About Well Lived: There are people who spend their time in interesting ways. They build, explore and create, following their curiosity wherever it leads. They are multifaceted in life, work and play, finding opportunities where others see constraints. In short, they're cool people doing cool things. They're also the inspiration behind the design and development of the RUX System. The Well Lived series captures a small part of who they are and what they do.
Consternation Looms
The engine of their old Land Cruiser roared to life when the gas pedal was pushed, but with a snapped driveshaft, all that horsepower was useless. As Josh and Vanessa von Holst rolled to a stop on the side of the road just outside Guadalajara, Mexico they sat quietly for a moment, wondering what to do. Then the deep gurgle of food poisoning-induced stomach pains broke the silence. Safe to say, they were in a world of hurt.
It had been less than two weeks after leaving their home in Vernon, British Columbia on a journey that would take them to the southern tip of South America. Now, the couple behind the YouTube series Destined for Wild found themselves stranded thousands of miles from home in a country that plenty of people had warned them was too dangerous to visit in the first place.
At the time, it was the exact situation they were supposed to fear. But looking back, it became a point of reflection that opened their minds.
Armed with not much more than broken Spanish and desperation, they tracked down a friendly mechanic who not only fixed their '94 Toyota, but also coordinated with a local motel owner to make sure they had a place to stay and food to eat during their accidental extended stay in the foreign town.
Josh and Vanessa were blown away by the kindness of the strangers who stepped in to help without hesitation, and expected nothing in return. What could have become a story about breakdown and misfortune became a lesson in generosity, one that would repeat itself as they traveled south through Latin America.
The Decision to Go
Although the adventurous couple longed to escape their small town existence, the timing of their trip was born from a different realization. A short time earlier, Vanessa watched her mother prepare for a chapter of life that never arrived. After decades of work, retirement was finally within her reach and travel plans were beginning to take shape. Then cancer changed everything. Vanessa's mother passed away at 55, leaving behind a powerful reminder that time is never guaranteed.
The experience forced them to confront a question that many people spend years avoiding. How long should a dream remain a goal before it becomes reality? "We were a bit cash-strapped, but we were healthy and had the energy for life on the road," Vanessa recalled. "Money can always be made later, but time can't."
Friends and family often talked about adventures they hoped to take someday. Places they wanted to visit, experiences they wanted to have and dreams they were saving for a future that always seemed just over the horizon. Josh heard versions of the same conversation every day at the barbershop where he worked. "Do it now while you can," clients would tell him. He wrote a simple reminder of that advice on his surfboard: 'When is Someday?'
For Josh and Vanessa, the answer was becoming impossible to ignore. Rather than waiting for the perfect moment, they packed the essentials, sold what they didn't need and pointed their modified SUV south.
Lessons From the Road
Before leaving, they carried a lot of the same secondhand fears that many North Americans hear about traveling to distant lands. Yet the farther they traveled, the harder those warnings became to reconcile with their actual experiences.
At first, the journey looked exactly how most people imagine a Pan-American Highway adventure should look. They encountered unfamiliar landscapes, slept at remote campsites and passed through IG-famous destinations regularly. Yet over time, the scenery became less important than the people.
Josh remembers sitting on beaches in Costa Rica watching the sun disappear over the Pacific Ocean. The colors were unforgettable, but what stuck with him even more was the soundtrack. Children laughing on the beach. Latin music drifting through the evening air from nearby homes and restaurants. The sounds of everyday life unfolding around them.
As they moved through Central and South America, they found themselves increasingly drawn toward those ordinary moments. The atmosphere of a neighborhood and conversations with locals. The rhythm of life that existed beyond guidebooks and overhyped destinations.
For Vanessa, some of the most memorable experiences happened around a dinner table.
"We'd have these potluck dinners with people from all different backgrounds," she says. "People in their twenties, people in their seventies. Families, solo travelers. Everyone was curious about seeing the world."
Those gatherings became some of the most meaningful parts of the journey. Complete strangers would spend hours sharing stories, meals and advice before heading off in different directions. It reinforced something they encountered repeatedly; despite different languages, cultures and backgrounds, most people want to make connections and build community. Time spent with people they care about became more valuable than money.
A Different Definition of Success
Across Latin America, they encountered communities that seemed to place a greater emphasis on togetherness and presence. The farther south they traveled, the more they noticed different approaches to life and success.
In Argentina, they watched people gather in parks to share maté and conversation for hours at a time. There was a willingness to slow down, spend time with family and friends, and make room for simple moments that often get squeezed out of modern schedules.
The lesson wasn't that one culture had life figured out while another didn't. Instead, it revealed that there are many ways to define a meaningful life, and not all of them revolve around accumulation of possessions.
Those observations also forced them to examine their own priorities. The trip came with sacrifices like postponing home ownership and missing out on birthdays and family milestones. They felt friendships naturally drift apart while watching nieces and nephews grow up from afar.
Yet neither Josh nor Vanessa look back on those trade-offs with regret. Instead, their experience helped clarify what matters most. Time became more valuable and relationships became more important. Simplicity became something worth pursuing. "We realized success is more about the people who surround us and support us," Vanessa says. "Whether it's our chosen family or our real family."
Bringing It Home
By the time they reached Ushuaia, they had driven through deserts, jungles, mountain ranges and countless cities, towns and villages. The trip delivered the adventure they had hoped for, but not necessarily in the way they expected. The greatest challenge wasn't navigating rough roads or crossing international borders. It was learning to let go of assumptions about danger and realizing what it means to be successful.
The kindness they experienced during those difficult days in Guadalajara repeated itself so often that it became impossible to ignore. Again and again, strangers stepped forward with generosity and hospitality. The result was a growing belief that most people, regardless of where they live, are fundamentally more alike than different.
"Our trip changed the way I see people," Josh says. "I genuinely think 99% of the world is kind. If you lead with kindness, you'll get it back."
Now, back home in B.C., the lessons remain surprisingly simple. They worry less about appearances and material goods. They appreciate things they once took for granted, like running water and hot showers. They make a greater effort to slow down, spend intentional time with people they care about and remain open to perspectives that differ from their own. Most importantly, they no longer see 'someday' as a faraway place in time.
When Is Someday?
The question Josh wrote on his surfboard followed them from B.C. to the southern tip of South America. It survived tens of thousands of miles of life on the road. After everything they experienced, their answer is surprisingly simple. 'Someday' isn't a time waiting patiently in the future. It's a choice to turn your distant dreams into a life well lived right now.
Subject Snapshot
- Name: Josh and Vanessa von Holst
- Homebase: Vernon, B.C., Canada
- Sports/Activities: Snowboarding, camping, hiking, photography, surfing, gravel biking and overlanding
- Business: Destined for Wild (travel and adventure content creation) and Wander Folk Creative (graphic design)
- Vehicles: 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2000 Subaru Outback
- Favourite RUX products: "The 70L is our ride-or-die; we use it for everything and take it everywhere! We use the waterproof tote bag and coolers a lot in the summer, from lugging around drinks for beach days to strapping the 5L Cooler Cube to our bike handlebars. Another underrated product that we use in our Land Cruiser are the organizer panels and pouches. They have been so handy for finding storage solutions around the truck."
