Rina & MichaelHi, we're Rina and Michael
We're a Cantonese family of four, raising two boys in a campervan across North America.
Michael hosts, films, edits, does most of the cooking, and built the van. Rina is the planner and the one who takes care of all of us: where we're going, what the boys need, and keeping four people running in a very small space (she prefers to stay off camera a lot of the time, but you'll hear her). Our sons are Spencer, born in January 2023, and Archie, born in October 2025.
Our families are Cantonese, with roots in Hong Kong, and that runs through everything we film: Hong Kong cafes (cha chaan teng), dim sum, congee, Asian supermarkets, and the Cantonese home cooking we make in the van. We speak Cantonese with the boys and want them to know the food we grew up on.
We're from the New York and New Jersey area, where most of our family lives. We started the channel in December 2020 and lived in our first van for years. In 2025 we built a new one, a Mercedes Sprinter, with room for four. Now we travel city by city and stay a few weeks at a time, so we can eat slowly and live like locals.
What you'll find here
- Our show, Van Life Family of 4, on YouTube.
- City food guides, starting with Toronto and Markham.
- Our van build and the full parts list.
- How we live in a van with kids.
Say hi at rinaandmichaellee@gmail.com, or in the comments on YouTube.
Come along on YouTube
New episodes every Tuesday and Saturday at 6pm ET. We'd love to have you.
Subscribe to @rinaandmichaelGet our Toronto Food Map + van build parts list
Sign-ups open soon. For now, the Toronto guide and parts list are free right here.