Irie to Aurora | Eco-Vanlife Guides & Digital Nomad Tips

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Hi there! We’re Dustin and Noami

For a long time we felt like we were living a life that wasn’t our own – chasing after someone else’s idea of success and happiness, consuming too much and not living enough. So we made a radical shift. We downsized our possessions and set out to pursue a life of simplicity & travel. We’re eco-vanlifers & digital nomads, living on the road since 2016. We’re here to share with you everything we’ve learned along the way.

What's inside

Digital Nomadism

Dreaming of traveling the world, but still need to pay the bills? Our Digital Nomad Series will give you the tips, advice, inspiration and resources to help you build a sustainable income on the road.

Recent Posts

37 Gift Ideas Eco-Conscious Nomads Will Love in 2021

November 17, 2020 No Comments

The holidays are upon us. And as every vanlifer can attest, space in the van is always a premium. So if you’ve got an environmentally

Essential Digital Nomad Gear For The Overland Traveler

October 28, 2020 No Comments

2020 can be called a lot of things, and most of us will be happy when it can be called “over.” But with everything this

How To Reduce Amazon Packaging and Minimize Plastic Waste in 2020

October 28, 2020 3 Comments

Currently, there is only one way to request reduced packaging from Amazon. Follow the steps below to tell Amazon to minimize packaging on your future orders.

How to Find Remote Jobs & Freelance Gigs – A Digital Nomad Resource

August 25, 2020 No Comments

Noami and I have been traveling full time since 2016. When we tell folks that we’re full-time nomads, they usually say something like: “what do

DIGITAL NOMADISM 101:
A COMPLETE GUIDE TO BECOMING AN OVERLAND DIGITAL NOMAD

July 31, 2020 No Comments

Most, if not all articles on digital nomadism focus on the international traveler (globetrotter). Though what we’ve shared here can be applied to ALL manner

11 Tips for a Truly Sustainable Camping Season

July 24, 2020 No Comments

Eco-Friendly Habits For the Outdoors Tis the season. Spring is upon us and the outdoors are calling. If you’re anything like us, camping is your

Follow our journey on instagram @irietoaurora

My grandmother was the first zero-waste, eco-consc

My grandmother was the first zero-waste, eco-conscious minimalist I ever met. Though, we didn’t use those terms. For us, it was survival.

- Everything was upcycled
- Butter tubs turned into Tupperware
- Aluminum cans turned into garden planters
- She sewed and patched old clothes
- Broken items went straight to her work bench to be repaired
- Nothing went to waste, especially food
- She collected rainwater
- She grew, harvested & foraged food
- She made her own products
- She bartered and traded with neighbors

These were my lessons in sustainability, drawn from generations of BIPOC ancestors.

And this is why I’ve never identified with the zero-waste movement. It leaves out the voices and values of BIPOC while failing to address the causes of environmental racism.

Colonialism created the problems of over-production and over-consumption. We cannot fix our waste problems using the same colonialist mindset that created them.

- How do we address the issues of over-consumption and waste without further burdening or oppressing those who are already marginalized?
- How do we hold institutions accountable and address the issues of environmental racism?

Let’s dig deep!
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📍Land of the Hohokam and Yavapaiv Apache peoples

FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY, MASK UP PEOPLE! #ad 202

FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY, MASK UP PEOPLE! #ad

2020 is gone but not forgotten. As we’re all aware, wearing a mask in public spaces is now the new normal. And this is one of the easiest ways we can take control of our health and the air we breathe.

I’ve been looking for a high quality mask for nearly a year. And the best I found online was the Urban Air Mask 2.0 from @airinum . Unfortunately they were sold out for basically all of 2020. But they’re back and I’m stoked to have one of these badass masks.

It’s KN95 certified so I know the air I’m breathing is clean and safe. The skin is washable and comes with a replacement filter which is good for about 100 hours, so it beats the hell out of those disposable paper masks and provides much more protection than that piece of cloth I’ve been wearing.

What I love most is that it’s adjustable so it’s actually comfortable to wear. And it looks pretty damn good on me, if I do say so myself. This is the mask I’ll be rocking when I’m in public, now and for the foreseeable future.

And check this out, if you buy one by the end of the month you’ll get 10% off with code NOAMI10 (make sure you spell my name right 😉
Check it out at airinum.com (Link in Bio) #MyAirinum #airinum

I’M WRITING A BOOK!!! 📚 Early December it bec

I’M WRITING A BOOK!!! 📚
Early December it became official. I signed my very first book deal with @simonandschuster.

Last June an editor reached out to me with an idea and an offer - Simon & Schuster/Tiller Press wanted ME to write a freaking book!

It still feels so surreal, even though I’m five chapters deep into the manuscript.

2020 was definitely a tough year, but a lot of amazing things happened for me. I would say it was equally as hard as it was good. And I feel really blessed and humbled by it all.

When my vanlife journey started on that warm spring day five years ago with New Orleans in the rearview, I would have never guessed this would be my life. I remember that lost, scared feeling. The question of “what the hell am I doing with my life” playing on loop in my mind.

