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1. ADVENTURE
My skoolie dream started with a vision of me parked up in Whistler shredding all day and coming back to a cozy wood-warmed, skoolie and a hot shower. I haven't made it to Whistler yet, as covid has permanently put any Canadian migration plans on hold, but I have camped out at plenty of awesome ski towns in the lower forty-eight.
I had considered tiny living in different forms, container homes, tiny homes on a trailer, etc. but a skoolie made so much sense as they were cheap, mobile, didn’t need a vehicle to haul, and already offered a great sturdy steel foundation to build a home on!
2. FREEDOM
Admittedly, there are a lot of sacrifices involved in tiny living, living off-grid, and trying to remain environmentally along the way. This lifestyle requires you to be self-reliant and resourceful. Even though I have to think about things I literally never thought about on the grid (power delivery, water access, trash disposal) I highly prefer it to being, trapped in a toxic job, or stuck with a toxic neighbor and/or landlord. For me, the freedom to go where you want, to choose who you surround yourself with, how you spend your time, and having the freedom to invest in yourself are all things that all people should experience in life. Being free of constant financial pressure, the freedom to set my own terms of success, and being able to take the time to educate myself, learn new skills, and go on adventures without going into debt has opened me up to so many experiences over the past few years.
3. GOING GREEN
Even I sometimes scoff at the idea of “being green” while living in a diesel-fueled yellow metal monster, but there are many ways that tiny living changes your perspective on your resources, and your impact on the spaces around you.
For example, when I lived on the grid I left lights on in empty rooms all the time. I left the television on when no one was watching. I used water without a second thought. I bought items that generated loads of trash. I had no thought about the impact of these things because the impact of these things was completely hidden from me. I didn’t see what work and infrastructure went into powering those lights, or how much water was consumed when I did dishes. Living a grid-tied life perpetuates an illusion of infinite resources. Having all of my water come from one source that I can clearly see myself depleting on a daily basis, feeling the frustration of running out of power, and feeling how quickly my space becomes crowded with waste when I’m not able to simply take out the trash whenever I want has made me so much more conscious of my wasteful habits.
BONUS REASON: COMMUNITY
If you want to meet and talk to tons of people, or if like me you’re about 50/50 on the idea at any given time, converting a bus is a great way to do that. Meeting people and talking about Skoolies wasn’t an original reason that I got on this path originally, but it has been a major part of this journey. The countless random conversations I’ve had with people have ranged from thinking it was awesome, to letting me know their neighborhood watch group thinks it’s a meth lab (ridiculous true story). Aside from those superficial conversations, I have met (and already known) some truly awesome people who are willing to give their time, expertise, and even invited me into their homes. The skoolie life introduced me to the idea of access over ownership, and showed me the love of my community in a time where much more often we see the ugly side of people.
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