Editor’s Note: This post was written by guest contributor Michele DeVries. Michele is a professional photographer, writer, and off-the-beaten-path traveler. She has been living on the road full-time since 2020 and believes conformity is optional, time is our greatest asset, and that travel doesn’t have to be exotic or expensive to be life-changing. She shares personal stories and insights into her unconventional lifestyle on her website twohappycampers.com. We’re happy to hear that she enjoyed her first Overland Expo, and we can’t wait to have her back for another event.
As a long-time truck camper owner and full-time nomad for 4+ years, I’ve always known about the Overland Expo. However, on the contrary, as an introvert and someone who spends her life seeking out wild places and avoiding crowds, I never sought one out. That was until two months ago. With my growing desire to use my travels to inspire others to get out and live their own amazing adventures, I became curious about what it would take to be a presenter at Overland Expo.
Our First Overland Expo
Fast forward to the end of August, and my husband and I were driving through the gates at Overland Expo Mountain West with our Instructor credentials hanging from the rearview mirror. We settled into the “festival-style” camping area on Thursday afternoon and looked at each other in a state of bewilderment as to how we found ourselves here. Would we have the time of our lives, or would we be running back to the mountains on Sunday in a state of total exhaustion? We had no idea what to expect.
Three nights and three full days later, we were passing back through those same gates, us among hundreds of other overland rigs that were dispersing onto Loveland, Colorado’s roads and highways, and we were taking with us a newfound fire for our overlanding lifestyle, and the overlanding community, that I never saw coming. We were buzzing with excitement, and all I could think was…I cannot wait to do that again.
Here are six reasons why I can’t wait for the next Overland Expo:
The Community
I’ve never found myself in such a high concentration of folks who enjoy vehicle-based travel as much as my husband and I do. My choice to live on the road full-time is novel and odd to many of my friends and family. To be surrounded by so many like minds was incredibly refreshing and exhilarating.
The Inspiration
The travel resumes of those we met were impressive, to put it lightly. Conversations about overlanding Africa, setting out on the Pan-American highway, and seeking out little-known routes around the world were as common as two average Americans discussing the latest football game. Many people we met were either fresh off a grand adventure or had plans for one that were in the works. For someone who has just begun working towards turning her Pan-American dreams from idea to reality, meeting these folks made this massive dream feel more attainable than ever.
The Education
While I was attending as a presenter, I had the privilege of attending classes as well. I was blown away by the variety of offerings. Topics spanned the gamut from first-aid to trip planning to water treatment to how to make money as a content creator. Not to mention the wide range of Q&A roundtables where you can sit and ask travel experts about a specific topic; some of those topics included overlanding with pets, working full-time on the road, and regional specific Q&As covering places like Alaska and Baja. Whether you’re planning a trip to a faraway place or are just dipping your toes into overlanding, after attending classes at an Overland Expo, you’re likely to walk away with the knowledge and confidence to get you out there sooner than later.
The Exhibitor Area
If you’re new to overlanding and in search of the perfect rig, there’s no better place to see all that’s out there and to get the opportunity to actually look at and step inside the wide range of awesome vehicles on the market. Online research and shopping can be mind-numbing, and it is impossible to get a sense of scale. This is the place to explore all your options in one place.
The Festival-style Camping
Honestly, going in, I kind of expected to simply tolerate the camp setting. I certainly didn’t think I’d enjoy it. Very rarely do I ever find myself camped near other people, let alone camped among hundreds of other vehicles that are six feet from one another. I was delighted by how kind everyone was and the mutual respect for each other’s space. The opportunity to strike up a conversation with a passerby and start talking about our shared love of the lifestyle added to the experience. And for two introverts easily exhausted by crowds, it was a huge perk to be able to walk back to camp for a little break whenever we felt like it.
The In-Person Experience
I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of my time getting inspiration, recommendations, and insights for upcoming trips via online resources such as YouTube, forums, and Facebook groups. While these can be great sources, Overland Expo reminded me that nothing can compare to in-person classes and interactions. There’s so much more nuance as well as a feeling of camaraderie that can be exchanged in real life that’s lacking in our virtual worlds. A simple exchange between two people in a classroom can later turn into an hours-long conversation on the lawn at happy hour. I love the way Overland Expo provides a setting for these opportunities.
I learned over the weekend that Overland Expo’s motto is Get Outfitted. Get Educated. Get Inspired. After three days immersed in all that OE has to offer, I’m not sure a truer tagline exists. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or are just dipping your toes into the overlanding world,
Overland Expo is the place to fuel your fire for one of the coolest modes of travel around. I can’t wait to do it again.
