Bucket List Item - Living in an Airstream Full-time
It used to be that American society dictated that one “goal” in life was to have the big house on the hill with the panoramic views and filled with expensive “toys.” However, over the past 5 or so years, a different “goal” has crept into view for many – owning and living in a tiny house or RV full-time.
Yes, its now become acceptable to live in a van down by the river, and some of your friends will even be jealous of your new found freedom.
If you asked me a few years ago if I would be starting my “living in an Airdstream” adventure, I’m sure I would have looked at you funny and wondered if you had gone a little insane (or maybe haad a little too much to drink.) While one of the items on my “bucket list” was owning an Airstream, I don’t think I had ever seriously entertained living in an Airstream full-time.
When I lived in Southern California, I had the big McMansion house, complete with granite countertops in the kitchen and master bath as well as neighbors right on top of you and an HOA that had their nose into everything and anything that happened on my street.
Fast-forward four years where I find myself living in Northern California, my perspective on life has signifcantly changed. Sometimes it takes signifcant change or pressure in life to get us to realize where our priorites truly lay. Last year my father passed away after a long illness and I went thru a fairly messy breakup of a marraige. The past year has had a lot of self-analysis, reflection and some growth with more to come, I hope ;-).
I had a conscious shift in my priorties and reassessed and revalued what I really thought was important to me. While I enjoy my career an job, I realized other things were not making me happy and living in the house that my soon-to-be ex and I had purchased was one of those unhappy-items. It wasnt just the emotional aspect of continuing to live in our “dream home,” but had more to do with the feeling of being tied to a mortgage and a set location. A frustration or dissatisfaction of feeling tied down to one place, a unsettled sense of a lack of freedom.
This past spring I started to reserach buying an Airstream trailer (you can read about it here) and after finding the “perfect” Airstream for me I realized I had the opportunity to try living in that Airstream full-time. It meant selling the house and the worry and stress that comes with getting a home ready to sell, but so far the rest of the experience has been very freeing and liberating. It dose feel as if this full-time Airstream live was a path I am supposed to follow for now since everything has fallen into place so easily and quickly. The house went on the market last week and within 48 hours I had two offers over the asking price!
Now as I get the Airstream ready for full-time living and continue to rush to go thru all my possesions in the house and figure out what I keep, what I store and what items I get rid of, there is a quiet satisfaction and inner peace that has come over me.
So stay tuned as I document how I make the transition to living in my Airstream full-time over the next few months.
