ROAD LIFE: The Essentials

     Moving into the camper full time required major downsizing. Here's what I learned: 

                 *NEXT LOCATION ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END*

On the Road essentials vs. nonessentials 

    I think the hardest part of the transition for me was trying to figure out what we actually NEEDED on the road. When your house is on wheels, you have to remember that everything in there has to be able to withstand the bumps and hills. It's a daily struggle figuring out how much or many of things we need. 

    We started out pretty stationary. The camper was parked in Miranda's moms yard while we finalized and prepared for the road. The way the camper looked then compared to how it looks now (after many hours of driving and in a new environments) is wayyyyy different. It honestly continues to change everyday. 

    When we were decluttering, we had no issue getting rid of EVERYTHING. Clothes, furniture, decorations, etc were all SUPER easy to sell and give away. We kept clothes that we knew would last and that we could layer up when we got cold. Furniture... We didn't keep anything but our mattress and one extra large dog crate. Dishes and kitchen accessories were a little bit tricky. There isn't a ton of space for that kind of stuff and we couldn't figure out what all we would end up using while mobile. You do not need a lot of dishes or utensils; a few good pans (that fit in the little oven), and our two person crockpot are about the only things we use frequently. 

    Some of the things we did decide were worth it to keep, ended up being in the way or pointless. Like... my beloved house plants. I had over 30 house plants of all sizes. As of now, I have some leftover lavender seeds that somehow ended up in here. My point is, house plants ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND when you have three cats + a moving house. The amount of dirt we vacuumed up is unreal and MESSY. 

    We end up going through our clothes every few weeks and giving away the clothes that haven't been worn in the past two or three washes. Once we find a tank top we like, we pretty much wear it nonstop until it is socially unacceptable to wear out. lol I, personally, started out with at least 10 t-shirts. I now have two. Some people would say that rewearing "dirty" clothes is disgusting or that having two t-shirts is not even close to having enough. BUT if I smell fine, the clothes smell fine, if I have only worn it outside one time... then like is it reallllllllly dirty??? It is important to pick and choose what is actually dirty because who knows when the next laundry day is :)

    

    Our essentials are pretty funny when I type them out because to "house people" it probably sounds so strange. 

    1st essential: Our backpacks. I drag that thing around everywhere and PACKED with everything. When we are moving locations, there is a lot of going back and forth between the truck and the camper. This would be simple but we have six pets so it takes some patience to get in and out. The three big dogs are always wanting to help moms fill up the gas tank or adjust camper settings. The kittens are just cute little escape artists who try to come up with as many ways as they can to give one or both of us a heart attack. It is easier to fill up the back pack with essentials from the camper when we are in the car driving, than it is to get out and in and out and in to grab things we forgot. 

    2nd essential: The little clear plastic containers from heaven. Ohhhh these little crates have been a life saver, let me tell ya. Upon arrival of our first big drive, we opened the camper door to find a disaster. Stuff was everywhere, cabinets had flown open, things had fallen from places that I didn't think they could fall from. The best solution we have found for this has been the plastic crates. I bought a pack of 15 from amazon- best decision ever. We now have everything organized and stored in the crates so that when we pack up, the only thing we have to do is put the crates on the ground. No mess, nothing is broken, we know exactly where things are. We installed shelves all through out the inside of the camper so now everything is off the floor and in a crate on the shelves. EASY PEASY. 

            A few other things we have found as essential: 

- Our vacuum, we were skeptical about dragging it around with us but it has a little spot and pretty much stays out of the way. Between 6 pets and two human, we make a lot of messes that a broom just wouldn't get.

- Laundry BAGS, we started off with the generic laundry basket but quickly figured out that a bag holds a lot more and squeezes into more places. Plus it can be hung. *We try to keep as much stuff off the floors as we can.* 

- Space heater, the camper is pretty small and easy to heat up. We originally were using our propane heating unit that is standard for our camper, but we discovered that an electric space heater does just the job AND we don't have to worry about running out of propane for when we cook. Best thirty bucks ever!

    I feel like I could go on and on about what to bring and how to use it but at the end of the day, it's going to look different for everyone. This is just what works for US.

NEW LOCATION

     We will be leaving New Mexico in the next week or two to start our 22 hour drive up to Northern California!

    Yesterday, we accepted a job working for an RV campsite on the BEACH of California. We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn new things and to dip our feet into the sand ;). Best part is that it is a "couples" job. Meaning, Miranda and I will be working together, same shift, hours, and days off. We also will have free rent + an hourly pay rate. We will be there for the next 6 months and I will do my best to post all of the gorgeous views we will see on our summer on the coast!

Thanks for checking in and staying updated,

Leah, Miranda, and The Crew