• Drew and Becky Bidlen are college sweethearts who spent three years traveling the US in a van. 
• After the birth of their daughter, they ditched van life to buy a $150,000 old home in Indianapolis.
• The Bidlens are turning the property, which was abandoned by a hoarder, into their forever home.

A life on the road isn't for everyone, but for a while, it was for Becky and Drew Bidlen.

The couple are college sweethearts from the Midwest who met during college in Ohio. After graduation, the Bidlens, now 29, relocated to South Carolina. It was somewhere new for the pair, which awakened an "adventurous spirit" in both of them, Becky told Business Insider.

"Seeing how well that move went, we felt like there were so many places in the US we'd love to live in," she added.

Between 2020 and 2023, they did just that. After selling two cars, their furniture, and other possessions, they converted a cargo van into a tiny home on wheels and spent three years traveling. They wintered in warmer states like Florida and California and spent summers exploring the serene nature of British Columbia and Alberta in Canada.

Van life was filled with "endless possibilities," but the Bidlens knew it wouldn't last forever. Becky, a travel nurse, and Drew, who works in software, eventually wanted to settle down and have kids.

Like many other millennials, a generation drawn to the adventurous spirit and relative affordability of van life, they saved thousands by working remotely, living frugally, and, importantly, not spending a dime on rent.

In 2023, the couple welcomed their daughter, Aurora Mercy. Twelve days later, they found what they were looking for: a historic house in Indianapolis, close to where most of Becky's family still live.

The price was right: only $150,000. The only catch? It was a fixer-upper in every sense of the word. Take a look inside.

The Bidlens' 3,500-square-foot home was last inhabited by a hoarder who left it abandoned for two years.

When the Bidlens first came across their home, listed at $139,000, toward the end of 2023, they thought it was a steal for its size.

The 3,500-square-foot property has a main house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a library, a sunroom, a garage, a basement, and an attic. In the backyard, there was an additional guesthouse in bad shape, which Becky said was used by a previous owner and their family while the main house was being renovated.

At the time, the couple wasn't looking for anything massive or needing major work. But when Drew went to see it with a friend who had experience renovating homes, he was sold — even though an owner with a tendency to hoard had abandoned it two years prior.

"They both came back from that walk-through jazzed about it, seeing the potential and seeing the price for it," Becky said. "We took on something a bit bigger than we had anticipated, but still felt like it was something we could do."

Given its size and price, Becky and Drew weren't the only ones keen on the house. To show they were serious, they made a higher offer of $150,000.

On the day they closed on the house, Becky said she initially felt "a little sick" about their choice.

Although she's a "dreamer" who has seen some "ugly stuff" in previous homes, Becky couldn't help feeling some trepidation about how much work they were in for with the house.

On the closing day, she said she felt "a little sick" thinking about whether they made the right choice. "I was like, 'What did we just buy? We don't even know what's under all this,'" she recalled.

According to Becky, there were piles of stuff in every room, filled with everything from trash and furniture to gadgets and books.

"Everything was just all mixed together," she said. "You would have a box with some sweaters and then Inuit-carved arts and china."

They didn't want to pay roughly $10,000 for someone to sort and clear all of the items, so Becky and Drew enlisted the help of family and friends. The weekslong process became somewhat of a treasure hunt, as the couple told their volunteers that if they found something they wanted, they could probably keep it.

"My mom took a Waterpik flosser that was new, and she was really excited about it," Becky said.

Beneath the layers of trash, dirt, and a few found treasures was a real issue: mold.

After the couple cleared out all the unsalvageable items, they were left with a few things of value, including jewelry and collections of coins, stamps, and crystals. They plan to get them appraised and decide whether to sell, donate, or keep them.

There's a more urgent problem: The building wasn't properly "winterized" and sustained significant water damage, leading to mold on the first and second floors, Becky said.

"That mold remediation process has been a whole thing," Becky said, adding that they've done most of it themselves after consulting a professional.

She added that the mold is the reason they're still waiting to move into the property, which they hope to finally do in July.

"Everything related to the air quality has been extremely tedious, especially with the mold," she said.

The couple quickly discovered that their house had also been overrun with raccoons, who left "ankle-deep" droppings in the attic.

There was also a raccoon infestation.

"The primary resident in our attic was raccoons," she said. "We don't even know how much were in there, but they left a lot of droppings, like ankle-deep."

The critters also left their mark by burrowing gaping holes in the floors and ceilings.

The Bidlens had renovated the van they lived out of, so they felt prepared to take on a bigger project.

Renovating a house is a much bigger project than fixing up a vehicle, but Becky said turning their van into a home years before served as great practice.

