The Adventuress, part two:“When we decided to jump into this way of living we sold everything, including our house and car”

I am a nature-loving mama of two with another one on the way, and I live full-time in a tiny home on wheels. My husband and I started this adventure when our first baby was just a couple of months old. My husband was passionate about his job, but would basically leave the house when our son was waking up and return after his bedtime. Our family was missing out on lots of togetherness, which we desperately craved. We were both really starting to lose it, even though we had what seemed like the American Dream.

One day, we watched a short documentary on YouTube about a couple who built a “skoolie” (a renovated school bus that has been made into a home), travelled in it, and enjoyed all sorts of adventures on the road. After that, we lay in bed talking about how we wished we could do it—which turned into, “Maybe we can.” We did the math and realised that with this type of lifestyle we could work less and actually save more. A few weeks later we bought our bus, sight unseen, on a government auction site and got to work.

Our first couple of years on the bus were fully nomadic. When we decided to jump into this way of living we sold everything, including our house and car. We mainly lived off those savings and investments and also had some odd jobs here and there that we could mostly do remotely. We travelled all over the country—from Key West to Olympic National Park in the Pacific Northwest. The three of us swam in crystal-clear oceans and

rivers, and relaxed in as many hot springs as we could find along the way. I wore my baby on the longest hikes I’ve ever done, in almost every single state. We’ve followed autumn foliage down coastlines, all on our own time. We got to fully appreciate places we never would have visited had they not been along the way to somewhere else. One of the times that happened was when we found ourselves captivated by a herd of wild horses on the rolling hills of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Another highlight was wearing my sleeping son while climbing the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park, Maine.

During those years of travelling, we’d always hear, “I could never live the way you do,” whether it be from a total stranger or a close family member. The truth was, we usually felt the same way about their lives. We never go all deep when people voice their opinions. Life would be so boring if everyone was the same. But because we lived the way we did, our kids got precious time with two full-time parents. Building our relationship with them made every sacrifice worth it. We lived in a “confined” space, but we were able to follow fair weather and spend almost every day outside. We ate healthier, stayed active outdoors, and were all around much happier than if we were living a “traditional” lifestyle.

We always had the goal to see what we could see, while being on the lookout for a new place to settle down— somewhere that had mountains, water, community, and sunshine! We didn’t have a time-frame, but when we came to our mountain town in southwest Colorado, we knew we had found home. Thanks to our decision to convert a skoolie, were able to buy land and have a place to live while we build our A-frame. When that project is through (or maybe before), the goal is to convert something smaller than a 40-foot bus so we can still travel.

Bus life with kids doesn’t come without its struggles. There is just so much that goes into off-grid living. When one thing isn’t working, it makes life exponentially more difficult. It’s not like in your typical house where you flip a switch and things work. There’s solar power levels to consider, propane to hook up, water tanks to fill, ALWAYS dishes to wash, bedsheets way below my standards of cleanliness, and mice constantly getting into things. We’ve had water lines freeze and burst and break appliances. We’ve had issues on issues with the composting toilet. We’ve had a tire blow in the middle of nowhere when it was over 100 degrees out. It’s hard not to let the little things get to you. It can be stressful finding a new spot to park while on the move, or when you’re on the road and packages come late and need to be left behind, or when the dang dogs eat random plants wherever you go and get sick all over the bus.

There are honestly days when I am just tired of it all. But soon after, I am usually able to remind myself that these sacrifices come with great rewards. My son was able to build so much character on our travels throughout North America. Our children (and ourselves) will have a beautiful home in the mountains because of how we are living now. Our family spends so much more time outdoors than we used to because we get to travel to amazing places in our own home.

When things go wrong it’s a challenge for us all. My husband and I were high-school sweethearts and have been each other’s best friends since we were 16. We have practically grown up together and know each other best out of anyone in the world. To be brutally honest, I don’t think our relationship would withstand this alternative lifestyle if it didn’t have that solid foundation. When one thing goes wrong on the bus, it always seems like a domino effect, with more problems following in tow. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but we both have an understanding that these experiences and tests are strengthening our marriage in the long run.

Maybe my babies won’t remember these adventures. Probably not—they are so very young. But maybe they are building their character anyway. Maybe it’s good they get more fresh air and less screens, and that a respect for nature and appreciation for discovery and exploration are becoming part of their very being. And maybe the photographs and mom and dad’s recollections will be just what they need in the future. They might not quite remember these experiences, but maybe that’s not the point.

That being said, I wouldn’t have changed our experience. Although I much prefer travelling in the bus to being in one spot, I know it’s what needs to be done for my kids to have the best possible future. And travelling a bunch is going to happen again – I’m too addicted now. Travelling with kids can seem daunting, but once you get out there and get into the routine and figure out how to simplify it, it is just so worth it. There’s nothing like the memories I have of the magical places I’ve been to with my family. Of my little boy, a fearless toddler, leaping into his daddy’s arms in glacial Montana waters. Of my baby daughter, carried on my back, holding onto wildflowers as we climbed toward a summit in Colorado.

Maybe my babies won’t remember these adventures. Probably not—they are so very young. But maybe they are building their character anyway. Maybe it’s good they get more fresh air and less screens, and that a respect for nature and appreciation for discovery and exploration are becoming part of their very being. And maybe the photographs and mom and dad’s recollections will be just what they need in the future. They might not quite remember these experiences, but maybe that’s not the point.

Adventuress: Women Exploring the Wild by Carolina Amell is published by Prestel, and is available from Easons, €55.99. prestel.com