Knowing only one person, a childhood friend, Dry Creek native Julian Quebedeaux headed to California to find work.
“I’m a filmmaker,” he said. “I thought the experience would challenge me to become a better one and create opportunities for making more of the types of films and documentaries I want to make.”
It did that — and more.
Living in his 2007 GMC Acadia for almost a year, Quebedeaux discovered, “Life is less about how you do it and more about why you do it.”
“Living in your car has such a negative stereotype,” he said, “and one of the biggest obstacles I faced was making people see me and not see me as a guy living in my car.”
Paradoxically, he insists it was living in his car that allowed him to “get to a certain place, really connect with people, understand and value the benefits of minimalism.
The journey — instead of leading Quebedeaux away from his faith and values as his mother feared — brought him closer to God, adding meaning and purpose to his life.
“It led to travel to India and the Phillipines, a new job, and community,” he said.
He found work for a software company that does business all over the world. He attended Paso Robles Community Church, and through those contacts, he and others from the church traveled to minister to some of the most impoverished people of the world.
“Incredible and humbling as this work was, it was a completely jarring experience,” he said, “traumatizing in a way.”
It was some time before Quebedeaux was able to make a purchase here in the United States and not think about how far that same amount of money would go in a place such as Calcutta.
“I was there and I was able to capture that on film,” he said, “and hopefully help make things better.”
Today, Quebedeaux and his wife, Amber, live intentionally. They love, travel and film from a 25-foot bus that serves as home, office and transportation.
“It’s a step up from living in the car,” he said. “It’s a sacrifice. “You let go of certain things to make room for others. But you know what? Whatever the size of the container you give yourself, guess what? You’re going to fill it up.”
Quebedeaux said he’s among those who have realized that it is not stuff that makes us happy; it is relationships, happy relationships.
Next stop for the Quebedeauxs?
“Our goal is to find more missions and to help them. That’s the “love” we’re referring to in the name of our business, Love, Travel, Film.”
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Online: https://lovetravelfilm.com/
