Vanlife and BJJ (Natalie Shahid)
Age: 30
Belt: White
Profession: Design Engineer
How many years in BJJ: Around 2
Other martial arts: Muay Thai
Where do you live: Wherever my van is – all over Europe
Where are you from: Germany
Hey, I’m Natalie, and I have way too many hobbies 😄! Besides my love for martial arts, I’m a passionate Bachata and Salsa dancer, I love kitesurfing, and I’ve recently discovered that freediving is even more fun and challenging than scuba diving. I rely on gym and running sessions to clear my head, have a serious cooking and baking addiction, and if the weather’s nice, you’ll probably find me swimming, hiking, or out on a bike tour.
My energy level is somewhere between “restless” and “border collie,” which is why my Labrador, Cookie, usually prefers to nap rather than join me on my adventures.
I started working at 16 and always balanced a main job with side hustles—whether it was waitressing or working as a fitness trainer. But during COVID, I overdid it. A little Burnout hit, and I realized I needed a break. So, I took a sabbatical and hit the road with Cookie in my tiny Skoda Fabia.
Living in a car can be pretty lonely, and I need my sports to stay sane. Since Muay Thai is intense and competitive—and I didn’t want to risk injuries while traveling—I thought, why not get back into BJJ? I had trained for about six months just before COVID, joined Zen Camp once, and then stopped. Picking it up again on the road after so many years of missing it just felt right.
I ended up traveling across Europe—starting in Germany and making my way through France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, then over to Greece and Albania, and back up through Italy to Switzerland. I wrapped up that first chapter of the journey at the 2024 BJJ Summercamp in Heidelberg. I trained in 13 different gyms with hundreds of people, and every single place welcomed me with open arms. I never felt any competitiveness or bad vibes—they treated me like a member of their own team.
I got so many insights into different ways of teaching martial arts, and loads of local tips—like which places to check out, what to skip because it’s too touristy, and hidden gems I would’ve never found on my own.
Lots of people told me it would be hard or even dangerous to travel alone as a woman living in a car with a dog. But the people I met through BJJ—on and off the mats—made me feel safe and supported. Some gyms even offered me a place to sleep or let me use their facilities overnight. I felt so welcomed and lucky to be part of such a generous and tight-knit community.
That year on the road made it clear: I wasn’t done. I had fallen in love with traveling and training BJJ way too much to return to a conventional life. So I quit my job, moved out of my rented house as soon as I got back, bought a bigger car, and turned it into a campervan. In December 2024, I headed to Fuerteventura to spend the winter on the Canary Islands.
Right now, I’m back in my hometown. But as soon as I’m able, I’ll be back on the road—exploring more countries and discovering new gyms across Europe.
What I love most about this lifestyle is the freedom—doing whatever I want, whenever I want. Meeting new people, forming connections, and creating little homes in different places has been incredibly fulfilling. The BJJ community has played a huge role in that. No matter where I went, I found warm, welcoming people. Many became close friends I still stay in touch with, and whenever I return, it always feels like coming home—even after years apart.
Training with people from so many different backgrounds has helped me grow, not just technically but mentally. It’s one of the things that makes this lifestyle so meaningful.
But above all, it’s the people that make it truly worth it. BJJ gyms gave me a direct connection to local communities—something that can be hard to find when you’re living on the road. After my knee injury in February, I was still welcomed at gyms just to watch techniques, talk with people, and try little bits here and there. Even while being injured, I was included, supported, and never treated as an outsider.
I’ve learned that BJJ isn’t just a sport—it’s a family, no matter where you go.
And let’s be honest—besides the amazing community, having access to a warm shower is definitely a blessing too 😄.
If you want to follow my journey, you can find me on Instagram @N_t_li4.
