'My record-breaking solo road trip was anything but glam - I'm ready to share the truth'

Pelumi Nubi made headlines across the globe and had the speaking when she completed her 74-day solo road trip from to Lagos, journey that crossed 17 countries and over 10,000 kilometres in her purple Peugeot 107. But behind the journey, social media growth, and global praise, the reality of life on the road as a solo Black female traveller wasn’t always glamorous or easy.

Now, one year on, Pelumi is ready to peel back the layers of the journey and she spoke toto share the parts of the journey that didn’t make it to social media from quiet struggles, hidden risks and the strength that shaped her van life experience.

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While Pelumi had a great experience in van life - a freedom that, in her words “cannot be explained” and influenced many people to take a leap of faith and go on their solo journey, she also experienced the parts of van life which are rarely discussed - especially as a Black woman solo traveller.

During the journey, Pelumi quickly realised that van life wasn’t the slow-living fantasy that people often imagine; instead, every day demanded something of her - and most days, everything. “There was just a level of exhaustion because I was driving, navigating, the chef and posting on social media. It was just a lot for one person to handle. There was definitely that need to lean on my support system in those moments," she reflects.

That was her daily struggle - but there was a battle she faced at night; Pelumi often slept in her vehicle. “I was staying in campgrounds, sometimes in random streets because that was free compared to sleeping in a hotel," she said.

To ensure she could sleep safely in her car, she converted Lumi before the journey. “I had blackout curtains so nobody could actually tell that there were valuables, the back glass was tinted and I also had blackout curtains and in the front I had the windshield cover," she explained.

Still, one night Pelumi had a scare. She heard the sound of tugging and instantly assumed someone was attempting to get inside. “It was wild , but I thought someone was trying to get into the car. It was just wild dogs around the vehicle," she recalled.

But Pelumi’s mindset stayed grounded in courage and she didn’t let fear take over her experience. “I definitely felt anxiety sometimes, but most of the time, it was just the thrill of sleeping under the stars and that freedom to stay anywhere without the restriction of bookings."

Sleeping in the car was a comfort space for her. In contrast, when she stayed in hotels, she encountered a situation where it was clear that the host’s comment made her feel objectified and unsafe. “The worker said it's $50 for the room but a room with a massage is $30, so yeah I really felt I was being sexualised and picking up on wasn't particularly nice.”

However her journey wasn’t all difficult, in fact the trip further reignited her passion for From the moment she began documenting it on social media, Pelumi set out to prove that a trip like this could be made solo - and just within a matter of days, her online community began to grow rapidly. She wanted to show people a different side of traveling. “Van life has been glorified to look one way. I want to prove you can do it alone, and it can look any way you want it to look.”

After her skyrocketed from 12K followers to around 290K, the feeling was overwhelming - something shifted. The journey no longer felt like just hers. “The messages I was receiving from different kinds of people, from mothers to people way older than me, became bigger than me in that capacity. I had to get to the finish line,” Pelumi said

From there, it became more about solo travel and the journey - it became about possibility and her mindset could be applied in all aspects of life.

“What else in their lives do they think is impossible? Now, they realise they can go ahead and do those things," she said “There's motivation, inspiration to it, which is what my whole brand is about, to get people stepping out of their comfort zone.”

Beyond the worldwide support, Pelumi also received messages like “If you were my child, I would never have let you do the journey.” These ultimately made Pelumi feel a sense of relief.

Pelumi recognised she wouldn’t have been able to do it without her loved ones. “My mum and dad always made me feel like I could do anything when growing up, I’ve always had the freedom to express myself in any way," she noted.

The kindness of strangers, both those online to those she met along the way kept her going. But even with all the love, there was a moment that nearly broke her.

On, Pelumi was involved in a car collision. She spent two days in hospital, and her beloved car, Lumi, was damaged. What made it even more difficult was that she didn’t speak the language, and she was all alone in a place foreign to her.

“I guess in those cross roads, it’s where you decide if you want to stop or keep going and I chose to keep going," she said.

“But it was the overwhelming global support that came after that, people rallied around me wanting to help from a local to international level and a woman, who I call my personal angel she didn’t leave my side for two days after the crash.

“We often hear, stop trusting people and strangers, danger but sometimes there’s really kindness out there and I was reminded of that on the trip.”

However despite the crash, Pelumi kept going, driven by the adrenaline and the need to finish what she started. When she finally arrived in Lagos, she was surprised with an incredible welcome party, and was appointed the Lagos Tourism Ambassador by the Lagos State Government.

Her car, Lumi, named by her supporters is now housed in the museum, John Randle Centre for Yorùbá Culture & History in Lagos.

“It’s nice to have something historical, something that will probably outlive me and generations to come will get to know about London to Lagos," she adds.

Reflecting on her trip, she recognises she isn’t the same person as before, stating: “You don’t do such a journey and remain the same, first of all there’s an increase in faith in God, knowing I wasn’t truly by myself and an increasing faith in self.”

"No one can’t tell me I can't do something; it’s just a matter of not wanting to do it, rather than can’t.”

While speaking to about her experience, Pelumi makes one thing clear—it’s not to warn people against van life—it’s telling the truth so others walk in prepared and empowered.

Her journey wasn’t about crossing countries, but it was about crossing over into self-resilience, purpose and global impact.

Now, Pelumi has recently launched a multi-part series with Africell. In it, she delves into the heart of two African countriesand e—and hopes to show people how rich and diverse the continent truly is.

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