Talking With Juergen Barbusca – November 2, 2026
Author, No Overnight Parking: A Year of Vanlife, Discovery, and the Open Road
What happens when you realize your work-life balance is out of sync and decide it’s time for a change? For Juergen Barbusca, the answer was to give notice at work, buy a van, and embark on a 32,000-mile adventure across the United States and Canada.
On this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I talk with Juergen about his book, No Overnight Parking: A Year of Vanlife, Discovery, and the Open Road, and the year that took him far beyond his comfort zone. From Niagara Falls and an unexpected encounter with a buffalo to a tour of one of America’s last video stores, Juergen discovered that life on the road could be as challenging as it was rewarding.
We explore the realities of vanlife, including the search for places to park overnight, encounters with fascinating strangers, unexpected loneliness, and the feeling of being an outsider even while meeting people along the way. Juergen also shares how keeping a journal helped him capture the experience, even before he knew it would become a book.
The journey became more than a road trip. It offered an opportunity for self-reflection, a chance to reconnect with his authentic self, and reminder that the most meaningful discoveries aren't always found on a map.
And even thousands of miles from home, Las Vegas remained part of the story. From conversations with people who had visited, knew about, or planned to visit the city to an unexpected connection involving the Little Church of the West in Winnipeg, Juergen found that his hometown had a way of following him down the road.
Join me for a conversation about adventure, independence, loneliness, self-discovery, and what happens when you leave the familiar behind to see where the open road takes you.
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