Henry's story unfolds through his honest perspective and his parents, Trenna Travis and Trey Lange. What we learn from this loving family is that sometimes pursuing happiness requires charting your own course.
"The first time Henry brought up van life was over Christmas break during his freshman year," said Trenna. "Henry said, 'I don't think college life is for me.'" Her advice for her son was, "Sometimes it's easier to figure out what you don't want to do before you can decide what you do want to do."
Henry's dad, Trey, had other words of advice. "Henry mentioned he was unhappy in school and wanted to explore other interests. I told him he needed a college degree. Because that's how I was raised."
While convincing his dad remained a challenge, Henry became more confident about changing his future as he began researching van life. "There were a few times when Henry wondered if this was worth the fight," said Trenna. "He asked me if he should give up on the idea. I said, 'No. Keep pushing forward. This is your dream."
At the end of his freshman year, Henry approached his dad about van life again - but this time with a plan. Henry created a detailed proposal that showed how he could combine online classes with van life. He outlined how the van could serve as his mobile classroom, bridging the gap between education and adventure.
"Watching Henry go through the process of having this idea, and then problem-solving how to make it happen, and finding his voice in preparing the presentation was more educational than any class he took at school," said Trenna.
Trey agreed, "After I saw the viability of Henry's proposal, I was on board with helping him prepare his van to spend his sophomore year on the road."
Henry found a van on Facebook Marketplace and, with the help of his mom and dad, completely gutted it and built a mobile dorm room. Henry set out for the open road in September of 2023.
Over the next three months, Henry traveled to South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, Arizona, and Colorado.
"Nothing beats waking up in the morning by a lake with mountains in the distance or giant trees near you," stated Henry. He talked about the freedom to live anywhere. But he also spoke about the hard lessons learned living on the road.
"You see the pretty views and it looks so easy, but what you don't see on Van Life social media is dumping your own toilet and long hours on the road," said Henry. "Being alone with your thoughts for long periods of time is hard. And sometimes you sleep in a Walmart parking lot. So, it's not always beautiful things. I joined Planet Fitness so I could shower, which honestly felt very luxurious."
Henry described the balance of taking care of himself while trying to manage the occasional breakdown, computer issues, and learning to cook. "It's hard to adjust to living in a small vehicle. I can't even stand in mine," said Henry. "But you get used to it."
One of Henry's favorite memories from his van life happened at a Walgreens in Wyoming. "A mom stopped me and asked, 'Are you Henry?' I was so confused because I had just started my journey. I only had one or two posts on my social media account. She said her son saw me on Facebook and was looking to renovate his van. He's the same age as me, and it was cool to meet him," said Henry. "It's weird that people are inspired by me. It's a good feeling, though, too."
"For so long, our identity is wrapped up in our kids," said Trenna. "This is their life. It's their journey. When we try to pave the way, we don't allow them to gain the confidence they need to figure things out on their own."
"I've learned a lot from Henry," said Trey. "The biggest lesson I've learned through this process is communication, trust, being open-minded, and listening to your kids. I'm impressed by what he's done and look forward to his future. I just want him to be happy whatever he does."
"Not every day is promised," said Henry. His decision to discover his own path was a conscious choice to live authentically. "I think it's important to make every day your best day."
Follow Henry @ vanlifewithhenry
"The biggest lesson I've learned is communication, being open-minded, and listening to your kids."
"Nothing beats waking up in the morning by a lake."