Windows rolled down, cruising along through deserts and ocean roads, having the ultimate freedom to go and do what you want — what could be better? While the nomadic lifestyle may initially seem like the perfect opportunity to truly live the YOLO life, several popular #vanlife Instagrammers reveal some of the perks and downsides that come with living out of a van full-time.

U.K.-based van lifers Calum Creasey and Lauren Smith share that it’s easy to fall in the trap of portraying all the good parts of van life, but it’s important to show the in-between moments too. By default, this is a simpler lifestyle — Creasey and Smith share that you can only take the absolute necessities with you on the road, leaving many material items behind.

Photography: Calum Creasey and Lauren Smith

Creasey and Smith admit that this isn’t the most eco-friendly pastime, but when you live in such confined spaces you’re more aware of waste management. They also try to combat some of their impact by making sure to pick up other people’s trash if they come across it.

Photography: Calum Creasey and Lauren Smith

Instagrammer Corey Smith shares that traveling with his partner Emily in their van has become their work and that it’s increasingly more difficult to get your photos to stand out in a sea of others doing the same thing.

Photography: Corey Smith

Solo traveler Alexandra Ulmke reveals that sometimes the hardest part about van life is the loneliness but that embracing the outdoors and all it has to offer is the key to happiness.

Photography: Alexandra Ulmke

For all the hardships that come with living in a van, the common thread between all these van lifers is that living on the open road with a simple lifestyle may not be for everyone, but they wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Photography: Stephanie Rhodes and Matt HB