February 24, 2020 • hometowns
Dean Unglert Explains Why Moving Into His Van Was the 'Best Decision'
Dean Unglert is sharing new details about his decision to move out of his Venice, California, apartment and into his van.
On Monday, the "Bachelor in Paradise" alum posted a lengthy blog post titled “Home Is Where You Park the Van” about his new home. The piece included a price breakdown of the van, as well as more of his own backstory and how it “instilled a nomadic spirit in me and my three siblings.”
Dean began his essay by calling the move "the best decision of my life," despite knowing that he would be met by both "criticism and excitement." However the fact that not everyone "understand[s]" makes it "part of the fun" for Dean. At the end of it, Dean says he went with that title as an “ode to my late mother, who was writing a book entitled ‘Home Is Where You Park The Bus.’ a book whose pages rest somewhere unbeknownst to our family.”
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The 28-year-old revealed that he and his family lived in a bus when he was younger. He writes, “Between the ages of 1 and 5 we lived on that bus. From what I’ve heard, my father pan handled for cash on the side of the road, my mom sold temporary tattoos at gas stations and carnivals, and somehow they were able to feed 6 mouths during that time. I have just a few memories but nothing concrete.”
Dean reflects, “Sometimes I think about how maybe my yearning to move into a van was a way for me to somehow reconnect with my past.”
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Everything took a turn in January 2019 when Dean “hit a proverbial wall” because he “felt like the things I was doing were leaving me unfulfilled and only left me ridden with anxiety.”
Dean details how he chose van, his solar panels, roof rack, and so on. He answered frequently asked questions, such as where he goes to the bathroom or where he showers, which “hasn’t really proved to be too much of an issue.”
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The Colorado native hopes to travel the world even more in his van, venturing around the United States and Central and South America. Dean dubbed his home “my prized possession” and that it “makes me happier than I ever could have hoped.”
