The 25-year-old Luxembourger is about to embark on what the average observer would argue is nothing short of extraordinary. However, to her this is another chapter in her nomadic lifestyle.
Imani will set off solo from Luxembourg on 1 February, travelling to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, in her trusty Volkswagen Caddy, which she has called home for the past two years.
Choosing her vehicle as her humble abode has meant that life has literally no limits for the free spirited and plucky adventurer.
Eschewing air travel completely, the first leg of the epic journey will see Imani driving from Luxembourg to Cádiz in Andalucia in southwestern Spain, a mammoth drive of around 2,200km. There she will take the 30-hour car ferry to Fuerteventura where she plans to stay for a few weeks.
“It’s a really cool road trip,” she enthuses, having already completed the ambitious journey once before.
Her love affair with Fuerteventura began in 2022 when she ended up living there for a year, again lodging the whole time in her car.
“It’s a place that really inspires me. I had an amazing connection to the island which is very rare as I hadn’t had that before.”
No stranger to extended road trips, last August she once again had the itch to explore, this time getting behind the wheel and heading east. The journey across Europe took her through a total of 13 countries on the way there and back.
“I wanted to go to Austria but then I just kept driving and ended up in Turkey” she nonchalantly remarks. “It was so beautiful. I lost my heart there,” she says of the Turkish Riviera.
Born in Antwerp, Imani moved to Erpeldange when she was five. After an enjoyable period working as a substitute teacher after finishing school, Imani realised that the nomad lifestyle and the freedom of the open road was something she craved.
“There was a time in my life when I wasn’t happy even though I had everything - friends, family. So, I thought that instead of complaining I was going to do something about it.”
Living the footloose and fancy-free lifestyle has more advantages to it than not for Imani.
Thanks to her dual-purpose vehicle, she has been able to indulge her passion for travelling and combine it with her love of photography, capturing the unique landscape wherever she goes.
Christened Seraphina, her bright yellow auto is equipped with everything she needs to live comfortably, Imani explains.
Complete with a small bed, electro boxes and solar panels, storage for her belongings as well a compact desk, she can even cook in her car, preparing small, unfussy meals such as porridge, soups and eggs. She also has a kettle she can use to make cups of coffee.
Financially, she funds her expeditions using her savings and lives on a shoe-string budget.
Loneliness is rarely a problem and Imani can only recall one occasion where she felt the pang but adds that it passed without dulling her sense of wonder and adventure.
Car trouble, however, has not escaped her and she recollects a bizarre experience in Croatia where her car broke down in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, right beside a graveyard. Not her favourite memory, understandable enough.
Staying safe and sensible is central to her offbeat trips and Imani is able to find secure overnight spots by availing of a handy app that tells her where to park.
She admits that while it is not that unusual to live as a nomad, “living on my own in a car is uncommon”.
“I enjoy my own company. Sometimes I want to stay on my own and then other times I want to socialise. It’s easy to talk to people because they are interested in why I am there on my own. The experience has been amazing and I am so grateful to be able to do this. It’s not easy but its 100% worth it. I think you need to do what makes you happy,” she concludes.
