BY: ROB HOFFMAN
Lauren Smith and Calum Creasey have spent the past five years circling Europe in sporadic bursts and watching the diverse landscape evolve from behind the windshield of their 1996 VW T4 van. Originally hailing from the United Kingdom, the couple has traversed an incredible 80,000 miles, chasing surf, hiking trails, and ultimately enjoying the freedom that comes with a life dedicated to exploration.
Their trip officially began in 2011, when the couple would travel in the summer months, and whenever they could get work off. So far, they’ve funded their travels by alternating between months of work, and months on the road. However, they now plan to live in the van full-time starting in January of next year. Their decision rides on the back of a successful Kickstarter campaign, launched to aid with van repairs, and to give them a head-start on their recently established company, Stoked Ever Since. They now have their own creative studio, which they operate from their van.
Stoked Ever Since harnesses their film, photography and general creative skills to produce film and digital content, and to handle everything from “initial campaign conception, creative direction, production services, post production and content delivery.” They hope to help others build strong brands, produce quality content, and pursue passions of their own. Their Kickstarter campaign video is proof of the couple’s creative talents, and offers supporters the first crack at a photo book called The Rolling Home, featuring “208 pages brimming with photos, words and illustrations.”
With three weeks still to go, the couple has managed to source over $10,000 from Kickstarter, using half of the funds for maintenance and repairs to their now rusting Volkswagen. The other half will go towards covering costs for their hardcover book. As they say in their campaign video, “The times we have spent in our van have been our happiest by far.” Ultimately, the couple hopes to inspire others to embark on a journey of their own.