Granted, I’m still not sure what I’m doing with my life. But everyday is an adventure and everyday I’m pursuing a better version of myself with no limitations on who or what I can be.

I’m so grateful for this community and for all of you who’ve stuck around from the beginning when I first started exploring my voice and my vulnerability on here. I’ve learned so much from all of you and I continue to do so.

What I’m saying is, thank you for your love, your support, for challenging me, and for being here with me as I share pieces of myself in these little squares in this very complex virtual world.

I’m honored to be a part of the Simon & Schuster/Tiller Press family.

📚 BOOK COMING 2022
#TillerPress
——
📍Land of the Shoshone-Bannock peoples

BECAUSE YOU NEED A BLACK QUEEN ON YOUR TIMELINE…

BECAUSE YOU NEED A BLACK QUEEN ON YOUR TIMELINE…💁🏽‍♀️ HELLO 2021! 💫
This is the perfect time for a reintroduction and recalibration of this page.

Hi, I’m Noami (pronounced Nay-OH-mee)

I’m Afro-Indo mixed race. Born & bred on the island on Trinidad 🇹🇹. A vanlifer & low-waste advocate, living on the road in my camper van with my partner since 2016. I’m also dog mom to a very large lap dog, Amara the GSD 🐶

I love the outdoors. When I first got into vanlife it was simply to be closer to nature. Whatever the activity — hiking, camping, fishing, snowshoeing — nature always pulls me into the present moment.

Choosing to live in a van was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. But it’s also one of the most important and most impactful. It may sound cliché, but living in a van has changed my life’s trajectory and allowed me to step into my power & achieve things I never thought possible.

🔁 I’ve brought together a beautiful community of BIPOC nomads and outdoorists @diversify.vanlife 👈🏾 support us.
🎙I’m the host of @nomadsattheintersectionspod 👈🏾 give it a listen & follow.
📝 I’m co-creator of irietoaurora.com where you can find digital nomad & remote work resources and eco-vanlife tips 👈🏾 LINK IN BIO.
📖 I’m writing a book — I’m gonna be a published writer😱 — stay tuned here for deets 💫

None of this would be possible without community support — YOUR support. So keep supporting BIPOC creators. Some ways you can do this: like, comment, save, share, buy & donate ✊🏾

My intention for this page is to share whatever speaks to me. The things that I find in the depths of my soul, that I uncover along my journey of learning and unlearning. The things that help me, and heal me, and hurt me. We may not always agree, and not everyone will like what I have to say. But…

I hope this year brings you clarity, connection, love, financial stability and, most of all, that you achieve the goals you set for yourself.

Tell me about you👇🏾
—
📍Land of the Mojave, Southern Paiute, and Chemehuevi peoples

Hey y’all! It’s your fav island girl here 🇹

Hey y’all! It’s your fav island girl here 🇹🇹Poppin’ in to say WINTER IS HARD 🥶
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How y’all coping with these shorter days and long cold nights?
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Me, I’m taking this opportunity to refocus my priorities. I’d be lying if I told you I had it all figured out. But I’m working on it - putting my health first and creating tools to help keep me balanced.
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My winter routine:
- Wake up with the sun
- Scrape my tongue
- Drink warm water
- Move my body (yoga sesh or a long run)
- Enjoy a warm cup on @foursigmatic Mushroom Cacao with Reishi to help balance me out when I have a big day ahead.
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Every packet has 500mg of Reishi for stress support and there’s no caffeine, so I can have a cup in the evening to help me wind down and relax.
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And what’s more comforting than a nice cup of hot cacao on a cold winter night?
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#ad #foursigmatic #everydaymagic
———
📍Land of the Mojave, Southern Paiute, and Chemehuevi peoples

I don’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional s

I don’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense. To be honest, I have a lot of trauma associated with this holiday that I’d rather not relive.
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This is the time of year I like to slow down. I mean WAY, WAY down. And I make it a point to encourage the people around me to do the same. Hell, the fact that we all made it to December is something to celebrate. And prioritizing myself is how I will do that.
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You see, self-care was not encouraged in my home growing up. It wasn’t something I experienced at all, anywhere in my community. Instead I learned that rest was equated with laziness, and something to be ashamed of.
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And as an adult I’ve seen this trauma resurface in many areas of my life, most often in my self-worth, with waves of guilt coming up whenever I felt like I needed to rest.
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But if there is any lesson I’m bringing with me from 2020 it’s that rest is radical.
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So, in celebration of purposeful rest, I’m in a stationary house. I’m dry brushing, taking long baths, drinking lots of water, eating healthy, going to bed early, getting foot massages, having lots of sex, taking afternoon naps, dancing, journaling, drawing, stretching my body, and spending time daydreaming and envisioning what I want in 2021.
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This year’s end is all about unashamed rest and reflection. Maybe I’ll see y’all again before the new year, then again, maybe not. Love you all ♥️😘
—
📍Stolen land of the Klamath peoples

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