We are from Michigan. When we first got married we had the dream of getting into a Volkswagen bus to see the country. We did a short trip to the national parks out West and it was not enough time. We had a baby and it was time for change. We were at a brewery and brought up the bus idea again and decided to go for it. It took six months to gut the bus and convert it into a place to live. We quit our jobs at the end of June and set sail in July. I worked in youth ministry and she worked at Starbucks, but she is also an artist.”

“A mug design contest at Starbucks launched my artistic career. Now we travel between art shows. We figure out where we want to go and look for shows in that direction. It has supported us so far.”

“We have gone through Canada, the East coast, Tennessee, Florida and now going farther west. Every day is a different adventure. We try to build some rhythms. She does art in the morning. By noon we are on a trail, beach, hiking or riding bikes. We are doing this trip to live simply and be together as a family. We are co-parenting.
We have a quirky bus that has had some breakdowns. It comes in pairs. We get to see the positivity of humanity. We have met some great strangers who have helped us.”

“We were supposed to be at an art show in Boston. We stopped at a post office and the bus made a terrible noise. A guy was pouring concrete close by and he figured out what was wrong with the van. He helped us order the part we needed and I helped him pour concrete. He was happy that he could help us and we made a friend out it.”

“We have learned to be adaptable and flexible. We are together all day every day. We are learning how to find alone time. Most people don’t do this with a one-year-old and we understand why. We are also raising our daughter unplugged. She loves the woods.”

“It has been good for my art. Financially we are better off than we expected. I was doing art before, but I was a mom first. This is my full-time gig.”

“She won $1,000 in an art contest in first grade. Who does that?”

“I did a lot of art in high school and burned out. I went almost two years without doing art. The Starbucks contest was the first time I put art out on social media. I found my style and he was so supportive. It was so positive for him to back me. I get to see beautiful places and then paint them. I am always inspired.”

“We don’t know what life will look like when we go back. We try not to think too far ahead and just embrace the present. But we look forward to going home one day and having carpet.”

“It will also be good to get back to friends and family. I like to cook creatively and miss a full-size kitchen. We eat a lot of the same things we eat at home. We have solar panels and can be off the grid. I pushed for a backsplash in the kitchenette because it makes the bus feel homey. We utilize all of the space and it is a work in progress. We bought on old filing cabinet with two big drawers from Goodwill and all of our tools are there. We are living in 60 feet with a baby. We aren’t living in luxury.”

“We will end this next June. It will be a year-long journey. I am so glad we did it now instead of later and didn’t wait on our dream. I have learned there is only so much you can control and I have learned to trust humanity and trust in the goodness of people.”