Petito lived in North Port, Florida, with her boyfriend after moving from Blue Point, NY where she grew up and attended Bayport - Blue Point High School two years ago.
Father Joseph, who moved to Vero Beach, Florida, in June to be closer to his daughter, described her as 'very, very free spirited'.
'Clothes didn't impress her. Cars didn't impress her. Experiences - that's what impressed her.'
The couple started their trip on July 2 after Petito attended her brother's graduation in New York on June 17. They planned to reach Portland, Oregon, and visit a family friend for Halloween.
The pair had documented their conversion of a 2012 Ford van into a camper and their life traveling in it on YouTube and Instagram, and were developing a social media presence under the name 'Nomadic Statik.'
Per their Instagram accounts, the pair began their trip on July 2 and traveled to Kansas' Monument Rocks, Colorado Springs, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zion National Park and Bryce National Park in Utah and Canyonlands National Park.
'Downsizing out life to fit into this itty bitty van was the best decision we've ever made,' her boyfriend wrote on Instagram in early July.
'Sacrificing space to wake up in nature everyday has been no sacrifice at all.'
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