Welcome!

       

        Have you ever had the turtle-life fantasy? Everywhere you go, there you are, house on your back, the world at your little turtle toes. Or maybe the early American Pioneer's dream is more appropriate. You dream of loading the Conestoga with your family, what possessions you can fit and a desire to live a new kind of life. This is how it was for us.

Who are we?

         Almost two years ago my wife, Heidi, and I made a decision that would alter our life course and our lifestyle dramatically.  The idea, which was born primarily from feeling stunted by the cost of living, was to buy a used school bus, outfit the inside to live comfortably, pare down to our most useful and valued possession and move on (pun intended). Our fantastical discussion took place during one ordinary breakfast on an ordinarily rainy spring morning in Portland, Oregon.

         Today I write to you as the late autumn sun hangs low over our beautifully lit mountain vista in Kila, Montana. I sit at the very same table where Heidi and I talked over breakfast and envisioned our future mobile life.  The table, however, has been slimmed down, like many of our things, and one side is now fastened to the inside wall of our school bus. A fire crackles in the wood stove beside me and cozily warms the 200 square feet that we now call home. We call our bus Wild Blue referencing its brand, Blue Bird, and our frequently recited call to adventure “Into the wild blue yonder!”  

Looking toward the kitchen of our little home.

Why we are starting this blog.

                 We live in a unique way. Being very confined yet hardly restricted has been more interesting and exciting then we ever could have imagined.  Not only have we learned loads of new skills and had countless valuable experiences, but we have also spent a lot of time defining our values and our goals. We are doing our best to live by these evolving principles in our journey toward a more self sufficient and sustainable life.

         This blog, we hope, will be many things to many people.  For us, it is a chance to share our experiences and our lessons as we continue to explore our world both philosophically and physically. We have been so fortunate to have guidance and prior knowledge of so many which have made living the way we do possible. This blog is an opportunity for us to give something back and hopefully serve as a reference for others. Moreover, it would be fantastic if this space could become an ongoing discussion and a communal meeting place for anyone who takes interest. Part of our vision is welcoming others to our lifestyle. While we realize that it is unrealistic for everyone to live the way we do, I think that many will find something useful in our discussions. Partly, this blog is also a selfish act in which we seek the advice, the ideas and even the criticisms of others.  Let us know what you think. Are there better ways of doing things? Are there books we should read? Are there places we should go? Can we park in your driveway? Just kidding… kind of. 

Heidi in our summer garden at one of the beautiful properties where we have lived.

What are we talking about?

         While there is no telling how this thing will evolve and what ground it will cover, there are a few topics that we have become interested in if not passionate about. Among others, we would love to tap into the following topics in our discussions:

-Small space living -Sustainability and self reliance

-Food! (every aspect from production to favorite recipes)
-Modern homesteading skills  and country know-how
-Off-grid life and technology (ie. Solar power, home design etc.)
-Social commentary (Opting out of our society’s misguided expectations and norms)
-Creating healthy communities that better serve everyone
-Travel stories (The people we meet and the places we go)
-DIY (or Do It with a little help) everything

       You get the idea. Our hope is to post at least once a week. The more interest there is, the more we will put into it, so please tell your friends. You can choose to be notified when new posts are available by filling the "Follow by email" form on the right side of this page. You can also share our link via email, Facebook or Twitter by clicking the icons. Go ahead and leave a public comment if you would like to contribute to the discussion. Please join us on our journey as we explore a new world on the Wild Blue Bus! 

This post was shared on: The Waste Not Want Not Wednesday blog hop.