one family. one bus.

big on adventure. small on stuff.

Hi! We're a family of 5 (sometimes 6 when we have our bonus child in the mix) on an epic journey to turn a retired school bus into a tiny house on wheels. We'll go from McMansion to Minimalist and you're invited along for the ride.

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The latest.

Blog
Busworthy: Silipints
Busworthy: Silipints
Reset.
Reset.
Better (Almost) Late Than Never.
Better (Almost) Late Than Never.
End of the School Year: How to Make a Clean Start for Summer in 6 Steps.
End of the School Year: How to Make a Clean Start for Summer in 6 Steps.
Mama Don't Need Your Crap: 5 Things to NOT Get This Mother's Day.
Mama Don't Need Your Crap: 5 Things to NOT Get This Mother's Day.
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bus stuff!

See the entire conversion from start to our current state.

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(in a totally non-creepy way, please and thank you.)

We did it. . It took us 740 days, but here we are....our very first night in the bus. *Our* bus. . Is it totally finished? Uh, no. Everything got crammed in whatever available space there was because the disappointment of a mechanic kept our bus for 5 days and didn’t actually fix anything. It was a mad scramble to get out of the house and to closing. We spent two nights in a hotel and were totally saved by friends who kept all of our stuff. . But here we are. We took what seemed impossible (what *still* seems impossible) and turned a retired school bus into our home. . If you are in the middle of your own conversion...keep going. This feeling is worth every drop of sweat and every moment of doubt. . If you’re already an old skoolie pro...thank you for being an inspiration and unending source of knowledge and friendship. . If you’re dreaming of an entirely different life...you *can* do this, the hardest part is making the decision. Ok, and taking all those damn rivets out...that part sucked. 😂 . Thank you to all of the people in our lives who have cheered us on and shown up to help and listened to the endless bus talk. We love you all and can’t wait to park in your driveways. . 📸: @paggy00271, the best campground neighbor ever. ________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolienation #skooliekids #livesimple #buslife #minimalist #tinyhouseliving #travelingwithkids #prioritize #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeonwheels #tinyhousemovement #smallliving #fulltimefamily #schoolbuslife #campgroundlife #believeyoucan #minimalistfamily #chooseadventure #memoriesoverthings #travelwithkids #740days #skoolielove #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
19 days until #buslife and things are kind of a disaster around here. . Every surface in the bus is covered in tools and things left to install and all the bits leftover from all the stuff that’s already gone in. It seems like every time I clear it all out, I end up needing half of it back for whatever the next project is, so it’s an endless battle of digging for supplies and shifting it all around. . And then there is the house that is still full of things that either need to be sold/donated, be packed for storage, or be moved onto the bus. (Just gotta move all these tools to make room! Again. 🤦🏻‍♀️😆) . Veteran fulltimers...tell me the story of how you survived the last push to get on the road. Surely someone came along with a magic wand, right? #needawizard _________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolienation #livesimple #minimalist #tinyhouseliving #travelingwithkids #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeonwheels #tinyhousemovement #smallliving #fulltimefamily #schoolbuslife #doallthethings #fulltimervers #fulltimerv #fulltimervlife #magicwand #needamiracle #itsamessinhere #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
More bus helper shoutouts! . Badass bus builder (she was putting the steel up on the sides of the bus 10 minutes after we met for the very first time), Jordan, came to tackle the long dreaded task of cleaning up all the caulk on the outside of the bus as part of the paint prep. Y’all. She came with a margarita maker. #besthelperever . Eleanor did an excellent job priming the living room and enameling the bathtub. Even more impressive is that she listened to an endless stream of robot prototype ideas from my 7 year old without completely glazing over. #betterthanme . Keith, our long-time family friend who has lent a hand on who knows how many house projects, came to do what I couldn’t wrap my brain around and framed out our utility closet, hid some ugly water lines, and listened to my terrible jokes all day. #youknowimfunny . A huge thank you to Mr. Newman (#notpictured) for teaching me more things about how the bus works in 15 minutes than I’ve probably learned in the last two years. #wherehaveyoubeenpleasecomeback . Jason and Tina (#alsonotpictured) were back this week to take the boys for another day of spoiling and to build the couch and pullout bed. We also get them as neighbors for our very first campground stay! #letsmakesmores . And my most favorite bus helper ever is my very own better half, Jake. He drove 7 hours just to be able to help for a day and a half before having to return to work. He got the propane knocked out, the outside ladder figured, the gray tank finished, the diesel door installed, and he made time to make sure our middle little guy had some much needed Daddy time. #besthusbandever . Thank you to all our helpers! You’re making this thing happen! _________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolienation #livesimple #buslife #minimalist #tinyhouseliving #travelingwithkids #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeonwheels #tinyhousemovement #smallliving #fulltimefamily #schoolbuslife #doallthethings #friendsmakelifebetter #thankfulforyou #schoolbusconversion #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Bunks are done! . Ok…98% done. I still need to do trim around the inside of the porthole windows and get their privacy curtains installed. . We get a lot of comments from bus visitors about how narrow the hallway is to get through the bunks to either the kitchen or the bathroom and it was one of those things we agonized over. In the end, we added up how many minutes of the day we’d need to suck it in to be able to get through versus how many hours the boys would spend hanging out in their bunks every day. Gaining every possible inch for them to be able to really live it up in their spaces won. . The bunks are even big enough for me to be able to get in there with them to snug! 😍 . Oh! And! I still need to repaint the outside panels...so make that 97% done. 🤦🏻‍♀️ . Anyone have a recommendation for paint that can withstand 3 climbing boys? The Valspar furniture paint I originally used is already nicked and dingy looking. 😒 _________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolienation #skooliekids #livesimple #buslife #minimalist #tinyhouseliving #travelingwithkids #prioritize #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeonwheels #tinyhousemovement #smallliving #fulltimefamily #schoolbuslife #doallthethings #boymomlife #threeboys #wildkids #letthemplay #secularhomeschool #skooliebedroom #bunkbeds #homeschooler #spacetogrow #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Taking a pause from the crazy scramble that is being only 26 days away from living our new buslife to give a sneak peek of the fabrics for the bus! . The more I look at them, the more I love the pops of color that are going in as privacy curtains for the boys’ bunks. I’m already jealous that they each get their own super cool porthole window and now they’ll get to make their spaces into personal hideaways with their favorite colors, too. . Thank you again to @greendrop19 for the shove to step away from my gray safety net. #grayismyfavoritecolor . Now back to doing all the things! The countdown is on! _________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolienation #skooliekids #livesimple #buslife #minimalist #tinyhouseliving #travelingwithkids #prioritize #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeonwheels #tinyhousemovement #smallliving #fulltimefamily #schoolbuslife #doallthethings #homeschoolingmom #thepigeonbus #fabricstack #sneakpeeks #themeasureofus
It’s time for us to find a place to live and we need your help!! . Here’s what we’re looking for: . Within an hour’s drive of Marietta, GA. . Power and water (a garden hose is great!) hookups. (Composting toilet = no sewer!) Depending on the situation, we will consider paying for the hookups to be installed (see below), and we can work with a simple extension cord on a temporary basis. . Not an RV park. (Although we’d love a list of great ones in the area just in case!) . Someplace quiet with outdoor space. We’re a family of introverts and super crowded isn’t for us! . Family and pet friendly. We’ve got 3 homeschooled kids (3, 5, and 7) and a small dog. Everyone is well-mannered and well-supervised. (Happy to provide references!) . Rent under $1k a month plus utilities with a formal, written agreement in place so we are all on the same page. . Long-term! We’d want to try out possible spots for a few weeks before committing, but we’re looking for space for at least a year. . We’d LOVE a work/live situation to offset a portion of the monthly rent and we’d consider paying to have power run to an unconventional spot. I