A billionaire has revealed why ditching the luxury life and swapping her mansion for a van was the “best decision” she ever made.
Caitlin Pyle, 36, of Orlando, Florida, once boasted a large eight-story home with 18 bedrooms before deciding to give it all up to become a digital nomad and live on $30 a day.
After getting divorced in 2019 and selling his review company for a whopping $4 million, he suffered a “breakdown” and decided to adopt a minimalist lifestyle.
Now, Caitlin is happier than ever after giving up her designer goods and expensive living situation to travel the world in her Mercedes Sprinter van, which has a full kitchen and solar panels.
Caitlin Pyle, 36, from Orlando, Florida, has revealed why ditching the luxury life and swapping her mansion for a van was the “best decision” she has ever made.
He once boasted of having a large eight-story house with 18 rooms (pictured) before deciding to give it all up to become a digital nomad and live on $30 a day.
After getting divorced in 2019 and selling his overhaul company for a whopping $4 million, he suffered a “breakdown” and decided to adopt a minimalist lifestyle (his van pictured).
Between her 20s and 30s, Caitlin built a successful review business and earned $100,000 in her first year.
At the age of 31, he was earning $4 million a year, allowing him to buy a 400,000-square-foot home in Florida with his ex.
Caitlin and her husband separated after eight years of marriage, and in April 2019, their divorce was finalized.
She sold her company for $4 million and had to dip into her savings just to pay her bills, with $180,000 in maintenance costs for the mansion, since she was the sole owner of the property.
Caitlin says worries about money, her divorce, and having to maintain a mansion on her own left her depressed and exhausted, and she soon suffered a mental breakdown.
‘Taking care of the house became a full-time job. We built it for us as a couple, we hoped to entertain people and keep it together. But being inside alone was swallowing me whole,” she explained.
“There was always something: you needed someone to take care of your lawn, but the guy canceled at the last minute, or your mailbox was backed up and you couldn’t bring yourself to sort it out.
“I was struggling to pay my bills and had my savings as a last resort. I had a total breakdown. Now I had too much freedom and the emotional intensity had not disappeared.”
During her 20s and 30s, Caitlin (seen in her truck) built a successful overhaul business and earned $100,000 in her first year.
She sold her company for $4 million and had to dip into her savings just to pay her bills, with $180,000 in maintenance costs for the mansion, since she was the sole owner of the property.
Caitlin says worries about money, her divorce, and having to maintain a mansion on her own left her depressed and she soon suffered a mental breakdown (the inside of her truck is seen).
He felt overwhelming fatigue and never had any energy; She finally went to his doctor, who diagnosed her with chronic stress and exhaustion.
She was told her brain needed a break and some ‘TLC’ in the form of exercise, healthy food and rest, so she decided to spend four years in recovery and set up a new remote business as a life coach in the meantime.
‘My brain and body simply ran out of resources. I needed to rest, eat something good and strengthen my immune system; “The stress wore me down a lot,” he recalled.
‘I started doing these daily affirmations to help me with my financial situation, manifesting abundance and trying to figure out any sacrifices I could make.
“I had been watching a lot of van conversion videos and decided that maybe I could live and travel in one for a while.”
So Caitlin decided to pull the trigger and ultimately purchased a Mercedes Sprinter for $88,000, before spending $120,000 on renovations, including a custom kitchen that features a full-size refrigerator, juicer, and blender.
It took him four months to get his dream truck ready and he still had to take care of his home, so he hired an assistant to relieve some of the stress.
Once his truck was finished, he began renting his house for $25,000 a month and focused on his new life on the road.
She was told her brain needed a break and some TLC in the form of exercise, healthy food and rest, so she decided to spend four years in recovery.
After completing his truck, he began renting his house for $25,000 a month and focused on his new life on the road.
He has now traveled to eight states and spends his days embarking on new adventures.
‘I boarded the “land yacht”, as I like to call it. I cruised to Alabama, Florida, and Nashville; I even stayed in my mother’s backyard for a couple of nights.
‘I’ve met a lot of interesting people, both on the road and on dating apps. I once went on a date with a guy named Jeff, who lives in a yurt. We are still friends and we go climbing mountains together.
‘I like to drive for three or four hours straight and then I usually park in front of my friends’ houses. I’ll exercise, shower, and use their WiFi for a bit to work.
“Then the next morning I will leave.”
Caitlin has even learned how to find the best parking spots using a camping app and has started using picnic tables as makeshift office spaces, as well as solar panels for Wifi.
He has now traveled to eight states and spends his days embarking on new adventures.
Although she’s been on the move for six months so far, Caitlin has no plans to return home anytime soon.
Although she’s been on the move for six months so far, Caitlin has no plans to return home anytime soon.
Caitlin, who now works as a life coach, said: “I went from living alone in a huge, empty house to traveling full time.”
However, despite the drastic change, he said he was much happier this way.
‘This way of life is much more aligned with me. I used to go on several expensive holidays a year, but it wasn’t sustainable,” she said.
‘Now I live on between 20 and 30 dollars a night and live the life I always wanted to live. My life feels like a choose-your-own-adventure. I’m doing all this to please my inner child. I love traveling and this has been the best decision I have ever made.
‘I’ve become a lot more confident, made new friends and even gone on dates.
“Life is about growth and I believe this is what I am doing.”