Alexis & Christian in a Tiny House

Alexis & Christian in a Tiny House

Alexis & Christian spent nine months building their tiny house, and now they're in a middle of a two-year project capturing the stories of the tiny house community across the nation. There's a power in storytelling, and their goal is to contribute to a ripple effect of positive change through tiny housing advocacy.

Through their videos and blog, they tackle topics such as tiny house communities, legalities, building costs and parking. These are issues that we might not think about when we consider the option of living small, but these are the issues this community faces daily.

Jessica, Rob & Henley in a VW Van

Jessica, Rob & Henley in a VW Van

Jessica & Rob have a dream for their family: a year living on the road. They long to see the humdrum of day-to-day life become fresh in the microcosm of their van and discover the world through the eyes of their daughter, Henley. But most of all, they want to slow down and live simply.

Life in a van becomes a rhythm. With three people, every navigation inside becomes a choreographed dance move. It gives purpose and enjoyment to the most mundane tasks. Memories are made, for better and for worse.

Jessica, Rob and Henley are discovering that life in the slow lane is an ongoing adventure and an exercise in savoring each day.

Rachel in a Chevy RV

Rachel in a Chevy RV

Rachel is an artist traveling solo cross-country in her '87 Chevy RV. Well, she's not completely alone. Her cat, Chloe, keeps her company on long drives and throughout the night.

Her job centers around photography, writing and travel. And because of this, she keeps extensive dream journals of stories and ideas that she brings to life through her work as an artist.

Rachel is more than halfway done with her yearlong road trip, but she chooses not to think ahead too much. By focusing on the present, she lives in the moment and embraces camping full time outdoors.

Justin & Adam in a Sprinter Van

Justin & Adam in a Sprinter Van

    Three years ago, Justin was dating a girl who talked him into doing a yearlong road trip. They started saving and a couple months later, she dumped him. That’s when he roped his brother Adam into the idea. One night over 2-for-1 beers at the local Applebee's, Justin asked Adam if he wanted to go on a road trip after he graduated college. Adam would take photos and video while Justin wrote about the experience.     

What started out as a way to take a year off has now turned into a year of work. Justin & Adam are preparing for a career of full-time freelancing.     

The one thing that hasn't changed is that they remain brothers who not only share the same blood, but the same tiny space.

Raphaelle & Mark in a Ford Van

Raphaelle & Mark in a Ford Van

Many people go into nature and take it for granted. But there are some people who play in the woods, using traditional methods to forage so that they can be more connected to nature and its wild spaces.

Raphaelle + Mark's van acts as their tiny home and their business. They chose a vessel that could take them deep into the wilderness. Their workshop on wheels allows them to make natural products free of toxic chemicals and inspired by nature's wild beauty.

Ingrid & Matty in a Ford Van

Ingrid & Matty in a Ford Van

Meet Ingrid: A photographer and videographer from Peru. Her partner, Matty, is a musician and artist from New York. Together, they are spreading the awareness of the environment and being vegan. They are driving across North America sharing ways others can travel while still being conscious of their environmental impact.

It's no surprise that we wholeheartedly support that message.

Jude & Yadi in a School Bus

Jude & Yadi in a School Bus

You might remember my interview from December with Jay, a man who lives in a Matchbox Tiny House in Boneyard Studios. I asked him for recommendations of other tiny dwellers, and he, surprisingly, suggested his sister. Jay's sister Jude doesn't just live small like other people I feature here; she embraces it. She has lived in several tiny structures for the past seven years, including a yurt, cabin, dome and now, a school bus.

The community Jude lives in is fascinating. She and her partner Yadi are part of an income-sharing intentional community called East Wind. The community supports each other through two industries: East Wind Nut Butters and Utopian Rope Sandals. Their work is busy and everyone reaps the benefits.

This interview is unique, not only because of the structure this couple lives in, but also for the story about the people who live in it.

Sam & Tom in a Ford Van

Sam & Tom in a Ford Van

Tom and Sam met in Indonesia in November 2013. Sam was traveling solo and Tom had planned to travel Europe and Asia after his father passed away. It was love at first sight, and they spent the next three months traveling Southeast Asia together.     

