The Vanscontinental Express

Over the summer and fall of 2021, writer Victoria Scott traveled the American West in a JDM 1995 Toyota Hiace documenting a life and a world in transition. These are her dispatches from the road.

Latest in The Vanscontinental Express

Why I’m Dropping Everything to Travel America in a JDM 1995 Toyota Hiace

Why I’m Dropping Everything to Travel America in a JDM 1995 Toyota Hiace

By Victoria Scott
Mar 31 1:48 PM EDT
The End of the Road, the Beauty of Car Culture, and the Start of What’s Next

The End of the Road, the Beauty of Car Culture, and the Start of What’s Next

By Victoria Scott
Dec 2 2:44 PM EST
12,500 Miles on the Road Taught Me to Stop Apologizing for Who I Really Am—to Anyone

12,500 Miles on the Road Taught Me to Stop Apologizing for Who I Really Am—to Anyone

By Victoria Scott
Nov 23 3:16 PM EST
Back Into the Desert, Feeling Like I Finally Belong as the Sun Sets on This Van Trip

Back Into the Desert, Feeling Like I Finally Belong as the Sun Sets on This Van Trip

By Victoria Scott
Nov 4 3:54 PM EDT
1980s Cars, Dark Forests and Human Connection: My JDM Van Journey Goes Northwest

1980s Cars, Dark Forests and Human Connection: My JDM Van Journey Goes Northwest

By Victoria Scott
Oct 19 8:33 PM EDT
How I Left LA With My JDM Van and Found Strength in the Eternal Desert

How I Left LA With My JDM Van and Found Strength in the Eternal Desert

By Victoria Scott
Oct 12 2:57 PM EDT
My JDM Van and I Went to the Brink and Came Back Stronger Than Ever

My JDM Van and I Went to the Brink and Came Back Stronger Than Ever

By Victoria Scott
Sep 21 7:58 AM EDT
Pressing Pause on Van Life, and Homesick for a Broken Toyota Hiace

Pressing Pause on Van Life, and Homesick for a Broken Toyota Hiace

By Victoria Scott
Aug 9 5:25 PM EDT
Disaster on Cuyama Peak: How I Nearly Destroyed My Van Alone in the Wilderness

Disaster on Cuyama Peak: How I Nearly Destroyed My Van Alone in the Wilderness

By Victoria Scott
Jul 21 4:08 PM EDT
Out in LA, Where Dreams Came True and I Could Be My Own Person

Out in LA, Where Dreams Came True and I Could Be My Own Person

By Victoria Scott
Jul 21 2:02 PM EDT
A JDM Van Breakdown in the Arizona Heat Showed It’s OK to Ask For Help

A JDM Van Breakdown in the Arizona Heat Showed It’s OK to Ask For Help

By Victoria Scott
Jul 19 1:50 PM EDT
Dead Vibes and a Dead Alternator: My JDM Toyota Van Meets Some Fear and Loathing in the Desert

Dead Vibes and a Dead Alternator: My JDM Toyota Van Meets Some Fear and Loathing in the Desert

By Victoria Scott
Jun 25 5:00 PM EDT
Driving Alone in the Wilds of New Mexico Made Me Think About Who I Want To Be

Driving Alone in the Wilds of New Mexico Made Me Think About Who I Want To Be

By Victoria Scott
Jun 24 4:28 PM EDT
The Great Escape: Driving My JDM Toyota Van Out of Texas, Due West

The Great Escape: Driving My JDM Toyota Van Out of Texas, Due West

By Victoria Scott
Jun 22 6:26 PM EDT
I Finally Hit the Road With My Trusty Toyota Hiace. I Hope I Can Find Who I Want to Be

I Finally Hit the Road With My Trusty Toyota Hiace. I Hope I Can Find Who I Want to Be

By Victoria Scott
Jun 15 7:27 AM EDT
How a Simple Van Life Test Run Turns Into Its Own Epic 3,000-Mile Road Trip

How a Simple Van Life Test Run Turns Into Its Own Epic 3,000-Mile Road Trip

By Victoria Scott
Jun 10 6:32 PM EDT
Meet the Absolutely Rad JDM 1995 Toyota Hiace That I’m Calling Home

Meet the Absolutely Rad JDM 1995 Toyota Hiace That I’m Calling Home

By Victoria Scott
Jun 8 7:07 PM EDT