can see us as caretakers for land that’s used seasonally, for an Airbnb property, or to lend a hand to an elderly resident. The boys would be thrilled if we ended up on a farm or with adopted grandparents. We’ve got a wide skill set and we’re already starting to wonder what we’re going to do with all of our free time with no bus to build or house to sell...put us to work! . We’ll be off on adventures a few weekends a month and spend several weeks out of the year traveling with Jake for work, so I don’t think we’ll cramp anyone’s style. . Know of the perfect spot? Send us a message…we’d love to chat! Know someone who could help? Tag them! Thank you for helping us start the next part of our adventure! ________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolienation #skooliekids #livesimple #buslife #minimalist #tinyhouseliving #travelwithkids #prioritize #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #mariettaga #atlantaga #livework #tinyhouses #busfamily #crowdsourcing #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
I need to do major shoutouts to all of our bus helpers from the last week! We only have 34 (eeeek!) days until #buslife happens and we couldn’t even dream of pulling it off without all these helping hands. . Trey inadvertently spent his day off helping install the new heater. When he agreed to help, I don’t think he imagined we’d hand him an angle grinder and send him to cut the dash out as part of the install…but he got puppy kisses as payment…so I’m not sure he minded. (I finally connected that last wire!) . @rcody86 is a long time helper and never afraid to be thrown under the bus. He wrapped all of our coolant lines, got the gray tank installed with Jake, and let me take not cute photos of him when he wasn’t expecting it. (Next time, I need you to bring @jolut09 and that margarita maker.) . Long-time bus fan and first-time helper, Erica, braved being social to paint the bunks. My boys got spoiled by her girls and I’m still hearing about all the fun they had. When you see the finished bunks (which are THE COOLEST)…know that it was Erica who painstakingly painted every slat! (I only had to touch up the edges! A full second coat wasn’t even needed! You’re officially in charge of painting the living room!) . We love help outside the bus, too! @tinapagliaro took all three boys for the day and I got so much done. Silas has asked no less than 14 times an hour when he gets to go and live with Aunt Tina because she’s the best. (Seriously…there have been tears and he’s already packed and ready to move in.) . Puzzlemaster @paggy00271 got the windshield wipers installed in less than 15 minutes….a task I’ve been putting off for a YEAR because it seemed too complicated. He also agreed to build our couch which makes him the second best after Tina. (Sorry. Silas said. And pick a day for couch building. Tina said.) . And our own personal seamstress, @greendrop19, braved the Joann’s with me and the boys to pick out fabric for the bus curtains. She’s brilliant and did all the math for me, too. She’s also the reason there are colors other than light gray, dark gray, and gray on the bus. (“How about blue?” *insert Dana’s look of disgust* 😆) . All the 😍😍😍😍😍!!!
Once a babywearer, always a babywearer…even when that baby isn’t such a baby anymore and you’ve got to improvise with a ruck! #babywearingdaddy . I didn’t imagine that all of the kids would be so into hiking and exploring the trails, but everyone loved it! So much so that I got “Get Your Kids Hiking” by Jeff Alt at the library so I’d be full of the how to next time we get the chance to hike. . What are your best hiking with kids hints and tricks? And if you’ve got kid-sized hiking packs that you love, I want all the links! ____________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #wearallthetoddlers #babywearing #hikingwithkids #letsgooutside #naturekids #exploringwithkids #travelingwithbaby #virginiaisforlovers #themeasureofus
We used to talk about traveling when the boys were older. It always seemed that some distant age would be the better time…they’ll appreciate it more! They’ll be able to remember it! They’ll get more out of it! . But along the way, life kept pointing out to us that later might not be waiting for us. Why couldn’t right now be the perfect time? . Watching our two oldest boys (who couldn’t be more different) on this roadtrip reconfirmed the feeling that the timing couldn’t be more right. Faced with new places and experiences, these two upped their relationship from brothers to friends. Now that we’re back home, all the conversations are still about all the things they saw and did in Virginia. . Do you wish you had traveled more early in life? If you did…did siblings make the experience a delight or a disaster? ____________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #brothersandbestfriends #growingupwithsiblings #adventurekids #hikeit #homeschoolers #bettertogether #themeasureofus