Tom, originally from South Wales, spent the next year with Sam in her home country of Canada. He received a visa for a year to live and work there. After a year, they drove around North America while they waited for another visa. They got back to Canada to continue the wait, and then finally received Tom's visa and went back to the border to activate it.     

While Tom was in Canada decorating Sam's apartment, immigration officials found photos of Tom with Sam and argued he was there working illegally and taking a job away from a Canadian. They gave him 10 days to leave the country.     

They spent almost five months apart before meeting up again in California. This is the story of their lives after Canada and the journey that brought them together on the road.

Megan & Michael in a Ford Focus

Megan & Michael in a Ford Focus

We spent a few days with car dwellers Megan + Michael back in November, and it feels good to be catching up with them again. We are inspired by their travels and hopeful that there are people out there making it work in something they might already own. Not only might a car get you places faster, but you also won't have to go out and buy a van and spend time converting it into an adventure mobile.     

These friends of ours are not only living this lifestyle; they are sharing easy-to-prepare recipes and encouraging others to eat off-the-grid meals. Their blog is designed to minimize the amount of stress, time and ingredients you have to bring when you're camping in order to fully enjoy the experience outdoors. We love the message they are spreading and can't wait for them to show up at our home or meet up on the road.

Jess & Jorge in a VW Van

Jess & Jorge in a VW Van

Leave it to Jess + Jorge to make us laugh throughout this interview with them. After three years living in their VW Vanagon, these two have tried out an Airstream, renovated a van, experienced breakdowns and almost bumped into a bear.     

This couple tells it how it is, through both the highs and the lows. And we still can't help but think their van is one of the coolest rigs we've ever seen.

Alyssa & Donnie in a Ford Van

Alyssa & Donnie in a Ford Van

Alyssa & Donnie's story is extra special to me because I have been following them and their adventures even before they began #vanlife. Alyssa reached out to me when they were converting their van. I have been able to watch their progress and planning come to fruition, and I have witnessed this newfound happiness with the freedom in living small.

I have been captivated by their creativity, which is both as beautiful individually as it is together. They have a vision to share how people connect with each other and with the natural world, and I can't wait to see their project unfold.

Kara in a Dodge Van

Kara in a Dodge Van

We all know the saying, "Life is too short," but what does it really mean? For Kara, that message couldn't be truer when she lost her parents three years ago. Since then, she's been determined to find healing through her travels. Living in a van allows her time for soul searching, self-love and self-discovery. Kara knows that not all parts of the journey are going to be happy but that there will be more than enough joy from the new adventures ahead.

Becky & Todd in a Yurt

Becky & Todd in a Yurt

Greg & I chatted with Becky & Todd on the phone in October, and we recorded their interview. My plan was to publish a written Q&A with the audio. But due to technical difficulties, I wasn't able to play it back afterwards. Luckily these two were understanding and helped me piece their interview back together.     

What I love about Becky & Todd is that they not only live this lifestyle, but they are building a community around it. They host travelers and share their passions for environmental stewardship and music with others.

Janna & John in a Sprinter Van

Janna & John in a Sprinter Van

What if someday is today? That's how Janna & John see it now, but that wasn’t always the case. They kept delaying their big adventure because something always got in the way.

Recently the two of them decided that life was too short not to travel. As they cruise around the States in their Sprinter Van, they’ve learned that sometimes having a plan is better than not having one at all.

Matt & Josh in Chevy vans

Matt & Josh in Chevy vans

How awesome would it be if you went on a road trip that never ended? Matt & Josh are two brothers on a self-funded trip. They stop when they find places to work odd jobs. Most of their jobs are found through social media, particularly their Facebook page and sometimes even as simple as starting a hashtag. Who they meet determines what they end up doing each day.

What started as one van for the two brothers has now morphed into two vans, one for each of them, as they race each other from coast to coast.

Monica in a VW Van

Monica in a VW Van

I've been on Instagram as "Tiny House, Tiny Footprint" for a little over a year now. Since the beginning of that time, there have been a few people I've been interacting with that I have grown quite close to. Monica is one of them—someone I would call my "tiny living soul sister." We've been rooting each other on for the past year, supporting each other from afar. Even though we've never met, we have no trouble feeling bonded by our love for traveling and nature.