"That was our first introduction to working on projects together, and it was quite challenging, but it was good to learn plumbing, electrical, woodworking, flooring, and insulation," she said.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Becky said they've made almost all the major changes they want to the hoarder home. They replaced all the plumbing and adjusted a wall and beams between the kitchen and the sunroom to make the cooking area brighter and warmer.

They also spent a lot of time salvaging the hardwood floors, some of which have been damaged by water.

After finding an old fire map of the home, Becky said they discovered it once had a wraparound porch, a feature they intend to restore.

"We want to keep as much of the historic charm as possible," Becky said.

The couple's passion for preservation is inspired by their time living in Charleston.

Before their van-life adventure, Becky and Drew lived in Charleston, a city known for protecting old homes. The city's Rainbow Row is a series of 13 colorful houses originally built in the 1700s, Charleston Magazine reports.

"It's all frozen in time," Becky said. "They are just so beautiful and well-maintained."

Seeing these properties struck a chord with the Bidlens, who would venture into open houses whenever they could.

"That's definitely where this dream about restoring a historic home started, just seeing how an entire neighborhood that's been restored so carefully can look beautiful," Becky said.

In their neighborhood in Indianapolis, there are other old homes, some of which are brightly painted.

Becky and Drew are still mulling over the paint choice for the exterior of their home, which is pale pink, but will likely choose something in line with the rest of their neighborhood and similar to the houses they fell in love with in Charleston.

Buying an old house means accepting its history — which includes a few ghost stories.

In the months after the sale, Becky and Drew heard several stories about paranormal activity at their home.

"We got a few different people telling us that it's haunted and sharing different stories," she said. "That did definitely make me question things and feel quite frightened for a little while, not wanting to work in the house alone."

One of the stories involves a family who lived in the house during World War II and heard the voice of a child. Another tale centered on someone who claimed they saw a hazy, smoky figure on the property.

The house, which had several major fires, had been vacant for two years before the Bidlens bought it.

Nevertheless, the couple hasn't witnessed anything out of the ordinary yet.

Becky also finds it comforting that no two people believe the same ghost story about the house — it makes it less likely that any one myth is true.

"That makes me feel a bit reassured," she added.

The couple doesn't regret leaving van life behind to create a forever home.

While Becky said she and Drew look back fondly at their years on the road, they don't regret making the decision to ditch van life and settle down in Indianapolis.

"Both of us love kids and always wanted to start a family," said Becky, noting that living in a van and constantly going from place to place isn't ideal when you're raising children and want them to have weekly routines and a sense of community.

"People do have a nomadic lifestyle while raising kids," she added. "But we had both always pictured raising our kids with our families nearby, within a day's drive."

Becky hopes the home will be ready and safe for them to move in by July. As apprehensive as she was initially, she has no regrets about the house, even after hearing all the ghost stories.

"We love the house, we love the yard," she said. "There's definitely room to grow."

• This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.
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Welcome back to our Saturday edition! Kylie Kelce and her husband, y'know, the former Philadelphia Eagles power player Jason Kelce, are outnumbered at home. The couple has three girls and are adamant about not letting fame affect their family.

On the agenda:

• Caitlin Clark has become the face of an American culture war.
• A mom explains why she ditched gentle parenting.
• Scientists are working to make ultra-processed foods healthier.
• People are "quiet vacationing." It's not as good as it sounds.

But first: This, not that, vacation edition.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

A hideaway summer

It's no secret overtourism has become a problem. Hot destinations like Venice have implemented fees to visit, while a photo-worthy spot near Mount Fuji erected a barrier to keep tourists from flocking to the area.

If the idea of being shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow tourists gives you summer-vacation dread, don't worry — there's a solution.

There are many hidden-gem destinations perfect for solo travelers looking for peace and quiet, or family-friendly spots that will make everyone feel at home.

If you're looking for an under-the-radar Greecian vacation, why not book a stay in Halkidiki, known for its soft beaches, or Thessaloniki, packed with history?

Have your heart set on a vacation with a European feel? Skip the crowds in Paris and get your French fix in Montreal, Canada.

And if you'd rather stay closer to home, Idaho is a state that often gets overlooked but provides some of the best views, while my home state of Maryland is so much more than crab cakes and football.

Caitlin Clark is a Rorschach test

Clark, a 22-year-old Iowa graduate and women's basketball sensation, has inadvertently become the center of an American culture war.

Clark doesn't talk politics, instead saying she's focused on basketball. But it's getting harder to focus on the game. Some sports commentators are deriding Black players, saying they're bullying Clark. Another compared Clark to Eminem, saying she doesn't get enough credit because she's white.

What it all tells us about the sports-media ecosystem.

