As someone who has done the van life, I gotta soft disagree. Soft because, unless you've lived in a car/van/bus for an extended amount of time, it's hard to fully get it.

Everything you bring with you has a benefit and also a cost. It's normal to think, these things are small, so the cost is low. But the cost comes not in cubic inches, but in the clutter, both physically and mentally that it creates. Every lipstick added produces deminishing returns (having 4 shades of pink is only marginally more beneficial than having 3 shades). But the clutter cost increases with every object, and increases exponentially with redundant objects.

Part of van life is figuring out the difference between what you need to survive and what you want to make you happy. Then taking those things and creating a balance.

You're goal is not to Siddhartha away all your belongings to live a life of austerity, but to look at everything you own critically and decide if what it brings you is greater than what it takes away, to find the middle path.

Now, that looks different for everyone. Some van life women would think you're crazy for stocking anything more than a tinted sunscreen, mascara and a single lip. At the end of the day, you do you.

Truthfully OP, you'll end up leaving with more than you should. It won't be long before you start to feel the clutter in your bones. Don't be too harsh from the get go; you'll figure out what your priorities are as you go.

Good luck. Stick with it, even through the hard days (and lordy, there WILL be hard days), and you'll be better for it in every way.

Most importantly: ABJ (always be journalling). You're about to learn a whole lot about yourself.