6 months later and I step back into the World of the Nomads Bus. This time no search for wave and surf, but white powder and chilled fresh air from the Alps. Last time I visited the Nomads Bus  changed the way I looked at life. Back then I was finalist of the Red Bull Illume photo competition and was searching for a new chapter regarding my photography. Seeing Tim and Val doing the things they love made me realize I had to chase down my own dreams and stick to the plan I have. After the finals I realized what was missing to make an extra step and ever since I’m working to get better and put more commitment into my photography. Amazing what a week on board this bus can do to you and the way you look at life.

For years I avoided travelling back to places that captivated me the first time, simply because there is a beauty having new adventures and experiences you get when going somewhere new. There is also a bit of fear of returning to a place with meaningful memories. Fear of realizing it lost the good vibes over time or fear that your mind made the memorie more beautiful than reality. The first time I traveled back was when I went back to Melbourne and I loved every minute of it. This easy city is home to arguably the world’s best coffee cafes and has hundreds of these fantastic gems throughout the city and I still believe that Melbourne is one of the best cities I’ve ever lived in.

I was excited to walk back into a life on wheels and spent some time with this beautiful family. This time we didn’t chase the waves and sun, but white powder in the Austrian Alps. The vibe in the bus was the same. Travelers from all over the world visited the bus and shared a common relaxedness.  But life on the bus was also in many ways different. In summer we used the bus for cooking and sleeping, ate on the roof and the rest of our activities were pretty much outside. Now, during wintertime, we lived in the bus the moment the sun dropped behind the mountains. Every night there was a fair amount of ice on the inside of the Nomads Bus and we had nights with 26 degrees below zero and played “rock, paper, scissors” to decide who had to get out of bed to heat up the chimney.

Like summer, Tim and Val embraced the winter and valued the important things that life has to offer. Seeing these two with Fenna while she was making her first slides on skies was a beauty. Tim took me on some fun tours far away from the crowded slopes, with the only limitation my non excising off-piste skills on a board.

It was the first winter for the Nomads Bus and it was having a bit of a hard time. The water system stopped running because all the drains were frozen. No running water with 9 people on board made life a bit more challenging and we had all sorts of creative ways to clean ourselves and adapt to this situation. A pizza place quickly became one of our favorites and we cooked our food on the stove, melting snow and cooking our food on a wood heated oven. As always the food made by Val, made our belly tinkle and do a little jump off joy.

Once again I had a wonderful time on the bus and was able to spend some quality time with this amazing family. Tim and Valarie are still sharing the things they love and I’m grateful to be part of their lives so now and then. Return to this place was totally worth it.

Enjoy the photos!

ps. You want to be part of this ride too? This summer the Nomads Bus goes to Norway and makes a beautiful  summer tour. Make sure you book a ride with them!