Meet DO Member and Founder of Diversify Vanlife, Noami Grevemberg
“This lifestyle is for you too. You don’t have to look a certain way, be a certain way, or show up a certain way to live van life.”
Noami Grevemberg (she/they), Writer, Podcaster, Activist, and Founder of Diversify Vanlife, has been living life on the road for six and a half years, traveling around western North America. That isn’t where her story begins though. Noami was born and raised in Trinidad, connecting with the outdoors from an early age.
“I grew up in a rainforest on the coast, so I had the best of both worlds. We lived in a mutualistic relationship with the natural environment. My family were fishermen and hunters and we foraged for food. I spent most of my time just running around barefoot in the forest, climbing trees, and fishing and swimming in rivers with my brothers.”
Life on the Road
When Noami first moved to the U.S., they wanted to experience city life and spent time living and working in various big cities before reconnecting with nature. After years of pursuing school and working in environmental sciences on the Gulf Coast, Noami knew it was time for a change, noting that “in the field of science, a field dominated by white men, it was really difficult for a woman like me to overcome a lot of the hurdles and barriers in that corporate space, which affected my mental health and my ability to grow.”
With plans for a one-year road trip, Noami and her partner hit the road. And they never looked back. “Life on the road has opened so many opportunities for me to really visualize the kind of life I want to live and the kind of person I want to be.” Noami has found community and purpose through van life and traveling, and hopes to bring as many people as she can into that community.
After becoming frustrated with the lack of diversity and representation in vanlifers and road travelers, Noami created Diversify Vanlife, a space for BIPOC and other marginalized folks to come together and share their experiences. Diversify Vanlife has grown into a robust online community and resource hub for current and aspiring nomads.
Diversify Vanlife tells the stories of underrepresented voices through their social media, as well as their podcast, “Nomads at the Intersections.” You can listen to a diverse array of guests and important stories, with more episodes dropping next spring. Along with new podcast episodes, there are many new and exciting things on the horizon for Noami and Diversify Vanlife. Noami has a new book set to release in 2023 and is currently planning the first-ever Diversify Vanlife meet-up event. Visit Noami’s website and be sure to sign up for the Diversify Vanlife Newsletter to stay up to date on these events. Make sure to also check out their BIPOC Guide to Road Travel and the Outdoors. It’s jam-packed with resources and stories to help anyone begin their road travel journey.
If you feel like you’re ready to hit the road, think about what might be stopping you and know that you have a community full of resources and support with Diversify Vanlife. “This lifestyle is for anyone and you can do it any way you like. There is no one right way to enter into road travel or van life.”