be happy to, thank you! How I came to create and host “The Carol-Van: A (Van) Life Podcast” goes back to childhood. But I’ll spare you that and take it back only a few years.
Separated by 1300 miles, my mother and I were struggling through life-altering events. I was navigating divorce, and she was navigating Alzheimer’s disease. Both ugly, tangled messes. Both terminal. But the demise of my marriage would be for the best, while my mother’s illness was tragic and brutal.
Her diagnosis led me to the most heart-wrenching decision I’ve ever made as a parent. I had to choose between uprooting my 14-year-old son in the midst of divorce, taking him from the stability and sanctuary of friends, and allowing the distance between us to further limit any remaining time I had with my mother. My panic, fear, and anticipatory grief outweighed everything else. My son and I left Nebraska and relocated near my parents in North Carolina.
For a while, my parents lived in an apartment across the hall from me and I helped my father care for my mother. Eventually, her illness became unmanageable, even with the two of us. Caring for her was affecting my father’s physical and mental health. I felt as though I was losing both my parents. Not long after my son left for college, my father and I came to the devastating conclusion that it would be “best” for my mother to live in a memory care facility. We found one near the community they retired to. That made it easy for my father to see my mother and his friends every day.
It seemed that, suddenly, I was alone. There was nobody depending on me. I had spare time outside of work. It gave me the opportunity to pursue two lifelong interests that I’d neglected over the years. Road trips and photography. Yet, despite doing what I love, ennui crept in.
In search of change, I discovered van life. The concept blew my mind. I was on fire for it. It promised liberation from every convention and the ability to become completely immersed in my two favorite activities. But there were significant setbacks. My mother died, my dog died, I missed my son terribly. My car was totaled in an accident. Combined with all the prior years of unprocessed anguish, I spiraled into a suicidal depression.
Even at my lowest, I felt that the lifestyle changes van life would bring would help get me to wellness. In many ways, they did. I still struggle, but not nearly like before. I’ve been living and traveling in my minivan full-time for more than four years. All the while making photos and writing. Often, a change of scenery and a walkabout with my camera is just the thing to lift my spirits.
When I was getting ready to hit the road, a friend observed that I was off on a journey of self-discovery. Inwardly, I dismissed it. For me, the lifestyle was purely about the freedom it offered.
Every place I travel is in pursuit of novelty and improving my photography skills. I have tens of thousands of photos. But posting pictures on social media isn’t satisfying. I want to make a deeper impression. Last year, I started a podcast to share my experiences. Unlike the van life how-tos all over YouTube, the focus of my podcast is to explore the “whys” of my (van) life.
In doing so it turns out, my friend was right. I am on a journey of self-discovery. He knew me better than I knew myself.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been smooth in that I took to van life like a fish to water. I’ve loved road trips since I was a kid. And now I’m on an endless road trip! Despite some of the challenges, because living in a conventional home is far more comfortable, I don’t even think about settling down.
My biggest challenge is building my brand. I have a full-time remote job for a teaching hospital in a world-class health system. As the coordinator of a team of healthcare providers that treat rare vascular anomalies, the work is effort-intensive. Because my job takes precedence, and traveling is a close second, there are long stretches of time when my creative process is reduced to hobby status. The inconsistency is definitely detrimental to building my brand. Creating good content and promoting it is also effort-intensive. It’s been slow going. I depend on the income of my full-time job, so it’s a real Catch-22. But I found my path to van life so I’m confident I’ll find my path to building my brand. I’d really like to develop revenue streams from my podcast and my photography so I have continued income when I retire from my job. Things I love that I can do until I take my last breath. It’d be so rewarding.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Carol-Van: A (Van) Life Podcast is rooted in my need for creative expression, self-exploration, and connection. My wanderlust has taken me more than 100,000 miles throughout the United States and Canada. Framing the lifestyle from an emotional perspective sets me apart from travel guides and van builds. The journey of self-discovery is universal. It doesn’t matter if you live in a car or a mansion. Life, death, love, joy, sorrow, success, failure, illness, self-doubt; none of us are exempt. That’s why the title is parenthesized as “A (Van) Life Podcast.” I believe that as I examine my grief and trauma, along with my breakthroughs and triumphs, and my travel experiences, listeners hearing these recounted in my voice will feel a connection.
I photograph and write as a way to share what I see and how it feels to be in that moment. Through the content I create, I want to encourage people that if they dream of changing some aspect of their life, they can, at any age. And once done, if they don’t like the change, they can pivot to something else. I never promise that it’ll be easy. But I’ve found that discovering my own courage and strength has been invaluable. My path to them, the resilience they’ve built, and the empowerment I feel is worth sharing.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
(Laughs) That question is funny to me. I expect I’ll get older, but I’m not sure of it. I’m at an age where I mostly live day by day because I know the future isn’t guaranteed. I’ve been rolling with changes as they come. Again, I have no plans to settle down. Frankly, if I die today, I’d die happy. Having lived almost exactly as I want these past few years, seeing my son become a man anybody would be proud to know and love, working a job in service to the care of others, the tools I’ve developed for better mental health and communicating, the beautiful places I’ve traveled, the soul-stirring awe I’ve experienced, the character-building; life is good! I feel fulfilled in so many ways. I do have goals and work toward them, but without too much expectation. Drawing important relationships closer to make those I love feel fiercely loved. Continuing to emotionally evolve. Becoming the best version of myself. Those are the changes I’m expecting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecarolvanpod.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarolvanpod/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCarolVanPod/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecarolvanpod
Image Credits
Carol Fisher
