We originally moved in the Airstream so George could work on his art and we could save money. George has been able to really work on his business this past year and I am so, so proud of him. He’s been doing artwork for some major companies and he’s been taking on a lot more commissions.
We’ve saved quite a bit of money too. Not as much as we could have, because we’ve also traveled a lot, but I don’t regret our wanderlust. We’ve been able to travel to Austin, Memphis, take a Florida road trip and all kinds of little trips in between. I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel with my favorite dude.
But most of all I’m thankful for the lessons the Airstream has taught me. Living in less than 200 square feet has taught me that I don’t need a lot of stuff to be happy. I have food in my belly, a roof over my head and people who love me. That’s all I need.
Although it can be tiresome, the Airstream has also taught me to be more responsible. I’m more responsible with my chores because if I don’t say, put the laundry away, it’s right in the middle of the floor staring me in the face. It’s taught me to be more responsible with the things I bring into my life too. I’m constantly thinking “Do I have enough room for this?” and “Do I really need this?”
The Airstream has also given me peace of mind. I still worry about money. I probably always will. But I’ve now been able to open up an IRA and start truly saving for a (small) home one day. I don’t want to moan about how my generation has had it rough, but a year ago I was feeling very behind on life. I thought I may never be able to achieve some of my dreams because it took George and myself so long to find a job after college.
The Airstream has given me confidence too. Before we fixed up our old girl, I was nervous about renovation projects. I’m not an old pro, but I now feel confident about painting a wall, cutting a board and hammering those nails.
I am so thankful for our time in the Airstream. I can’t believe it has been a year. We’ve no concrete plans to move out anytime soon either, but I know when it is time to move on I’ll look back on this time of our lives as one of the best.
If you’re debating a nutty way to change your life, like living in an Airstream, I’d like to encourage you to go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” (Helen Keller)
love,
melanie
What a great reflection back on your year. I’ve enjoyed following your journey through most of it. I’ve been in mine nearly 10 months now, and I have no regrets for making the decision also. I second your advice to people who are debating about making a change like this to go for it.
Hear, hear!
I found your blog through Apartment Therapy and I had to check out the rest of your blog. What an amazing experience and amazing story. Thank you for sharing it with us. Although we are not living in an Air stream, we did recently buy a 1985 Schultz Mobile Home. It is not a perfect home and there are a lot of things to do and update, but I am learning to be patient. We also need to save up so we can do some renovation inside and outside. But my husband and I are happy and lucky we got this place because we were also renting a huge house before this and it was just too expensive. We felt like we were going nowhere if we continued renting that house and like you said in your other post, we felt like paying for nothing and what a waste of money. This trailer house is not big, but it has three beds and two baths, which is really what we needed. Just enough space for all of us four. Anyway, I love your blog and your story and thank you again for sharing. 🙂
Wow, 3 beds and 2 baths sounds like a dream! Thanks for sharing you story!