The Small Life: Todd & Wyatt

Todd's airstream

Happy Monday everyone! Today I am happy to announce a new feature on the blog entitled, drum roll, please, “The Small Life.” “The Small Life” will feature people from across the globe that live a small life in an Airstream, a bus, a van, a tiny house or other unconventional spaces. The first feature is from Todd. Todd is taking an unimaginably difficult time in his life and is turning it around with small living. Take it away Todd. – Melanie

Todd and WyattNot quite a year ago, my life was turned upside down when my wife and I decided to part ways.  Homeless with only a few changes of clothes and my dog, Wyatt, we started sleeping on the floor of my friends architecture studio.  It wasn’t too bad; dry and warm.  It was a good place to sort through emotions, let the proverbial dust settle and plot my next move.

After a couple of months, with the unconditional love and support of family, I decided to set out and find an Airstream to move in.  Fortunately, one turned up in Florida and within a couple weeks I was towing it back to the mountains of Asheville.

Todd's AirstreamGetting the Airstream, I hope is only the first step of many to creating a new life for Wyatt and I.  As a result of moving into 153 sqft, most of my worldly possessions needed to go.  After much thought, I realized that it was just stuff.  Sentimental items are merely items that remind of us a specific memory.  I will always have the memory, which takes up less space than the stuff.  Clothes are still being widdled down to only the bare essentials.  If its not my most favorite thing to wear or if I haven’t worn it in the last month, it gets donated.  Even new stuff gets intense scrutiny; does buying this thing move me in the direction of getting me on the road full time, does this limit me financially from exploring, traveling and creating new adventures, is this something that I simply want?  Only items that facilitate adventure and create epic memories, makes the cut into 153 sqft.

By no means am I free of “stuff”, but I’m getting down to the essentials and a couple more rounds of purging, and I will be there.  Free of most clutter, allowing my mind to focus on just being.

Itinerant shirtsIronically, soon after I got the Airstream, the one thing I did want to buy was a t-shirt that exemplified the spirit of the Airstream.  Unfortunately, I found none.  With the help of my sister, we set out to design our own t-shirt and so “Itinerant Shirts” was born.  I don’t have any grand visions of getting rich, but rather spreading and sharing the itinerant spirit with others.  I hope to release new editions every so often show casing other’s art.  The first edition is available on Etsy under itinerant shirts.  I should mention that I’ve only had 1 sale and that was from my sister.  No worries, if they don’t sell, every single one that I made is in the exact size and color that I would want to wear.

Hope my verbal “snap shot” gives you an idea of why I’m living small….to allow focus on what really matters, just being.

-Todd and Wyatt
You can find Todd on his Instagram: @rivitedtodd and @itinerantshirts. And at his shop, Itinerant Shirts.
If you want to submit your own Small Life, email me asmalllifemelanie @ gmail dot com.

One thought on “The Small Life: Todd & Wyatt

  1. Amelia

    What an awesome turn-around story. Going small can be so freeing! Congratulations on your positive outlook and I can’t wait to see how your story ends!

Comments are closed.