Look &/or listen as my guest & fellow location indie friend “The Jason” shares his Big Adventures over the past 5 years of full-time solo van life via his enamel pin collection! In particular two special pins.

When Jason started his adventures he began thinking about how he would remember all the places & events he experienced. He wanted to find a Thing, a souvenir that would hold the memory of that time. He also knew that his tiny house (on wheels) living lifestyle limits his space for Things. So he began by collecting stickers & magnets.

However, he found himself hesitating to adhere the stickers to any Thing. What Jason realized was that he wasn’t as attached to the Thing he’d put the sticker on as he was to the sticker itself.

It was about one year into his adventures that he fell in love with enamel pins. It all started with a pin from Disney World. He learned of the community of Disney pin collectors & traders and was hooked on the collecting scene… but not to only Disney pins. He loved the small footprint of these mini souvenirs. The problem he’d had with stickers disappeared as he could move the pins from place to place, switch them around, trade or gift them easily.

I learned that Jason does have home-base outside of Las Vegas, NV. “It’s more like a shed with an office”, Jason said, where he keeps his large collection of pins. He travels with a small collection of his favorites that he displays on a banner he got from Etsy. And of course he adds pins as he gets them along the road. He loves how this banner is all shiny & pretty with pins from all the places he’s been & events he’s attended over the years.

When an event he attended didn’t make a pin he could purchase, Jason started designing and having them printed himself. He would make 50-100 to give out to other event participants. It was a small gift that brought many smiles.They too would be able to take this souvenir with them to remember their time at the event.

The first pin Jason got after catching the travel bug was his Woodstock 99 pin. He was 18, living at home in Missouri, when he learned of a concert he desperately wanted to go to in NY. His Mom relented & let him go. He and some friends jumped in his car & took a road trip across the country. That was when he fell in love with life on the road.

The second pin Jason shows us is the one he designed & had made for his next big event. He designed it to look like a porta potty with Burning Man 2023 printed in green glitter lettering. To spread the word about the importance of travel & adventure he has #JasonsOK printed on the back of all the pins he designs.

The backstory of this hashtag: When he told his Mom about his full-time solo travel plans, she was worried. Jason knows he’s not always the best at keeping in touch & thought of a way to lessen her fear and keep his Mom informed of his being ok. He placed a sign on the back of his van that reads “My mom is worried, she never knows where I am, #JasonsOK for her!” She can now follow along on Jason’s Big Adventure, inspired by Pee-wees, and hopefully worry less.

When asked what he wants to happen to his pin collection when he dies, he said proudly that he’s a 6 time uncle and would want his nieces & nephews to inherit them. I encouraged him to make sure he shares the stories with them too! It’s the stories our loved ones want the most when we’re gone! And of course, Jason spoke of his many friends and how they may want one of his pins to remember him & their friendship.

Find out more about The Jason: HERE

I first met Jason at the World Domination Summit in Portland OR in June 2022 & then again at Camp Indie in June 2023. We’ll both be bringing our vans next summer to Camp Indie 2024. He’s planning to host a workshop about #vanlife. Can’t wait to see him there! ______________________________________________________________________________

Let’s build more connections, community & legacy by sharing & listening to the stories of the Things that matter. Things don’t matter, but the stories that get attached to them often do. ______________________________________________________________________________

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