Social media is filled with stunning panoramic photos of couples packing up their belongings in a van and road tripping to all kinds of romantic and scenic locations.
And while the photos may look spectacular, what’s going on behind the lens is often a very different story.
One Sydney couple found this out first hand when they embarked on a life changing road trip down the Australian east coast – a trip that would put their relationship to the ultimate test.
Recently engaged Cassandra Clark (pictured), 23, and Michael Kopp, 25. embarked on a life changing three month road trip down the Australian east coast
Recently engaged Cassandra Clark, 23, and Michael Kopp, 25, planned to live an ‘idyllic van life’ for three months and although beautiful, it was far from glamorous with Cassandra coming down with gastro early on.
‘Getting gastro was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced,’ Cassandra told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Sitting in a van in ridiculous heat just throwing up uncontrollably in front of my gorgeous, soon-to-be husband and ending up on a bloody drip in hospital was both humiliating and devastating at the time.
They lived la ‘van life’ for three months and although beautiful, it was far from glamorous with Cassandra coming down with gastro early on
‘Liquid flying from my nose, vomit in my hair, a van reeking of spew… humiliating! But I learnt how truly caring and genuine Michael is and unconditionally he loves me.’
The couple had decided on the trip a few months before their engagement once Michael, a musician, had been offered gigs up the coast.
Although they had been dating for three years, the adventure meant that they saw each other in a completely new light.
‘Seven days in I came down with an itchy case of the notorious thrush,’ Cassandra explained.
The couple lived life in their van the whole time and although beautiful, it was far from glamorous
‘Getting gastro was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. Sitting in a van in ridiculous heat just throwing up uncontrollably and ending up on a drip in hospital was humiliating,’ she said
‘Upon learning of such, my fiancé and I had to go into a small pharmacy and describe to the poor check-out-chick my symptoms,’ she continued.
‘But this was nothing compared to the embarrassment of him helping me apply the cream with my legs in the air.’
To make things even more difficult, their fridge broke down in the first week of their trip which meant they had to shop day to day and live out of an Esky.
‘Michael also left his fishing bait in our Esky a lot – that really tested me as a human.’
On top of this, seven days into the trip Cassandra came down with an itchy case of thrush
‘The van trip was nothing short of the most strenuous relationship test we could have gone through,’ Cassandra explained
‘I can’t tell you how bad chicken meat smells after being left in a humid esky in a van during 45 degree heat.
‘I literally thought something had died in the engine and was gagging uncontrollably.
‘So we’d throw our stinky, rotten bait out and hope some poor bastard didn’t smell it when disposing of trash in a bin.’
Although their days were spent swimming in natural pools and sitting under waterfalls, Cassandra said living in a hot car with a ‘smelly man’ put pressure on their normally ‘easy-breezy’ relationship.
Although their days were spent swimming in natural pools, Cassandra said living in a hot car with a ‘smelly man’ put pressure on their normally ‘easy-breezy’ relationship
‘The van trip was nothing short of the most strenuous relationship test we could have gone through,’ she said.
‘Not only did it test us as a young couple but it taught us both individually a lot about ourselves and really exposed our own personal challenges and insecurities.
‘From that though, came great, great growth and a relationship unbreakable by anything.’
Cassandra said that the hardest part for her was the fact that it was Michael’s gig money that kept them going.
To make things even more difficult, their fridge broke down in the first week of their trip which meant they had to shop day to day and live out of an esky
‘Michael also left his fishing bait in our Esky a lot – that really tested me as a human’
The couple is now selling the van to help fund their wedding next year and plan on buying a bigger van afterwards.
Michael worked a gig or two a week which was often enough to cover fuel and food while Cassandra felt like she was ‘sitting around doing nothing’.
‘This was hard personally as I felt that while he was advancing himself and utilising his creativity, I was just a ‘muso’s’ fiancé, rather than someone with my own value or talent,’ Cassandra said.
‘I also felt like I was letting Michael down a bit and sort of mooching off his efforts financially.’
Michael didn’t feel the same way though as he supported Cassandra’s creative outlets and encouraged her to write while they were on the road.
Cassandra told Daily Mail Australia that the hardest part for her was the fact that it was Michael’s gig money that kept them going
‘I also came to my conclusion that just by being there for him I was contributing by being emotional and physical support, and yes, I carried his gear all over the east coast,’ Cassandra said.
They managed to afford the van through the return of a rental bond and two hefty tax returns.
‘The trip started off pretty cruisey, our first night in the van was truly like a scene from a movie,’ Cassandra said.
‘Park atop a lone cliff above a raging sea, barbecuing out of the back of the van, sleeping with fairy lights and waking to a sunrise over the ocean. It was fun and exciting from the get-go.’
‘Park atop a lone cliff above a raging sea, barbecuing out of the back of the van, sleeping with fairy lights and waking to a sunrise over the ocean. It was fun and exciting from the get-go
Michael supported Cassandra’s creative outlets and encouraged her to write while they were on the road
Not far into the trip however, problems with the van started to occur as it proved to be a gas guzzler.
Extra costs such as insurance become an issue that they didn’t plan for, as well as the thousands they had to spend on repairs.
They were once told that their van would cost them more than they had to fix, which Cassandra said was ‘heart breaking’.
Not letting this get them down, they left the van at the auto-shop before borrowing a ute and driving to the nearest music festival.
Michael worked a gig or two a week which was often enough to cover fuel and food
‘While we waited for the van to be fixed some very kind pals of ours let us crash in the spare room so we drank champagne in the backyard pool for a week and then decided we needed cash quick,’ Cassandra said.
‘So we jumped on a plane home, worked in a factory for a couple of weeks and got what we needed to fix the old van.
‘We really didn’t expect how many costs would arise but we got through it and that’s what counts.’
After the bout of gastro, the hospital trip that then followed and a broken van Cassandra and Michael realised that they appreciated each other even more
After the bout of gastro, the hospital trip that then followed and a broken van, Cassandra and Michael realised that they appreciated each other even more.
‘Learning that through sickness, financial and mechanical woes, and everything in between that we are strong enough to overcome anything together, that’s the real kicker,’ Cassandra said.
‘That’s something people spend their whole lives trying to find and we found it in our mid 20s.’
The trip taught the duo how much they love each other and that whenever something goes wrong there is usually a silver lining.
‘Learning that through sickness, financial and mechanical woes, and everything in between that we are strong enough to overcome anything together, that’s the real kicker,’ she said
‘After the first, second and third time your vehicle and home breaks down, the wipers stop working in a torrential storm, you get parking fines or get underpaid for a gig, you can’t do a lot but laugh,’ she said.
‘It helps that you’re in a stunning country, waking up in a spot more beautiful than the last every day and get uninterrupted time with the person you love.’
They are now selling the van to help fund their wedding next year and plan on buying a bigger van afterwards.