From college to work, seniors think about their plans after high school during their last year. But senior Ella Maher has been dreaming about her plans for years. Maher was finally able to follow through with her dreams in February by buying a van to live in while traveling after high school.

She purchased a van that was already renovated. It was shipped directly to her house from California.

“It already had a sink, heater, solar panels and a bed in it, which was nice,” Maher said. “I just had to get it inspected and get my tags.”

She has since made it her own. She painted the interior and planned to get the exterior redone over summer. Maher already took the van on a trip to Michigan for a week. She parked the van in campsites and RV parks along the way.

“I booked nights at campsites or RV parks,” Maher said. “They have shower facilities and bathrooms which are really nice. If it doesn’t, I use a truck stop bathroom, which seems really scary, but it is really nice.”

When comparing the costs of living and traveling in a van and traveling in hotels, Maher said the van was a more cost-efficient way to travel. She said that on her trip to Michigan and Chicago she spent about $600 on gas, food and everything she needed to travel. She said if she were to stay in hotels, it would have cost much more.

Although the travel is less expensive, Maher said the upfront cost was pricey. She said the purchase price was about $27,000, and there was an additional $1,500 to ship it to Missouri and about $2,000 for taxes.

Maher planned to take the van to college and park it on campus while she lived in the dorms. She planned to attend Old Dominion University in Virginia. After high school graduation, Maher planned to travel to Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington, and Canada in her van.