Bella Janssen on the Get Stoked Girls Podcast
- Rhianna Walzer
- Jul 10
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 30
A conversation about female friendship, learning new things, trying hard, and staying stoked while living on the road.
Meet Bella Janssen — solo female traveler, hobby collector, badass rock climber, and content creator (@thelonesol).
In this conversation, Bella opens up about growing up in RVs and how a nomadic childhood brought both unique joys and struggles. She shares how her passion for climbing grew from occasional visits to the gym into a full-blown obsession that gave her confidence and shaped her identity. Bella talks about how moving into van life aligned perfectly with her climbing journey and how meeting strong female climbing partner Aleah helped push her progression over the past year. She reflects on the frustrations and rewards of being a beginner in multiple outdoor sports and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive, like-minded people. Bella also shares her goals for expanding her climbing skills, exploring trad climbing, and becoming a well-rounded mountain athlete.
We connected with Bella at Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming — a place Bella calls home for a little while in the summer.
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Growing Up On The Road
Rhi: Let’s start with your childhood. You had a pretty unique upbringing growing up on the road. What was it like living in an RV with your family?
Bella: I grew up in RVs, traveling the country with my parents who left behind stable jobs and a house to chase a dream of travel, minimalism, and sustainability. We started in a tiny VW bus and quickly upgraded, spending years teaching people how to convert RVs to run on vegetable oil. I was homeschooled, or ‘unschooled,’ and learned from the world as we visited 47 states. Looking back, I loved my childhood, even with the challenges. Around age 12, sharing a small space with my parents, two younger sisters, and two big dogs became tough, and I craved stability, which led us to move to Austin.
Rhi: After moving out of the RV with your family, did you go through a phase of wanting something totally different, or did you always know you’d come back to living on the road in your own way?
Bella: From about 14 to 17, I tried to live a “normal” life, wanting to fit in, go to school, and figure things out like everyone else. I struggled with my nontraditional upbringing, my education, and my identity.
Things shifted at 18 when I fell in love and had to choose between moving to Iowa for community college or staying in South Dakota to work at a family friend’s office. Staying reignited my dream of van life, an idea my boyfriend had mentioned. After the relationship ended, I realized I needed to own my independence. Four months later, I flew to Phoenix, bought a van, and started converting it. I had planned to wait, but once I decided, I just went for it.
I wasn’t willing to wait around for someone else’s goals before I could chase mine.
Rhi: How did growing up on the road shape your desire to live a nomadic lifestyle as an adult?
Bella: For a long time, I didn’t fully realize how much growing up nomadic shaped me. Looking back, I feel grateful for the experiences my parents gave me. Moving into a van as an adult felt more like coming home than making a huge life change.
When people ask where I’m from, I say I grew up everywhere. The open road, parking lots, mountains, beaches, and rivers are all part of my home. Unlike many who turn to van life after a big life shift, it was not drastic for me. It felt familiar and natural, giving me a unique perspective on the nomadic lifestyle.
Living on the road felt true to who I am.
Solo Female Travel
Rhi: What fears or uncertainties did you face when you first moved into a van, and how have they changed since?
Bella: This might sound surprising, but I didn’t really fear moving into my van. Growing up on the road made it feel less intimidating, and I’ve always been independent. I’m also lucky to have a supportive family.
Living on the road has its challenges. You constantly think about safety, parking, water, and other basics. I still get scared sometimes, like driving down dirt roads at night, but I’ve learned to manage fear and develop systems that work for me. Asking for help does not make you less capable, and having faced tough moments before gives me confidence to handle them again.
Meeting fear head-on and moving forward is deeply empowering.
Rhi: What advice would you give to a woman who dreams of living on the road but feels scared or unsure about where to start?
Bella: One of the most important things to remember is that you can start small. Living on the road or even trying van life can feel overwhelming, especially when social media makes it look like everyone has it all figured out.
My advice is to take small steps toward your goal. Try a car camping trip, spend a weekend living out of your car, or test it for a summer. Many people start small and gradually upgrade to vans or truck campers. Even after getting my van, I took weekend trips to get comfortable. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and you don’t have to dive in all at once. Starting small is a great way to learn and gain confidence.
Climbing + Partnership
Rhi: How did you first get into climbing?
Bella: Climbing was always in my life through my dad, but I didn’t pursue it seriously until I was 16 after moving to a small town in South Dakota. I finally worked up the courage to try the local college climbing wall, and it changed everything. I bought my own gear, climbed almost every day, and it gave me confidence and strength I had never felt before.
Climbing gave me so much confidence because I had always been skinny and self-conscious. I am tall and lanky with little muscle so gaining strength through climbing was empowering. I remember wearing a dress that had fit the year before but wouldn’t zip because my back muscles had grown so much. I cried tears of joy because I finally felt strong and not fragile.
Over the last four years, climbing has remained a constant. During my van build I climbed less, but once on the road I found great climbing friends, traveled to new places, and fully committed to it. It has been an amazing part of my life.
Rhi: Over the past year, your climbing has really taken off, and we talked about how you met Aleah, another strong female climber. Do you think having a fellow strong woman to push each other has played a role in your progress?
Bella: Meeting Aleah completely changed my life. We met at a climbing gym in Seattle, Washington, and our friendship grew quickly. I spent a lot of time in Leavenworth with her, and we road-tripped to California, Nevada, Mexico, and even Spain twice. Our climbing partnership just clicked and became such an important part of my life. Having Aleah as my best friend has been life changing for my climbing. I’ve gotten so much stronger thanks to how much we climb together, and last year we pushed each other harder than ever.