What do you do when you have three habitually dirt covered little boys and endless house showings? You do one last super deep clean, pack everyone up, and take a road trip! . Two weeks ago, we decided to run away from constantly trying to keep the house show ready and gave ourselves a much needed break. Now we’re back in Georgia (with a house under contract! 🙌) and I’m reliving the wonder that is summertime in Virginia. . Y’all. It was actually COOL IN THE SHADE! We were able to hike without being eaten alive by sand gnats and mosquitoes! (And there were trails everywhere!) It didn’t feel like you were drinking the air through a humidity straw and everything was so GREEN! . I’m no nature photographer, but this place had me clicking away. . This trip was a taste of what buslife will have to offer us and we are so ready for more. . “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” - John Muir ____________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeschooladventures #visitvirginia #richmondva #traillife #hikingwithkids #summerroadtrip #themeasureofus
We said goodbye to Jake’s truck today and, despite being a pro at letting go of pretty much everything, this farewell was more emotional than anticipated. . The truck (lovingly called the Dodge Ram by everyone other than me...I thought it was silly that we call it anything other than “the truck”) has been a fixture in our lives for the last 10 years. . Jake bought it just before we became “dating” official and we spent who knows how many hours of our early relationship just driving around...Jake singing along to the radio and me knitting in the passenger seat. The truck hauled all of my stuff from Florida when we became “let’s live together” official and brought our first (and third) baby home when we became “parent” official. . Every house project, every bus project, every move from one place to the next…the truck was there. Saturday mornings started with telling the kids, “get loaded up in the Dodge Ram” and even the most epic of meltdowns could be tempered with a promise to get to ride to the feed store in Daddy’s big truck. I don’t know how many times I washed it and cleaned it out before Jake got back from weeks away at work...just so it would be ready to take the boys on the next adventure. . I used to be terrified to drive it, but at some point it became no big deal (I’m hoping the learning curve of being behind the wheel of the bus is similar). And seeing it turn into the driveway was always a thrill...it meant all my guys were safe at home again. . The truck is getting a second life as a work truck for a local landscape company, but it will forever be the Dodge Ram to us. A few tears were brushed away as the boys and I watched it go, but this is just another step closer to buslife. . “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.” — Mae West ____________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #sayinggoodbye #dodgeram #boyhood #childhoodadventures #memoriesnotthings #minimalism_life #themeasureofus
Meet David, my new favorite handyman. . David is the guy behind The Other Man (@theotherman_savannahga) and he’s the one you want to call to get projects around the house (or bus) taken care of. He’s knowledgable, friendly, and trustworthy. David is one of those rare people who legitimately cares that the job is done right and the pride he takes in his work shows. . You know how Mary Poppins sings about how Bert is the ultimate gentleman? A vanishing breed? That’s David. He’s ultra-polite, his ma’ams are genuine, and he managed to leave the bus cleaner than when he started. Y’all he EVEN SHOWED UP EARLY. #bonuspoints . He came to work on bus stuff full of enthusiasm, patience, and high-fives. Our fans, water pump, and AC all run now thanks to his ability to apply years of experience toward finding solutions. . I almost don’t want to share him because I have a list titled “THINGS FOR DAVID TO DO ON THE BUS,” but I like him too much to keep him a secret. . (He’s not even paying me to say any of this and he likely died of embarrassment at that Mary Poppins comparison, but if you’re in the Savannah area and have things that need to get done…he’s your guy.) (You’re welcome!)
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#skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #dreambiglivetiny #savannahgeorgia #midwaygeorgia #poolergeorgia #davidprater #theotherman #handyman #handymanservice #helparoundthehouse #doitright #electrician #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus