More than a decade before owning a Wayfarer, Vera Carter put a camper van on her vision board. 

“At the time I just put it on there, not thinking much of it,” Vera said. “And then over time, my husband was working in Oregon and we started to see more vans starting around 2012. Somewhere around 2018 I started researching options and watching videos, and then in 2022 we finally pulled the trigger.”

For Vera and her husband Wrick, 2022 marked the start of a new journey, and the close of another chapter. Wrick was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015 and went through a long journey of appointments, alternative treatments and tough decisions. He ultimately went through proton therapy at Emory University near their home in Atlanta and was able to hear the news that he was cancer free in 2022.

“When I came out of that, I knew I didn’t want to waste any more time,” Wrick said. “I’ve been working since I was 14. It was time to live.”

Vera was by Wrick’s side through every step of his cancer journey. And she had her own realizations along the way.

“COVID was the final push. It reminded us how fragile life is,” Vera said. “We didn’t want to keep saying ‘someday.’ We wanted to start now.”

With Wrick retired and Vera able to work remotely, they picked up their Wayfarer and didn’t look back. The two have explored the country from coast to coast and discovered the small moments along the way that make lasting memories.

“We parked in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There was no one else, and it was just like, ‘okay, this is what van life is supposed to feel like,” Wrick said. “There are a lot of these moments for me. The kind that are really, really special and kind of make you catch your breath.”

The couple already had a life filled with travel, from cruises in the Caribbean to European adventures and beyond. But the van allowed them to travel differently, with trips lasting more than seven weeks. Of course, there were surprises along the way, but that’s part of the adventure.

On one of their trips to California, their adventure came with a string of challenges that made the trip memorable in a different way. They weathered LA’s first hurricane, an earthquake hours later, and then a COVID diagnosis that had them sheltering at a hotel in Santa Cruz. But they didn’t let those setbacks quell their adventurous spirit.

“It was crazy,” Wrick laughed. “But I told Vera, ‘We didn’t come this far to turn around. Let’s get through this and enjoy.’ And we did.”

But not every surprise has been as dramatic. Some are just small lessons along the way, like why camping in Florida in July may not be the best. 

“We get to what appears to be a beautiful campground,” Vera recounted. “It’s right on the water on a little inlet. But then for the next two days we were inundated with bugs and mosquitos. Nothing we did could stop the flow of these bugs –  it was like Jurassic Park. So it was a really good lesson on why people don’t go to that part of Florida in July.”

For the Carters they take each trip in stride.

“Van life is like a puzzle sometimes,” Vera said. “You improvise, you figure it out, and you end up with stories you’d never have if you were staying in a hotel.”

Those stories don’t just stay with them, they’re impacting others too. Through their YouTube channel, The Other Carters, they’ve chronicled their travels and sparked inspiration in friends, family and even strangers who’ve followed along.

“So many people have told us that they have their own aspirations to do this,” Vera said. “It’s inspired conversations with folks we’ve known for years, but they’ve never mentioned that they wanted to camp or travel before.”

Even Vera’s brother, who hasn’t camped before, has been inspired to plot his own teardrop trailer adventure.

While many van life creators appear to be young enough to be the Carters’ children, Vera and Wrick have embraced changing that perception for other people.

“We’re constantly surprised by how many people our age, or older, stop to talk to us about the van,” Wrick said. “It’s people thinking about retirement, or about how they want to spend their next 20 years. The van just opens the door to those conversations.”

Vera and Wrick have no shortage of adventures on their vision boards these days.

“Eight weeks may not be enough anymore,” Vera said with a grin. “Canada, Banff, maybe even driving to Alaska, those are on the board now.”

Whatever comes next, it’s clear that Vera and Wrick aren’t waiting for someday anymore.

“Whatever your dream is, go for it,” Vera said. “We don’t get a second chance at this life. We’ve been waiting too long, and now is the time.”