Adventure. A word that means many different things to different people and often shifts in meaning as we move through life. What once seemed mundane or boring at twenty may sound exhilarating at forty-five. But no matter how you define it, adventure always means stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing something new.
For Alex Rogers, that meant hitting the road in his van three and a half years ago. He wasn’t just chasing an adventure; he was carving out a new way of living. His journey might sound like a movie plot, but it’s deeply personal, especially for our magazine. After all, Alex is the son of Steve Rogers, our own publisher. As Steve seeks to bring this publication to its full potential, Alex is forging his own path down America’s highways, proving that adventure can take many forms, but it always means going after the life you want.
Growing up in Gurnee, Illinois, Alex didn’t exactly come from an adventurous, globe-trotting family. “We did a lot of traveling for sports, but that was about it,” he recalls. He describes his upbringing as traditional. Go to college, pick a career, settle down. However, even as a kid, Alex knew he wanted to live free although he may not have known exactly what that looked like. He jokes that his friends “always saw this coming,” but the adults in his life? Not so much.
After a short stint at Northern Arizona University, Alex realized the conventional path wasn’t for him. “I was living a life that just wasn’t mine,” he says. The idea of living in a van, fueled by a love of stories like Into the Wild and Stand by Me, began to take shape. He saved money working jobs like pizza delivery and farmhand work, eventually buying his first van. With the help of what he jokingly calls YouTube University he built it out himself. “Every detail had a story,” he says. “Every little scratch, every decoration, it all told a story.”
That van, though modest, was his key to freedom. Alex quickly learned that “van life” isn’t just Instagram sunsets and perfectly brewed campsite coffee. It’s also budgeting for gas, sleeping in parking lots, and learning to appreciate the little things, like having a bathroom. “Turns out,” Alex laughs, “you don’t need eight pairs of shoes. One is enough.”
He’s now a full-time travel videographer, having turned his passion into a living. “It started with little videos on my phone,” he says. “I didn’t have any background, but I was always telling stories.” Over time, practice and dedication turned his hobby into his job. A job that lets him explore both the U.S. and the world beyond.
Asked if this lifestyle has changed his view of success, comfort, or freedom, Alex doesn’t hesitate. It absolutely has. He laughs about how excited he gets just to have his own bathroom these days. Living minimally in his van taught him that freedom isn’t about stuff; it’s about possibilities. It’s the ability to go anywhere, to live like nobody’s watching, and to sleep beneath a thick bed of stars. He describes the feeling of driving down a western road at sunset with no one in front and no one in the rear, the sky painted in colors that only he sees. “In a world with 8 billion people,” he says, “yours are the only two eyes witnessing that exact sky.”
Of course, the road hasn’t always been smooth. Alex recalls living off $5 a day during his first summer on the road. “It was tough,” he admits. “Sometimes I’d have a breakdown and have to use my last dollar just to stay on the road.” But those challenges built his resilience and deepened his appreciation for the small victories that came later.
When asked about his most awe-inspiring moment, Alex describes standing on a volcano in Guatemala as it erupted, lava lighting up the night sky. “I realized then that I couldn’t go back to my old life,” he says, citing this moment as the moment he knew he was living his dream.
Alex’s approach to travel is refreshingly spontaneous. “I can’t plan a week ahead, let alone a month,” he laughs. “Sometimes that’s scary, but it’s also what makes every day feel new.” He’s found community in fellow travelers, formed friendships he never expected, and discovered that freedom isn’t just about where you go, it’s about the way you live.
To anyone dreaming of a similar path, Alex offers this advice: “Have the courage to jump. Most people already know what they need to do. And don’t do it for the money. Do it for the passion.”
Whether it’s Alex behind the wheel of his van, or Steve guiding this magazine forward, their adventures share the same truth: the most rewarding journeys are the ones that challenge us, push us, and ultimately help us discover who we really are. So, here’s to adventure, whatever it means to you, and the promise that every story worth telling begins with a single, brave step.
To follow along on Alex's adventures check out his IG @alexanderjamestravel