Madison Curtis on van life, photography and working as a barista
Mar. 16—TUPELO — Booneville native Madison Curtis recently returned to Northeast Mississippi after about four years on the road living in a converted van.
A desire to spend time with her family led her home last December, and an appreciation for good coffee led her to a job at Tupelo River Coffee the next month.
Now, the 30-year-old is rediscovering the region she's always called home.
Seeing more sunrises
When she started college, Curtis didn't like coffee. She couldn't even spell espresso correctly.
But there was a nice coffee shop within walking distance of her dorm, and it was hiring. So she applied and got the job.
"After that I just fell in love with it," Curtis said. "I appreciated coffee and the flavors, but mostly, the aesthetic, the environment that you have."
Coffee shops are spaces where people get to know one another on a deeper level, they're a safe place to study or relax. And Curtis enjoys mixing drinks and the fact that each cup is different than the last.
She relishes finding the perfect drink for someone who has never been to a coffee shop before or who says they don't like coffee.
A natural night owl, starting work in the early morning hours at Tupelo River has changed the rhythm of her day in a profound way.
"I like sunsets over sunrises," Curtis said. "So the only way I've ever been able and willing to get up in the morning before 9 or 10 was a coffee shop job."
It allows her to tap into a different side of herself. As soon as she arrives, she gets to make whatever kind of latte she wants, setting the tone for the day.
"I've seen more sunrises in the last month than I have in three years," Curtis said. "I have energy that keeps me going all day long."
Home is where you park it
Curtis has never been a stranger to the road, traveling back and forth from Booneville to Tupelo for work and entertainment since she was old enough to drive.
As a student at Mississippi College, where she earned degrees in Spanish and psychology in 2015, Curtis was introduced to camping, a passion she later shared with her family. She longed for the freedom one can only find living in a confined space in the heart of nature.
After moving back to Booneville from Clinton upon graduation, Curtis had an awakening of sorts one night as she watched a YouTube video about a couple transforming a school bus into a tiny house.
"That's for you! That's what you should've been doing this whole time!" Curtis told herself.
A month or two later, she'd purchased a small school bus and spent the next year converting and living in it. When the bus broke down, she ended up selling it.
But the dream wasn't dead. She spent the next four years living in two different vans she owned, spending time in Mississippi, Florida and Colorado before coming home again in December.
She now lives in a truck camper with her partner, along with their two cats and two dogs, which stays parked for now on the farm where Curtis's grandparents live.
She now has a secondary vehicle, a Ford Bronco, to travel to and from work. But she feels her home will always be on wheels.
"There's this phrase within the community, 'Home is where you park it,'" Curtis said.
And that's just how she likes it. For more than four years now, Curtis has lived in a home with four wheels.
What features "van life" vehicles are equipped with depend on each person's wants and needs, Curtis said.
For example, she had a Coleman propane camping stove that she had to set up every time she wanted to make a meal or coffee, whereas in the camper she has a stovetop so that she never has to step outside to cook.
She doesn't prefer one over the other, rather she sees value in the experiences each offer.
In 2020, she started a podcast called "Love Your VanLife" because she encountered so many people who were unfamiliar with the lifestyle. The podcast ran for 24 episodes over two years.
"I wanted to tell the world about this option," Curtis said. "Because if you're like me and you don't have a lot of money, or you do have a lot of money, this is an amazing way to see the world for as cheap as you can really get."
It all started with a disposable camera
One of the constants in her life, whether she's hitting the highway or parked, has been photography.
Since the first time Curtis picked up a disposable film camera from Walmart, she's been interested in capturing images.
"I don't know what makes you go from someone who's taking pictures to someone who does photography, but I've always loved taking pictures," Curtis said.
She's shot wedding, maternity, boudoir and engagement photos and recently got into band photography, taking photos for local musicians. She shares her photography online on Instagram (@madisonmonroephotography).
She doesn't have a favorite camera and switches camera models often.
"I don't like to get too comfortable with one camera," Curtis said. "Because my passion doesn't start or end with what camera you use. I want to be able to take a solid photo whether it's with a phone or a disposable camera."
It's all about the vision for a shot, and she want to be comfortable using whatever equipment she has on hand to capture it.
'I let peace steer me'
Being back in Tupelo has helped Curtis to see more in the city than she ever did growing up.
"Seeing other people that are passionate and doing something with those passions in a place that I have grown up in is really inspiring," Curtis said. "I've always had to chase different locations to get that inspiration and to think that there were exciting things happening. Now I'm learning that there's a lot going on here in this town and I really want to be a part of it."
Rather than chasing inspiration, it has come to her.
This is the first time in several years that Curtis hasn't had an exit date set when she pulled into town. And she's OK with that.
"I just feel right being here right now," Curtis said. "The opportunities to take pictures for musicians, to work in a place like this, reconnect with old friendships — it's been feeding things that were on my list and putting things on my list I didn't know needed to be there.
"I don't have a plan to leave anytime soon," she added. "But when I feel called to go somewhere else, that's when I will go. I let peace steer me."