No more gentle parenting

This millennial mom always wanted to be the "cool" parent — and gentle parenting seemed to be the way to do it. The method frowns upon punitive tactics, seemingly aligning with what she wanted from motherhood: peacefulness.

But by the time her son approached preschool, it became clear it wasn't working. He was defiant to everyday tasks and struggled to recognize authority. So she gave up gentle parenting.

What she does instead.

Also read:

• Millennials have a favorite parenting style. It isn't working.

Making ultra-processed foods healthy (ish)

Five years ago, nutrition scientist Kevin Hall changed how we view ultra-processed foods. He discovered an ultra-processed diet led to people consuming about an extra 500 calories per day.

His findings kicked off a wave of "clean" eating trends, but Hall wasn't convinced that shunning these convenience foods was the real solution. Now, he's on a mission to develop new recipes for ultra-processed meals in the hopes they'll be healthier.

Inside his latest study.

Work from vacation

There's a new work trend in town that has people working while being out of town. Meet "quiet vacationing" — where people are working while secretly being on full-blown holidays.

It may sound better to answer emails on the beach than at the office. But the idea that people are under so much pressure at work that they can't even tell their boss they're on vacation is a startling reminder of America's broken work culture.

Why "quiet vacationing" is a bad idea.

What we're watching this weekend

• "Tell Them You Love Me": Netflix's new documentary tells the controversial true story of a married white professor and the nonverbal Black student she says she developed a relationship with.
• "Orphan Black: Echoes": The long-awaited spinoff to "Orphan Black" finally premieres this weekend.
• "Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood": The new Max docuseries will look at the public dispute between Swift and Braun.

See the full list.

Deals we love

• Beat the heat: We've tested over a dozen portable air conditioner units to find the best ones for keeping cool during this summer's heat waves.

• Don't forget the sunscreen: Combine two steps with these 10 face moisturizers with SPF — and skip burned lips with a good SPF lip balm.
• Keep these bags by your side: We tested over a dozen purses to find the best crossbody bags for every occasion, whether you're traveling the world or running errands.

More of this week's top reads:

• Your guide to running and rucking — and which to add to your fitness routine.
• Eight ways to stay safe while traveling solo.
• To get swole, Michael B. Jordan recommends yoga and meditation.
• The luxury conglomerate behind Cartier is beating LVMH at its own game.
• Review: Eating at Disney World's only Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop pizza is actually … pretty good?
• Microplastics have been found in penis muscle for the first time.
• People are paying $17,000 a week for Silversea's luxe new cabin. See inside.
• Fertility clinics are targeting Gen Z — and young women are paying the price.

The Insider Today team: Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor in chief of life, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Grace Lett, associate editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

• Rucking is a great workout to build muscle and burn fat.
• I was already rucking to the office once a week, but sometimes had back pain.
• A rucking expert shared tips that upped my speed and worked out my shoulders.

When I first heard of rucking, a workout favored by both Guy Fieri and the Fittest Woman on Earth, I realized I already sort of do it. For the past few years, I've been packing my backpack and walking 3.6 miles from my home to the office once a week, just to get some fresh air.

"Rucking in its simplest form is just walking with weight on your back," Nichele Cihlar, the Director of Training at GORUCK, told Business Insider. She said it's a great workout, whether it's your primary form of exercise or your recovery day routine. I do the latter, using it as a way to still build muscle and burn fat on days I'm not running or weightlifting.

Cihlar, who also rucks on her rest days, said I could amplify the workout by adding more weight. My only reservation was that I've gone heavier before, but ended up with lower back pain.

She shared a few tips on how to maximize weight without hurting yourself, especially if you're using a minimalist work backpack, like I am, instead of an official rucking pack.

Stack magazines to slowly add more weight

My backpack is usually a little heavy on its own: I carry my laptop, charger, Kindle, water bottle, and lunch.

I wanted to add more weight without going too far, since it'd be really awkward to unload a dumbbell in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge.

"I would recommend starting light and then working up from there," Cihlar said. Her father-in-law recently started rucking, and one of her first suggestions for him was to throw in some magazines.

I took some old copies we had lying around the apartment and slid them behind my laptop. I also filled my water bottle, since I usually carry it empty to make the walk easier.

Keep the heavier items towards the top

Cihlar said that your shoulders sometimes feel sore when you start rucking. While that was definitely true for me the first times I walked to work, I'd also feel that lower back ache, sometimes for days afterward. It made me more cautious about adding more weight.

"If you're not using an actual ruck, which holds the weight up high on your back, and you're just loading your backpack, everything falls to the bottom," Cihlar said. "That can cause a little bit more weight tension sitting in your low back."

When packing my bag, I rearranged its contents and piled heavier items, like my lunch and my makeup bag, closer to the top.

