Our “Tiny” Home Base

As the Covid situation continued.  Many of the full-time traveling families we follow were sharing their struggles in finding places to stay.  We saw for the first time in my lifetime, government restrictions on travel, and communities doing the unheard of, closing themselves off to nonresidents.  This was leaving full time travelers with few options.

This is where we first started hearing of the importance of a “home base”.  A place you could return to without restriction, in times such as these.  This is where we become unbelievably appreciative of family.  Andrea’s sister and our brother-in-law owned land in a beautiful part of the country.  They were gracious enough to lease us a piece to put our “home base” on.

Based on the lessons we learned through observing others we had a few ideas of what our home base needed to include.  It would have to be in a desirable location that could serve as a rental property in the future.  We wanted it to be off grid and completely independent of the systems under restrictions.

The new home base needed to support our decision to live minimally.  We had left the urban sprawl and large houses and did not want to return to that.  After much research and more learning, we made a choice.

Our new home away from the Queen would be an “off grid” tiny home made from a 40-foot shipping container.  Now we would have two smaller living spaces.  The Queen to travel the country in and the Tiny when we wanted a break from the road.

If it worked as planned this would be the best of both worlds.  We could travel in the Queen in the winter season.  Then settle down in the summer in a beautiful area that feels like vacation every day.  The Queen would be parked on a gravel pad next to the Tiny allowing us to host and entertain guests as well.

This plan allows us to collaborate with family on their homesteading projects, dabble in greenhouse management, and continue to learn so much about alternative living each summer, while still avoiding the snow and cold of winter.

It also provides us peace of mind that we still have a place large enough for our children and their someday families to come stay and visit