Diary: 2. Researching Alternative Ways Of Living
The first step of any good plan? Research!
At this point we’ve begun watching TV shows and documentaries surrounding the subject of ‘frugal living’ shall we say. We never like to create a biased opinion, or funnel our thinking into just one exact path, so programmes go to both extremes.
From Hoarders to The Minimalists, Tiny Home Movement to documentaries about nomads, we’ve been watching it. It gives this amazing perspective, and discussing all the issues brought up in the shows really helps to bring YOUR wants and needs into perspective. Discuss, discuss, discuss, research, research, research.
Obviously, because we didn’t want to funnel our vision in this early stage, we have been researching all forms of freedom of living, which include some form of adventure.
After watching Tiny Home Movement, it inspired us to look at our options surrounding building an IKEA style home, flat packed, ready to assemble, on some land, or even in a family members garden or driveway (subject to planning restrictions of course! Research!). It floated our boat for a little while, and we found some really interesting sites with huge variations in layout, size and practicality. At the end of this bout of research, it wasn’t for us right now. Though we still keep our pathways open to look again in the future.
So we moved on. One of the Tiny Homes on the documentary was actually built on a trailer. This gave the owner the freedom to literally take their home with them, wherever they wanted to go. This was really appealing, as it gives way to the adventure we seek, with the safety of having your home, a safe place to sleep and eat. Okay, so now we’re getting somewhere. Another owner on the same documentary had been given an old converted 1953 fire truck. He drove it around, it broke down frequently, but he loved snow sports. So he adapted it to be useful, for him, for his hobbies. He popped a tiny wood burner in, a drop leaf table, loads of compartments for his snow boards and skis, and even an ingenious upside down boot drying system!
Okay, so with a little imagination, you can create whatever you need a vehicle to be for you. Now to settle on what kind of vehicle. I want a huge American RV with 2 bathrooms a full kitchen and those massive swivel captain seats. I haven’t quite accepted the lifestyle aims yet. Matt knows this. He points out that an American RV won’t fit through a McDonalds Drive Thru. I look for much smaller vehicles!
Pre-made caravans and campers are so commercial and tasteless in style for the Gibbs’. They also don’t feel homey, they look and feel like you’re on holiday in your grandparents friends caravan in Devon while they’re in Greece for the week. Not really the homey comfortable ‘safe house’ we’re after.
So we’re narrowed down to a kitsch self build, in a van of 3.5 Tonnes or less, (as that’s the size van we can both drive without having to pay for more specific driving lessons).
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