My freelance journey (and how I finally started this blog!)

Six years into my freelance journey, I cannot imagine working any other way. 

But I also can’t imagine making this career move now. 

When I quit my sturdy PR role (which I absolutely loved) six years ago, I didn’t give the decision a second thought. 

We were going travelling in our campervan and I wanted to be able to fund those travels from my laptop; from anywhere at any time. 

It made sense. 

But I genuinely believe that if I thought about doing this now, it would result in a panic attack so severe I’d need a few hours of sleep to recover. 

Maybe because I’m more ‘sensible’ now, maybe because I’m in my 30s or maybe just because with each year my anxiety grows that little bit more. 

Not that it matters because it was hands down one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life and I am forever grateful to my 25-year-old self for taking that leap. 

But I will forever be frustrated at my younger self for not starting this blog the 1,000 times I said I would. 

Starting this blog 

I wish that I had started this blog so long ago. 

The trouble is, I worried too much about whether my writing would be interesting and entertaining to others or if people would judge me on my content.

I also couldn’t seem to switch off my marketing brain and just write for enjoyment. 

But what would I blog about?

I write an average of 38,000 words a month for my clients.

Sometimes more. 

And yet, when it comes to writing for myself, I can never seem to find the words. 

Well, that’s not strictly true, I can find words and I often write lots of them down. But then I revisit the content a day later and delete it. 

Those words are never good enough. 

Sure, I find writing those posts cathartic but also frustrating, I should be creating content I am happy to share online. 

And I’ve realised that in order to get past this, I just need to do it. I just need to get going and post something. 

So right now, despite all my instincts as a marketing professional, I am not targeting any specific keywords. 

Right now, I am not focussing on generating the best content for Google or driving traffic - although I’m aware this is important and may come later. 

Right now, I am just writing for myself; writing about things I enjoy, not topics that I think will grab attention and generate views. 

And this is what I think I’ve been missing all along. 

I am programmed to think about keywords, clickbait titles and subjects that I think other people want me to write about. 

But today, I am throwing that all aside and writing for myself. 

It might work, it might not. 

I suppose we will see. 

But if nothing else, it gives me a chance to empty my very busy brain.

24 things you should know about me

Hi, my name is Natashia Lauren Wheatley Larkin. 

But most people call me Tash. 

I cannot explain how many times I have created, deleted and abandoned this post.

In fact, I’m starting to frustrate myself. 

But here I am, like Backstreet, I am back.

I am back to have another go; to finally introduce myself and my (soon to be) little corner of the internet. A place where I write for myself rather than my clients. 

But as I have the tendency to delete everything I write for myself, I am going to approach this post with brevity in mind. Maybe that is the key to finally introducing myself. 

My name is Natashia and as it’s nearly 2024, here are 24 things you should know about me, to give you a better idea of what I'll be sharing on this blog: 

1. I am a freelance writer 

2. I am currently based in Cornwall

3. I have a cheeky little Whippet called Lunar 

4. We love going for long walks on the beach 

5. I am married

6. My husband will feature a lot on this blog too

7. We lived in a campervan for three years until it became too rusty for the road 

8. But we intend to move back into a new van within the next couple of years

9. We converted our first camper ourselves and will do the same for the next one

10. I love to travel but I have a crippling fear of flying 

11. I also suffer from so many other phobias that it’s bordering on the ridiculous (Tomophobia, Tokophobia and Amaxophobia are just a few of the big hitters)

12. As a result, I don’t drive, which is strange for someone who has lived in a campervan 

13. If it wasn’t already apparent, I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder

14. My anxiety means I am a sucker for a motivational quote on Instagram 

15. Not driving means I am very good at walking and I love going on long walks

16. I also love chocolate

17. I am a red wine drinker (and spiller)

18. I have four tattoos, for now, anyway (again, weird given that I also suffer from trypanophobia, but mostly only if someone is trying to take my blood)

19. I am obsessed with stand-up comedy 

20. I also obsessively watch the following shows over and over again: It's Always Sunny, Schitt’s Creek, Black Books, Brooklyn 99, 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Plebs and Taskmaster

21. I am a chatty girl - if there is an awkward silence, I will fill it 

22. I am a serial procrastinator, but only when it comes to writing or doing things for myself 

23. Despite this, I am incredibly organised, tidy and methodical 

24. For context, I am the kind of person who believes there is a right and wrong way to load the dishwasher and I do it the right way 

And based on this list, perhaps I am also an over-sharer. 

But hey, this is my little space to share and I am very pleased to have you here. 

I hope you’ll stick around.

Is van life for me? 9 questions you need to ask yourself

As more people fall in love with the idea of freedom, minimalism and moving away from traditional 9-5 living, van life is becoming more popular than ever in the UK!

You can barely move for all the #vanlife Instagram accounts out there and we certainly met a huge number of van lifers during our time on the road. 

And while all the incredible sunset photos and van tours make it seem truly beautiful (and it is) the reality is that it’s not for everyone - and that’s OK! 

Our reason for choosing van life was to downsize, cut costs, ditch the 9-5 and travel around; no two days the same. 

But again, that’s not the life for everyone. 

And over the years, we found that we often got one of two reactions when we told people about our lifestyle, one being ‘I could never live in a van’, but more commonly we get people saying that they’d love to do it full time, but they're not sure if they could. 

So if you're considering van life full time or you're just looking for a change, below are nine questions you need to ask yourself before committing to life in a van. 

1. Are you a home bird?

They say home is where the heart is, and if this is how you feel then perhaps van life isn't for you. It’s perfectly natural to miss home, but some people have much stronger ties to their home than others. If you know for a fact that a two-week holiday is too much for you to handle, then it’s best to look for another way to find simplicity and freedom. 

That is unless you want to live in a van and stay around your local area, though this tends to be favoured in more coastal or rural locations. It might not be quite the same if you're living around central London, for example. 

2. Do you have any dependents?

This one is super important. If you’ve got children, pets or any other dependents then this can really affect how you do (or don’t do) van life. It’s not impossible to travel with children or animals - there are enough people out there doing it already. But it does come with extra responsibilities.

Our little Lunar has really taken to the van life, but obviously, animals can’t be left alone for too long in the van and this can limit the places you can go and how long you go for. 

Similarly, if you choose to travel with kids you’ll have to consider their wellbeing and schooling. So before you commit to anything you’ll have to think logistically about those who are dependent on you. 

3. Do you feel the need to plan everything?

If you are one of those people (and it’s fine if you are) who needs to plan every aspect of their day, then this lifestyle could be difficult for you. 

Van life requires a lot of spontaneity and you never know what could happen. Things don’t always go to plan on the road and sometimes your day can be completely changed around (like the time I got boxed into a corner by several caravans full of travellers and had to phone Danny to come get the van out before we were stuck in there for weeks).  

So yeah, you have to be able to go with the flow a bit more. 

And I’ll be the first to admit, this one was hard for me in the first few months as I love to be organised, but you have to find ways to do that within the realm of your new nomadic lifestyle. 

I soon found there were still plenty of reasons to write lists! So ultimately I was OK. 

4. Can you downsize your life?

Even the biggest and most carefully converted vans only have so much room and storage space, so you have to be prepared to downsize your life. 

If you're not prepared to limit your belongings you might struggle a bit, and if you feel particularly claustrophobic or restless in a small space then van life probably isn't ideal for you. Because even a large motorhome is a far cry from a flat or a house. 

5. Can you unplug? 

Of course, you can add leisure batteries and plugs to your van, but there will always be times when you have to unplug and switch off. Like if you’ve stopped for a few days you don't want your battery to drain or if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere (like we did in a national park in the Scottish Highlands), then you might not have a phone signal either. 

So if you need your TV or you're glued to your phone then you might find it tough to cope. 

6. Do you have a means of making money on the move? 

If you’ve got a decent amount of money in the bank or you're planning on selling your home in order to make the change, then you might be OK for money. But if you’re starting with nothing (or like us with just a small amount in your savings) then you need to be able to make money on the move. 

There are a number of ways you can do this, but you have to be prepared to pick up work when you can and you might not always have the most glamorous roles. Decide if you have the means of making money or consider how you're going to get a good sum of money behind you before you leave. 

7. Are you OK with wearing the same clothes a lot? 

Your wardrobe will already be fairly small anyway as you need to be able to fit all your clothes in your van, but you also need to be prepared to re-wear each item several times (within reason of course). 

You won't always have access to a washing machine and if you're on your own it can take some time to build an entire wash-load worth of clothes. 

The reality is you’ll probably find the same clothes make their way to the top of the pile and become firm favourites anyway, so if you need a big and varied wardrobe it’s best to stay at home. 

8. Do you like the outdoors? 

If you don’t like the great outdoors and spending lots of time with nature, then van life is not going to be your idea of great living. 

Of course, you have the van, but you essentially live outdoors. 

You’ll spend most of your time outside, especially if your van is small and basic. You also need to be OK with everything that nature brings like bad weather, dirt, sand and sometimes wildlife. If you can’t handle mother nature then van life probably isn't for you. 

9. Are you OK coming up against a bit of opposition? 

Finally, it’s an unfortunate truth that not everyone likes people living in vans around their local area. This is especially true down in Cornwall. 

Don’t get me wrong, this is usually the occasional individual who is paying through-the-roof rent or mortgage prices and they see you set up, blissfully unaware by the coast and pretty much living for free. It rubs some people up the wrong way.

Although, it is very rare. But on the odd occasion when it does happen you have to be prepared for some dirty looks or opposition and you have to grow a stiff upper lip. 

We even used to get people driving past our van on the way to work at 6:00 AM beeping their horns at us to try and wake us up because they assumed we were just some chancing holiday-makers. 

But hey, we were already awake so more fool them, I suppose. 

Just know that for the most part, everyone is lovely and kind and you’ll meet so many great people living this way. So don’t let the odd few put you off. 

Is van life for you?

If you're ready to take the next exciting step in your life, before you give up your day job and swap your house for a van, ask yourself these nine questions to help you decide if it’s the right decision for you.