Locked Out of The Van

I headed down into the Page, AZ/Big Water, Utah area and decided to camp in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. One of the first nights, I locked myself out of the van. I had opened the back doors to get something out of the back of the van and set my keys down on one of the shelves back there.

When I closed the door, the van automatically locked and I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, right as it was getting dark with only the coordinates, my phone, and my dog without a leash. Not an ideal scenario. I called AAA and gave them the coordinates - thankfully I had my phone and was able to call them after walking up the road a bit to get signal. The nights in Page get pretty cold so it was starting to get cold and I was NOT dressed to be outside so I just decided to walk until the AAA people could get to me.

 Finally after 45 minutes, AAA calls me and asks me where I am. I’m in a canyon on an unmarked road in the dark?? So I walk up the street a bit and see the lights of the car and tell him to turn down the gravel road and then make the first right onto another gravel road where the van is parked. After about 10 minutes of me sitting on the ground, holding Marv’s collar so he doesn’t attack the AAA person, the van is unlocked and I am back in to get the keys. 

I learned a very valuable lesson that night: do not under any circumstances have your keys anywhere other than on your person. The most challenging thing about the van is being completely responsible for yourself at all times. You have to be able to take care of yourself and know how to use resources when you need help. So thankful for AAA and their support. If you’re thinking about living in a van, be sure to think about the additional resources you might need in order to stay safe on the road.