You’ve reached the homepage of Hardway Travels. This is a blog documenting the adventures of Abbey and Robert in a 1983 VW Vanagon.

If you’re looking for the blog, it can be found here.

How it all began

I’ve always enjoyed the great outdoors, but it’s hard to really slow down, travel, and enjoy nature when you’re working a demanding job.

I had been working at Beaver Valley Power Station, a nuclear power plant located in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. Up until a few years ago, I loved my job there (mechanical engineer) and dedicated much extra time to it. I was assuming more responsibility from my supervisor as he groomed me to take over his position (Mechanical Design Engineering Supervisor) upon retirement.

When the time came and my supervisor retired, management deleted the supervisor position and asked me to be “team lead” instead. As it turns out, a “team lead” enjoys all the responsibilities of a supervisor with none of the compensation. I decided then that I needed an exit strategy, and thus the idea to quit and travel was born.

I didn’t act on the idea immediately, though. I still hoped that things would change at work, and so I continued to work hard with desire to move up the ladder. Since I had limited upward mobility without an operator’s license, I enrolled in an operator training program and was accepted. When the first class started, management decided to delay me for a year because they had too many outside hires and wanted to give them priority. I was moved to a new position – Acting Rapid Response Engineering Supervisor – for the interim year. Ironically, the day I left the “team lead” position in design engineering, they re-opened the supervisor position and promoted someone internally. I have never felt so used in my life.

After a year of being Acting Rapid Response Engineering Supervisor, I started in the Operator’s license class. Shortly thereafter the company declared bankruptcy and announced our plant would be permanently closing.

Thankfully, I had been saving for the last couple years, and Abbey was onboard with the travel idea. We had an exit strategy.

What about your jobs and house?

We quit our jobs and sold our house. Technically, we’re unemployed and homeless. Yikes.

Why did you chose an old VW?

We wanted a vehicle that was small and self-contained. Something that would fit in a normal parking spot. Newer camper vans are too expensive, and older Chevy conversion vans have too much of a creeper status. The old VWs are respectable, honest, and cool. They are a very efficient use of space, and are fairly reliable and fuel efficient. The older air-cooled Vanagons are slow but much more reliable and easy to work on than the newer water-cooled versions. For more info on our van, go here.