I had never had a female climbing partner like Aleah before, and it was really special. Climbing with a woman who truly gets it is a different experience and so much fun. We understand each other well, and everything just fits perfectly. I’ve heard from many women in mountain sports that moving with other women is inspiring in a unique way. Because I moved around so much growing up, I never really had a childhood best friend, but Aleah is the first best friend I’ve had in a long time. Even though it’s only been about a year, it feels like a lifetime, and having a partner like her for adventures and climbing really changes your life.
Having a female partner who truly gets me is special, inspiring, and she pushes me to be stronger than I ever thought I could be.
Rhi: What advice would you give to women who are looking for a female climbing partner or an adventure buddy for whatever activity they’re into?
Bella: My biggest advice is that women are not as scary as you might think. When I was younger, I often felt like there was a lot of competition with other girls. I always thought there had to be some kind of rivalry, and that really held me back. I didn’t want to be in a constant state of trying to prove myself or be better than a friend. But with Aleah, none of that exists. There is no competition between us, just constant support. That gave me so much hope for female friendships and adventure partners.
It’s really not as scary as it seems. Putting yourself out there is key. Most women will support you, and you can find your crew. Bouldering is a great way to meet people because it’s easy to introduce yourself. If you’re going somewhere new, post on a Facebook group that you’re looking for climbing partners, and if women respond, go climb with them. Just take that step — it’s not as intimidating as you think. But also, don’t feel like you have to say yes to every opportunity. Choose what feels right for you.
Rhi: Your climbing progression has been impressive — from climbing 10c routes to on-sighting your first 12- and working on 12+. Beyond climbing with Aleah, what do you think contributed most to this leap over the past year?
Bella: I think a big part of my progress has been living in my van and climbing in so many different places. Back in South Dakota, I mostly climbed at a college gym with set routes, which made it hard to improve and eventually felt repetitive. Being on the road this past year has been totally different. Everything is new and exciting, so my motivation stayed alive. Leading a 10c last year felt hard and even a little disappointing, but I learned to shift my mindset and focus on improving instead of comparing myself.
Having Aleah as a strong climbing partner pushed me to build confidence on harder routes. I also do more varied training now, like lifting and running, which helps me be well-rounded as an athlete. Surrounding yourself with stronger climbers makes a huge difference too. Recently, a group of strong climbers encouraged me to try a 12a on lead, and after falling at the crux, I came back a few days later and sent it. That accomplishment showed me how important support is. With commitment, goals, and the right people around you, you can push further than you think.
I just love trying hard.
Life as a Hobby Collector
Rhi: How do you feel about being a beginner when trying new activities like surfing, slacklining, or snowboarding? Do you enjoy that phase or find it challenging?
Bella: I hate being a beginner, but I’m surprisingly good at it, which is funny because usually you’re bad at what you don’t like. I’m constantly starting new things and learning to be patient with myself despite the frustration. I’ve always taken pride in being good at stuff, so yeah, if I'm honest, it has been a challenge.
For example, in Portugal I tried highlining for the first time and was terrible. I could barely sit on the line before falling, and I got frustrated. The person I was with reminded me it’s okay to be a beginner because that’s how you improve. I’ve been trying to face new challenges like snowboarding or trail running with as little fear as possible and give myself grace. When I started climbing, I was surrounded by strong college climbers, and it took time to accept I wasn’t as good, but I kept at it. Being a beginner is tough, but it’s all part of the journey.
Rhi: What are some of your short-term and long-term goals?
Bella: I’m really into sport climbing, and my short-term goal is to get stronger and break into 12b and 12c grades. Beyond sport climbing, I’ve been interested in trad climbing, which still scares me a bit. People have told me I’m a bold climber, so I want to push my limits and get confident in trad. In the next couple of years, I’d love to get into alpine climbing and go on some cool high-altitude adventures. For me, climbing is all about the adventure and being in beautiful places. I also just started highlining and want to be able to stand up on a highline after a sit start.
Lately, I’ve been branching out into snowboarding and plan to get into splitboarding and backcountry next season. I’m all about being a well-rounded mountain athlete and trying lots of outdoor activities. Climbing is my main passion, but I also love snowboarding, running (still working on that), slacklining, surfing — I want to experience as much as I can. Some people focus on one thing and that’s great, but I want to try it all and not look back with regrets.
Get Stoked Girls
Rhi: What would be your final words of advice to get girls stoked?
Bella: Oh man, there is so much to say, but the biggest thing is to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone. Don’t listen to people who doubt you. Doubt is the biggest thing that holds you back whether it comes from others or yourself. Once you get past that, that is when the fun really starts.
And remember, this is supposed to be fun. A lot of it is what people call type two fun. You will struggle, sweat, maybe even cry or scream while clinging to rocks, but it is so rewarding because you are pushing yourself hard. Learning to enjoy that struggle is key to progress.
A lot of people fear starting something new, being a beginner, or looking silly. But everyone was a beginner once and those who judge you for it are not your people. You don’t have to hang out with them or be friends with them.
Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you. Find your community. Getting stoked on life is personal, but it is also communal. Having others who are stoked makes it so much better. So surround yourself with fellow stoked women and people who lift you up.
