The Vanabond Tales
Going Places in Tiny Spaces
Welcome to The Vanabond Tales! We’re Kelli, Eddie, Nora, and Alma — a family of four who’ve been traveling full-time together since 2018.
Over the years, we’ve explored more than 90 countries, traveled across three continents in three different vans, spent five seasons living aboard sailboats in the Mediterranean, and winters in ski towns around the world. Along the way, we’ve welcomed two kids and figured out how to keep traveling as our family has grown.
The Vanabond Tales is where we share what we’ve learned from years on the move. You’ll find firsthand destination guides, practical advice on van life and sailing, travel budgets, and resources to help you plan your own adventures.
We’ve always preferred traveling slowly and independently, getting beyond the usual sights and spending enough time somewhere to experience everyday life. Whether you’re planning a holiday or thinking about longer-term travel, we’re here to share the places, experiences, and practical lessons we’ve picked up along the way.
What you’ll find here
- Van Life – Long-term travel by road, from van builds and setup to the day-to-day realities of life on wheels.
- Sail Life – Learning to sail, living aboard, and navigating the practical challenges of life at sea.
- Snowmads – Winter bases in ski towns around the world – what it’s like to live, work and settle into mountain communities.
- Making Life on the Move Work – The logistics behind long-term travel: remote work, budgeting, insurance, visas, family routines, and destination guides for longer stays.
Our travel style is minimalist, budget-conscious, outdoor-focused, and grounded in slow travel. If some or all of that resonates, we think you’ll find something worth exploring here.
We are the Vanabonds — and these are our tales.
We’re the Vanabonds — a family living life on the move, exploring big by traveling small.
Here you’ll find stories and practical guides from life on the road, on the water, and through slower, seasonal stays — from van life and sail life to the logistics that make it all work as a family.
At its heart, this space is about slow, self-directed travel, no matter how you move.
We are the Vanabonds — and these are our tales.
Meet The Vanabonds
Hi there! We’re Eddie and Kelli. We met one snowy Christmas night in Estonia, brought together by a shared love of travel, and haven’t really stopped exploring since.
What started as two people wanting to see more of the world has turned into a life we never quite imagined. We’ve crossed countless borders by land and sea, worked remotely from all sorts of places, and made plenty of mistakes along the way.
These days, we’re sharing the adventure with our two daughters, Nora and Alma. Traveling with little ones has certainly changed the logistics, but we’re still doing what we’ve always loved — exploring new places, taking our time, and figuring things out as we go.
We started The Vanabond Tales to document our travels, and over the years it’s grown into a place to share our experiences, practical advice, and everything we’ve learned about making a life on the move work.
Thanks for following along!
Eddie & Kelli (and Nora & Alma)
MEET THE VANABONDS
Hi there! We’re Eddie and Kelli. We met one snowy Christmas night in Estonia, brought together by a shared love of travel, and haven’t really stopped exploring since.
What started as two people wanting to see the world has turned into a life on the move, from vans and sailboats to raising our two daughters, Nora and Alma, along the way.
Through The Vanabond Tales, we share our experiences, practical advice, and lessons learned from years of traveling and living a little differently.
Eddie & Kelli (and Nora & Alma)
The Best of the Vanabonds
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Whether you’re dreaming of life on the road, planning a long-term adventure, or figuring out how to make travel work as a family, our newsletter delivers real-world tips, honest reflections, and destination inspiration straight to your inbox.
Subscribe and follow along as we continue exploring — slowly, intentionally, and one chapter at a time.
The Latest From the Vanabonds
Searching for something in particular?
Check out some of our best moments captured on The Vanabond Tales Vlog!
Dive into our favorite YouTube videos as we bring you along for life on the move — from epic road trips and sailing passages to longer stays in places that shape each chapter of our journey.
From adventure-filled travel days to the behind-the-scenes realities of van life, sail life, and slow travel with a family, our videos offer a firsthand look at both the highs and the challenges along the way.
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