Today, I am speaking with a woman in her 20s who has been RVing on her own with her dog for several years and loves the Workamping lifestyle for the freedom it brings to her life.

Elana McManus is a solo Workamper who has spent the past three years traveling the country with her dog, Lily Mae.

Elana began her Workamping journey after leaving a corporate sales job and deciding she wanted more freedom, fewer commitments and a chance to explore while she was young enough to fully enjoy it.

In this episode, Elana shares what it was like to jump into Workamping with a small trailer, no bathroom and very few safety nets.

She talks honestly about her first Workamping job in a remote national forest, the mistakes she made early on and why those challenges turned out to be some of the most important growth moments of her life.

You’ll also hear about the wide variety of Workamping and volunteer roles she has held across the country, from campground hosting and resort work to front desk operations and park volunteering.

Elana explains how those experiences shaped what she wants next and why she is now looking for more mentally-challenging seasonal roles.

If you’ve ever wondered whether Workamping could work for someone who is younger, solo or traveling with a pet, Elana offers a realistic perspective on why trusting your instincts matters more than having everything figured out before you start.

Elana’s story is a great reminder that Workamping is not just about free campsites or seasonal jobs.

For her, it has been a crash course in self-reliance, decision-making and learning when to move on from situations that no longer feel right.

She shared practical advice about keeping a financial safety cushion, choosing rigs and jobs carefully and understanding that Workamping work is rarely about building wealth.

Instead, it is about funding experiences and exploration while maintaining control over your time and choices.

Elana also talked about navigating safely as a solo traveler, building friendships on the road and why volunteer positions have often felt more rewarding to her than paid Workamping roles.

Her experience highlights how different this lifestyle can look depending on your age, goals and expectations.

If you’d like to follow Elana’s travels or reach out with questions, you can find her on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube under the name Lana and Lily Explore.

If Elana’s story helped you think differently about what’s possible with Workamping, be sure to share this episode with someone who might be considering life on the road.

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That’s all for this week’s show. Next week, I will be speaking with another Workamper who found her ideal job through her Workamping network. I’ll have that interview on the next episode of The Workamper Show. Thank you for listening.