How Van-Lifers Are Adapting During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Before the pandemic struck the U.S., Sam Johnson was the subject of a van-life documentary—Van Odyssey 2020. The film was chronicling her journey from the tip of Baja, Mexico, up to Alaska. As the pandemic struck, one of the filmmakers, a Nigerian national, sprinted for the border out of fear of getting stuck. With so much uncertainty, Sam, too, felt pressure to head toward more familiar territory. She landed with her caravan in California’s Palm Desert, and her days now consist of drone flying, group exercises, and occasionally day drinking to pass the time.