Elena Manighetti

LET’S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER

Hi, my name is Elena. I love to enjoy the great outdoors – especially rock climbing, camping, and hiking – with my husband Ryan and our border collie Ziggy.

I have been writing for the tiny living blog The Wayward Home since 2019 and have been a content creator since 2013.

I grew up in Italy, where RVing is huge. I spent all my childhood holidays and many weekends on an old-school Fiat camper with my family.

My dad drove us all over Europe over the years – we went to Norway, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark…

We hiked, swam, boondocked, and explored countless cities. We even used to go skiing in the Dolomites every Easter (it was cold, but the camper had a toasty diesel heater).

Later on, I discovered my love for rock climbing and wild camping through my then-boyfriend Ryan. After spending every spare second traveling to wild places for three years, we decided to quit our jobs and move on to a sailboat.

We worked as digital nomads and YouTube creators (Sailing Kittiwake) aboard a 26ft catamaran called Kittiwake and then on a classic Tayana 37 called Skua. Over four years, we sailed from the UK to Greece and then from Europe to the Caribbean. It was fun to boondock full-time in incredible and remote locations.

I love writing about camper conversions, boondocking, camping, and boat life.

Ryan and I hope to get ourselves a small van to convert into a camper soon. In the meantime, I write about the van life to stay up-to-date and keep the dream alive.

Now I live in Italy, near the Alps, with Ryan and Ziggy, who loves the great outdoors as much as we do. I work as a freelance writer and content specialist and spend a lot of my time outdoors.