Four years ago this month I sold my house and put a portion of my things in storage. I lived with my parents while completing my BFA, and for the past year have lived in New Hampshire, Louisiana, and North Carolina while working seasonal jobs. All of it has been an adventure. There have been great days and stressful ones. However, the common theme over the years has been missing my own space.
I've come to realize that I don't really miss having a sticks and bricks home in a specific location - which is saying a lot because I LOVE houses! I don't mind living in one place for a few months - exploring, seeing new things, meeting new people - and then moving on to another. What I do miss is a space that is just mine. Not a room above an inn or a dorm of girls in the bayou or a suite with a roommate in the mountains. I want to be able to pull out my sewing machine or my painting supplies and work on projects, leaving the bits and pieces all around while it comes to fruition. I'd like to be away from my coworkers after work. I'd enjoy feeling as though I've got my own life happening outside of my job.
This homeless state has given me the opportunity to google and research and watch too many YouTube videos on alternative living solutions. People have converted all sorts of things into dwellings - from shipping containers and tree houses to cars and vans. The tiny house movement is alive and well, and people are converting old school buses (skoolies) into mobile dwellings too! So, all this has got me thinking I might want to live in an RV. I've watched the tiny house movement rather closely over the last few years, and could never really get on board. I don't necessarily want to have to climb up into a loft to sleep every night (or more so, climb down in the middle of the night). Nor do I want to have to pull my house behind me in some other vehicle besides The Fit (which I hope to keep til it dies...175,000 miles and still chugging along). Which makes the RV seem to be a surprisingly good option for me. Now don't begin to envision me trying to maneuver some huge Class A motorhome across the highways and byways of the US. I'm thinking a Class C which would afford me plenty of room as a single person with a bit of space for art and projects if configured correctly. Maybe even a guest every now and then. They're generally shorter in length and better on gas mileage. As well, I could then tow The Fit if I wanted to have a car for convenience while I'm living somewhere.
Yes, there's a huge learning curve, but I'm teachable and willing to figure things out. Who knows how long I'd do this...could be for a few years to see more of this beautiful country we live in. I'd love to travel to all the states. There's so much I've never seen! Could be forever, who knows? Now, these things are super expensive...new they start out at $80,000 -$90,000 for the tiniest ones. So, used is the way to go. That will entail continuing to learn more and know what all to look for and look out for when shopping around.
This is all still up in the air, but every night the past month or so I've been taking in all the information I can after work. There are so many people living great lives out on the road in RVs and vans, and I kinda want to join them!
Never know what may come of this, but for right now it's an exciting option. An option that would afford me continued freedom to travel and work and create. If you know anyone who's looking to sell an RV for cheap, keep me in mind!
