18 photos show the reality of van life — and it's a lot less glamorous than what you see on Instagram and TikTok

Business Insider's author spent two weeks traveling around the country in a campervan. The van life lifestyle was far from what she saw online.

• For 13 days, I lived in a van. The optimist in me hoped it would be just like what I see online.
• While aspects of the van life lifestyle are incredible, the reality includes plenty of lows.
• I relied on dirty public showers, slept in parking lots, and lived in a messy space. 

I never knew two weeks could be filled with such highs and lows.

But after spending 13 days in a van, I learned exactly that.

In October, I lived and traveled in a 75-square-foot RamPromaster van, crossing six states and driving 3,000 miles.

This was a trip I dreamed of taking for years. I spent the weeks and months leading up to it immersing myself in the lives of other nomads, scrolling on TikTok, hearting Instagram posts, and fast-forwarding through YouTube videos.

I envisioned two weeks filled with remote nature, breathtaking views, and a tidy van I would call home.

While I found each of those things, there were plenty of moments throughout my trip where that vision was far from reality.

For example, my van was often a messy disaster. And when exhaustion from hours of driving set in, I ditched looking for a pretty place to park and settled on parking lots.

While plenty of my expectations were met, the reality was that van life isn't only the glamorous tidbits you see on social media. Take a closer look.

I picked up a spotless rental van and had hopes of keeping the space clean for the next two weeks.

But within 30 minutes, those hopes vanished when I spilled water all over the floor.

Even when the water dried, I realized keeping a tiny space tidy was a tough task with nonstop traveling and an overpacked suitcase.

So more often than not, my van was a cluttered mess.

And even if I managed to keep my belongings put away, there was often a pile of dishes in the sink.

The bright side was that a small space meant a short cleanup time. So while I found myself tidying up often, it never took more than 20 minutes.

It wasn't just clutter that took over the space. After spending days in the desert, dust was everywhere, from my clothes to my bed and countertops.

The dust was worth it though, to be able to explore fields of Saguaro cacti in Arizona and Joshua trees in California.

Before I left for my trip, I also envisioned I'd spend nights in remote places.

Plenty of nights on my trip did include picturesque campgrounds and remote overnight stops.

But not all of them. Others were much less scenic. One long drive ended by camping overnight in a Walmart parking lot.

On another night, I slept in a Cracker Barrel parking lot to avoid paying for a nearby RV resort.

Another unexpected van life hurdle was the bathroom situation. My campervan didn't have a toilet or shower.

For two weeks, I relied on gas station bathrooms and rest stops.

When it came to showering, RV resorts and gyms were my solution.

But the showers weren't always tidy, and they often cost extra.

Toward the end of my trip, I skipped paying for showers. To save money, I used body wipes until I got home.

I ultimately realized that what I saw scrolling on social media is partly true — my trip was filled with stunning nature, isolated camping spots, cozy interiors, and welcoming people.

It's just not the whole picture. There are plenty of downsides — like dirty public showers and dusty clothes. But they made me cherish the highs of the lifestyle even more.