Hi! I’m Colleen and I explore the nomad life with my doggo, Gus. We travel the US in Destiny (Serenity, Too), a 1997 converted skoolie, and we share our adventures on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and here on our blog.
How did we get here?
Well, in 2012, before the “tiny home movement” had become the big industry it is today, I started looking at gypsy caravans (yep, true Vardos) as a replacement to the 3 bedroom/2 bath house I found myself stuck in. Pinning inspiring images to my Pinterest boards and dreaming of a smaller footprint to move into, I grew more and more restless. It took a few years before I made my desires known to my family, announcing it with tickets to the first annual Decatur Tiny House Festival in 2015. After a day touring tiny houses with hubby and son (and the girlfriend at the time), I was hooked and announced to anyone who would listen that I would be in a tiny home on wheels in 5 years.
Fast forward to 2017. After an exhaustive study, it became apparent that tiny home living was not exactly what I was looking for. The small footprint was, for sure, a strong plus, but the fact that tiny homes were not (and still often are not) widely accepted in US municipalities, made it almost impossible to follow that dream. Those little abodes are also not nearly as mobile as tiny house shows make them out to be.
So, how do you hack the tiny home movement to get your small footprint AND satiate your wanderlust? With RV life, of course! Well, add to that vanlife and skoolie-life and you might have a clearer picture. 😀
Follow along as I prepare for my new life on the road. With drama like roof leaks and plumbing issues in the master bath, as well as a personal meltdown (for which we appreciate your respect of our privacy) you can watch as we prepare the old “sticks & bricks” to sell while simultaneously searching for my first rig. There’s a lot to do to get ready for this lifestyle:
- Purging
- Cleaning
- Painting
- Purging
- Determining domicile
- Figuring out finances
- Purging
- Deciding where to go first
- Embracing the nomad life
- And did I mention purging?
After being on the road for 2 1/2 years, Serenity was totaled when she was rear-ended by a semi-truck in California. Gus and Colleen moved into Destiny, a 24-foot skoolie to continue their adventures.
We hope you enjoy traveling with us. Feel free to ask questions. You can follow Colleen, Gus, and Destiny on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok and Patreon. Catch ya’ on the flip!