Top things we get asked about travelling on a short bus. Most people have either outright asked us these questions or made statements trying to get answers to these questions.
1. Q:How do we afford it? Or I would love to do what you are doing but there is no way I could afford it. Are you retired?
A: No, we are not retired but we have downsized our lives so that we require less money to live this lifestyle. We sold and/or gave away almost everything we have and only have the bills associated with travelling (gas, food & entertainment). We still have an internet & call phone bills and also pay for a small storage unit filled with Michael’s tools.
2. Q: How much does it cost to travel?
A: This is such a difficult question to answer because of all of the variables. In general, the slower we travel the cheaper it is (gas is our biggest expense). We both enjoy natural landscapes so a walk on the beach or through the woods are always free but there are occasions where we spend on admissions (museums, science centres...). Everyone who travels will have their own special interests and hobbies requiring different amounts of money. Some months we have spent $1000 others have cost us $3000.
3. Q: How haven't you killed one another in that tiny space? Or I can't imagine living in a small space like that with my spouse especially with two large dogs.
A: We have both been surprised at how easily we adapted to this lifestyle. When we first moved on the bus and I was still working I know that Michael often felt frustrated with babysitting the dogs. Once I stopped working it got al lot easier. In general we do best while we are actually travelling and seeing new things as opposed to hanging around an area too long.
4. Q: How do you get privacy?
A: While it is more difficult to get privacy in a big city there is almost always a neglected park or secluded spot nearby. Sometimes just pulling into a community centre parking lot gives us the space we need. We love being able to let the dogs loose without leashes so we are pretty good at finding those remote safe spots.
5. Q: Where do you stay? Or how do you find places to stay in areas you aren't familiar with?
A: We have stayed all over the place! When we are familiar with the area or have arrived in enough daylight to do a tour of the town, we always look for the most scenic places to stay for the night. Sometimes that is a beautiful park or a waterfront lot, other times it’s a trailhead where we can easily walk the dogs. There are several occasions where we have just pulled into a Walmart, Cabella’s or Tourist Information parking lot for the night.
6. Q:Are you ever going to settle down? Are you going to do this indefinitely?
A: Probably not! No one really know their future. If you had asked me if I would ever life this lifestyle a decade ago I would have probably laughed at you. We will likely keep some aspects of this lifestyle for the rest of our lives (never owning a crazy amount of stuff, never owning a giant house...). But I think once we have travelled most of North America and decided where we like it best we will settle down and built a tiny house. Part of the adventure is not knowing what is going to happen next!
No comments:
Post a Comment