For 5 years after college I worked your typical corporate job on Wall Street. I clocked in, clocked out, and partied until 3 a.m. just to do it all again the next day. Never would I have guessed that I would live out of my smart car.
But as New York City entered a COVID induced lock down, I snapped. I needed to get out.
I had seen the Instagram stories. We all have. You know the ones: some 22 year old buys some cheap van, renovates it with her life savings, and now lives out of the van visiting national parks and posting pics as a #influencer while wearing designer clothes that are so skimpy she’d make even your stripper grandmother blush.
Why couldn’t that be me?
Going for Broke
So I decided right then and there to take the plunge. I quickly scoured eBay for a van and ran into my first challenge: there were no cheap vans for purchase! The wannabe high school influencers must have cleaned out the market.
I realized I needed to be clever if I too wanted to pursue this dream lifestyle.
So I put my life savings into buying a 2013 Smart Car on eBay for $9k. I know what you’re thinking. “A Smart Car? Isn’t that a little tiny?” And to be honest, I really didn’t even know what a Smart Car was when I purchased it. I thought it was a standard 4 door sedan. So imagine my surprise and disappointment when my 6 foot 5 inch frame tried to squeeze into the driver’s seat.
I started to cry. I had just quit a Wall Street job with a six figure salary to pursue this fever dream. What had I done? I contemplated calling my dad. He was the one who gave me my Wall Street job, maybe he could get “daddy’s little girl” rehired?
Then inspiration struck. Maybe this could be my brand. Everyone on Instagram needs some sort of defining characteristic – their brand – that gets users to follow them. Let’s be honest, the vast majority of influencers are extremely attractive. My mom says I’m attractive, but she’s the only one I’ve ever heard genuinely say that about me.
However, some influencers attract followers through comedy. Perhaps the comical sight of me trying to squeeze my large, gangly frame into this small car would be enough to attract viewers?
I decided to take the chance. I made myself promise that I would live in the Smart Car for at least 9 months. This would be enough to attract followers and give myself a chance to build up my own brand.
Fully resolved, I drove to the nearest state park and set up for the first night. I quickly encountered my second challenge: I had no idea how to “rough” it in the wilderness! On Instagram they make it look so easy: eat a protein bar, go for a short hike to a waterfall, cook a gourmet dinner, get a restful 8 hours of sleep, and brew a small batch of coffee in the morning before driving to your next exotic location. But all I had packed was a change of clothes and a few bags of chips.
With my tail between my legs I booked a room at the nearest Ritz Carlton and vowed to try again tomorrow. The next day I purchased a small cooking set, hiking gear, and a pillow. The second night was still a struggle (I couldn’t find a filter that didn’t make me look ratchet), but I made it through!
Looking back on my early challenges, nowadays all I can do is laugh. I realize I had ambition but was naïve.
Today, it’s still a constant struggle to live out of my Smart Car and make ends meet while still trying to build up my brand. But the satisfaction I get when someone occasionally stops me at a state park and says “Hey, aren’t you that Smart Car girl?” reminds me that it’s all worth it.