I felt a huge difference during the walk. My shoulders were a lot more sore than in the past, while my back felt completely fine.

It made me more confident that I was rucking right. I wasn't trying to pull up my straps like I normally do when my lower back acts up towards the end of the commute. I still hurt, but in the good way!

Always wear supportive shoes

Ok, the real reason I messed up my back isn't exactly a mystery: out of laziness and not wanting to pack extra shoes, I usually walked to work in Doc Martens.

Cihlar said I'd "definitely want a supportive shoe," such as running sneakers to prevent injury. For more seasoned ruckers, she recommended getting real rucking shoes because trainers "break down faster once you start adding that load."

I wore my running shoes and switched to mules at work (which had the bonus of making my pack just a little heavier, too).

No surprises here, but I was able to walk faster than my usual pace, even while bearing a heavier load.

When I first started walking to work, I minimized it and didn't consider it a real workout. I tossed whatever I wanted into my bag and clacked along in heeled boots as if I wasn't a woman in my 30s with mild scoliosis. Alas, not taking it seriously led me to make some (mildly painful) mistakes.

It's exciting to know that a few small tweaks help me make the most of an already lovely commute. Getting my steps in, gaining shoulder strength, and seeing the NYC skyline before all the tourists get there? We can have it all.

• Heather Wilkinson was a surrogate twice and earned $22,500 and $30,000 in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
• Surrogacy is increasing, with the global market valued at $14 billion in 2022.
• Surrogates can now earn $35,000 to $50,000, while intended parents may spend around $200,000 or more.

Heather Wilkinson was at the park visiting with a relatively new friend while their children played, when the friend explained she had babies for other people.

"At first, I thought she was kind of crazy," Wilkinson said of her first impression of surrogacy. But as the friend explained that she'd had easy pregnancies and now she was helping others build their families, Wilkinson thought, "I might be into this crazy idea after all."

More than a decade later, Wilkinson, who is based in Indiana, has been a surrogate twice and currently serves as senior manager of surrogate success at Surrogacy.com.

Surrogacy is on the rise worldwide, with the global surrogacy market worth an estimated $14 billion in 2022, according to market research consultancy Global Market Insights. Traditional surrogacy is when a woman is artificially inseminated, but more common today is gestational surrogacy, in which IVF is used to place a fertilized embryo into a surrogate.

Like her friend, Wilkinson had also had easy pregnancies with her two children.

"I hate to say it because it sounds obnoxious, but I didn't have morning sickness. I didn't get stretch marks. It was the epitome of perfect pregnancies with no issues whatsoever," she said.

When she decided she wanted to help others have children, she ended up going with the same surrogacy agency her friend used: Circle. For her first surrogacy journey, she got matched with a single dad. She was paid $22,500 and delivered the baby in 2014.

"It was an incredible experience," she said. "I remember being in the hospital saying to my husband, 'I know this sounds crazy, but I know that I want to do this again.'"

When Circle reached out to see if she'd be interested in going through the process again, she said "yes." This time, she was matched with a gay couple from Australia.

Her second experience was also a little different, as this time, she was part of what's called a dual journey or a concurrent journey, where there are two separates surrogates hired to carry babies for the same set of intended parents. Though the couple contracted two surrogates, they staggered the pregnancies to not overlap.

"I understand wanting to build your family and wanting to have more than one child," she said, adding that surrogacy journeys can take a lot of time, sometimes two years, and so for some parents, it may make sense to do two at the same time.

This time, Wilkinson delivered in 2016 and was paid $30,000.

Today, Wilkinson said the typical base pay for a first-time surrogate can be anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000.

As for the intended parents, they can pay anywhere from around $200,000 or more to have a child via surrogacy. Other costs that go into the process include legal fees for contracts, clinical bills, and agency fees.

While the price point of surrogacy can make it a luxury, Wilkinson said some people go to great lengths to be able to afford it.

"I've heard of intended parents that are taking out second mortgages on their house or just going through different avenues to afford surrogacy," she said.

Wilkinson said she found the surrogacy experience empowering, and now she's committed to helping other surrogates have fulfilling journeys.

As for deciding to become a surrogate, she said it really comes down to the "why." For her, she said it goes back to her favorite aunt. As a kid, she always wondered why her aunt never had kids of her own. It wasn't until she got older that she realized her aunt had wanted kids but was unable to have them.

"There are tons of people just like my aunt that are equally deserving and equally have that yearning to be a parent," she said. "And that I knew that I could help."

Have a news tip or a story to share about surrogacy? Were you an intended parent in a concurrent surrogacy journey? Contact this reporter at kvlamis@businessinsider.com.