Van life: how to build community when always moving | Madi & Adam Smith | TEDxBGSU
Join us as we explore the paradox of building deep, meaningful connections while living a life of constant motion. In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, we stepped out of our comfort zones as newlyweds and recent college graduates to embrace a full-time nomadic lifestyle in our self-built van. Van lfe offered breathtaking scenery and the flexibility of life on the road. With every destination, we encountered profound stories of people deeply connected to the spaces they call home. One such encounter was with a young Navajo woman in Arizona. While waiting for our takeout order of Navajo tacos at her family’s restaurant, we asked about her life. She proudly shared her connection to the Navajo Nation and her deep connections to her home. She also shared her dream of visiting the Grand Canyon, a mere 150-miles away. This moment prompted us to reflect on our privilege and the ease with which we traveled to places others only dream of. Inspired by her pride and connection to place, we began to slow down, immersing ourselves more deeply in the places we visited and the stories of the people we met. Her deep rootedness in one place embodied the sense of belonging we were seeking through our nomadic journey. In this talk, we share the lessons we’ve learned from van life, including three transformative stories like the one above that taught us what it means to form community and belong. We conclude with reflections on how to root down and create meaningful connections in a world always in motion. Adam and Madi are both two-time BGSU graduates, who both currently work full-time at Bowling Green State University. Adam and Madi live in the Bowling Green area with their two dogs Acadia and Olympia. Their academic backgrounds include Sociology, History, Environmental Sciences, and Leadership. They enjoy traveling, hiking, yoga, meditation, ultra-marathon running, and spending time outdoors. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
More from TED
- 15:19The truth about pregnancy loss and abortion | Elisabeth Kraus | TEDxSpokaneNOTE: This talk discusses pregnancy loss by miscarriage and abortion and contains some graphic details.When it comes to pregnancy loss and abortion, our society often speaks out or remains silent, trapping countless individuals in cycles of isolation and shame. Drawing from personal and professional experiences, this talk explores how different communities and individuals navigate conversations about pregnancy endings – whether by choice or circumstance – and challenges us to move beyond judgment to a place of deep understanding and support. By sharing authentic stories and examining our own biases, we can shatter the stigma that keeps so many silent, empowering others to add their voices to this vital conversation and build a more compassionate community where every person's reproductive journey is met with empathy rather than judgment.After growing up in a small-town faith community, Elisabeth went on to earn both her undergraduate and graduated degrees from Northwest University with the hope of continuing on much further in her studies. But as it does for all of us, the journey of motherhood became the most formative of her life as she navigated 2 high risk pregnancies resulting in unexpected 2nd trimester terminations. She has spent the last 16 years teaching at the university level and writing about the ways that faith collides with questions of reproductive justice, gender, and parenting.Most recently, Elisabeth has been teaching at Whitworth University and working as a Parent Coach for parents whose children are various navigating medical complexities. In her spare time, she enjoys life with her girls.This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 15:21Could This Virus Replace Antibiotics? | Yuliia Lohvynenko | TEDxBrayford PoolWhat if the future of medicine lies in a virus designed to heal, not harm? In this gripping talk, Ukrainian scientist, Yulia, shares how bacteriophages - viruses that target and destroy harmful bacteria - could help solve antibiotic resistance. From working through missile attacks to driving innovation in a war zone, she shows how resilience and science can shape a healthier future.Yuliia Lohvynenko is a senior regulatory affairs specialist at a biotechnology company based in Lincoln, UK. She focuses on developing dossiers for bacteriophage-based technologies as novel antimicrobials to improve the welfare of both humans and animals and on researching development strategies. With a background in biotechnology, ecobiotechnology, genetic engineering, plant-based technology, pharmaceutical production, and veterinary product manufacturing, Yuliia has been working in international regulatory affairs since 2018. Her expertise spans multiple disciplines, ensuring the safe and effective implementation of cutting-edge biotechnological innovations. Yuliia’s work promotes environmentally sustainable and targeted therapies that enhance the health and well-being of both animals and humans. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 5:46We Were Told to Dream — Then Left Behind | Gabby Wright | TEDxBrayford PoolWhat if anger wasn’t something to fear, but something to fuel us? In this passionate talk, Gabby shares how her righteous anger at systemic failure has become a call to action for intergenerational justice. Drawing from her own experience and the voices of the young people she supports, she exposes how society has pulled up the ladder—and challenges us to rebuild it, rung by rung, by listening to youth, empowering their voices, and making long-term decisions for a shared future.Gabby Wright is the Project Coordinator at The Network Lincoln, a charity supporting young people as they transition through early adulthood. Trained in counselling as well as information, advice and guidance, she’s been working with The Network since 2018 where she refocused the delivery to include person-centred careers advice, support and mentoring. The Network supports on average 200 young people minimum a year. In this work we have spotted common themes around systemic and intergenerational inequalities and injustices that fill Gabby with a quietly burning rage. In partnership with LocalMotion she is working to co-produce with the young people of Lincoln a research and systems change movement called Raising Young Voices, to level the playing field for young people who have been left disproportionately impacted by previous policy and funding decisions and ultimately create a new, equitable, intergenerational social contract for our younger generations. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 12:11A Puppet’s Guide to Being Human | Valerii Dzekh | TEDxBrayford PoolWhat if the simplest questions held the deepest truths? In this poetic puppet performance, Ukrainian soldier and puppeteer Valerii brings to life an angel and a lost human searching for purpose in a chaotic world. Through gentle gestures and quiet wonder, he explores creation, despair, and the power of connection, reminding us that even in the strongest winds, we are never alone when we lift each other.For three years, Ukrainian soldiers have fought for freedom, and supporting their mental health is essential. Ukrainian Army Officer and art therapist Valerii Dzekh offers this support in combat, training, and rehabilitation areas. As part of the Cultural Forces Unit, he arranges art therapy and puppetry performances, conducting over a thousand events in six months. Before his service, Valerii focused on educating children in hospitals and orphanages. Since 2011, he and his wife have run the Small Marionette Theatre, creating 25 children’s shows and five for adults. Valerii studied puppet theatre acting at Kharkiv I.P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts and is a member of the NUTWU and UNIMA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 12:56Has physics lost its way? | Joseph Davidson | TEDxBrayford PoolIn this provocative talk, Joseph argues that modern physics has become trapped in literalism and scientism, mistaking models for reality. Drawing on philosophy and metaphysics, he calls for a return to intuitive, meaningful understanding - and proposes a new role for the philosopher-physicist to help science rediscover its deeper purpose.Joseph Davidson is a Master’s student in Physics with Philosophy from the University of Lincoln. His area of expertise is metaphysics, with an emphasis on how physics and philosophy interact and how we may build a bridge between them that would be advantageous to both. In his bachelor’s dissertation, he attempted to answer questions on how various entities in 21st-century physics are understood in the context of classical frameworks of metaphysics like Descartes’ Substance Theory. Through this attempt, he found that philosophy has a vast and latent potential to disambiguate physics, particularly when it comes to its famously most abstract and unintuitive concepts, like wave-particle duality and quantum entanglement. In his bridging of physics and philosophy, he has twin aims: to shine a light on the utility of metaphysics and to improve the explanatory power of physics. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 15:07Peace Begins with a Puppet | Valerii Dzekh | TEDxBrayford PoolCan a puppet save a life? In this deeply moving talk, Valerii, a Ukrainian army officer and puppeteer, shares how he uses the power of traditional Ukrainian puppet theatre to heal hearts on the frontline. Blending art and service, he reveals how puppetry has become a form of resistance, remembrance, and hope, offering soldiers and civilians alike a reason to keep going and a vision of the future worth fighting for.For three years, Ukrainian soldiers have fought for freedom, and supporting their mental health is essential. Ukrainian Army Officer and art therapist Valerii Dzekh offers this support in combat, training, and rehabilitation areas. As part of the Cultural Forces Unit, he arranges art therapy and puppetry performances, conducting over a thousand events in six months. Before his service, Valerii focused on educating children in hospitals and orphanages. Since 2011, he and his wife have run the Small Marionette Theatre, creating 25 children’s shows and five for adults. Valerii studied puppet theatre acting at Kharkiv I.P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts and is a member of the NUTWU and UNIMA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
