Calvin's Solo Summer One Van, One Summer, A Thousand Adventures

It's not about the destination - It's about the journey

By: Steven Doornbos

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Why I Left

I didn’t set out to find myself.

Honestly, I just wanted to see what would happen if I pointed an old van west and kept going.

But somewhere between a bowl of green chili in Texas and a sunrise in a redwood forest, something shifted.

This book isn’t just a travel log. It’s a collection of stories, thoughts, and moments that happened when I stopped trying to live up to expectations—and just started living.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

🛻 An unforgettable solo road trip across America, in a beat-up van named The Rambler
🐔 A sidekick with zero emotional support training—Harold the rubber chicken
🛠️ Quirky towns and off-the-grid stops that don’t show up in your average travel brochure
🧠 Conversations with strangers that hit harder than any classroom lecture
📓 Raw journal entries and reflections on growing up, letting go, and becoming
😂 Humor, heart, and unexpected insight, from porch swings to ghost tours
🌅 Moments of stillness and awe that will make you want to unplug and hit the road yourself
Maybe you’re like me—curious, a little restless, trying to figure out what’s next.

If so, welcome to the passenger seat.

We’ve got plenty of snacks. No map.

And all summer ahead of us.

Let’s ride.

—Calvin

simplicity but full

the adventure, acceptance, and discovery was enlightening. The narration could have been better with a real person.