In 2016, we decided to hit the road and travel the entire United States. We had a travel trailer, but I knew with some love, we could transform this space into something that felt like a home. Having our home to come back to each day after a new adventure was such an important aspect of RV Living. We were always blown away that we were able to tow our entire life behind us. Crawl into our own beds each night, no matter was outside around us. Sometimes it was a rest stop or a Walmart parking lot, other times it was outside of Zion, a hillside on New Mexico or the beaches of Texas. No matter where we were, our home was right there with us.

The best thing we have done in our RV homes is to add paint to the walls. Painting our space white brightens up the entire RV. Taking away that "everything is brown" look makes the space cozy and welcoming. Some thing we are crazy for having so many white walls with 4 boys in such a small space but let me tell you, Mr Clean white eraser sponges are my best friend. From there we have added pops of color around out RV to give it the warmth and add our own touch. 

Another thing we do in our renovations to make it feel like home is we gut the slide and add a new couch and dinette area. We love our Home Reserve couch in our current RV and one of the other favorite couches we used in our first renovation is the Ikea couch with storage. Adding small pieces of furniture and such can give your space a warm feeling. 

Lastly, hang pictures! Use that rare wallspace wisely. It's valuable real-estate. Hang your favorite family picture, traveling map, bulletin board for keepsakes. Giving the space your own touch makes it feel so much more like home. 

There are several reasons we decided to live the small life. This lifestyle is a choice. In todays day and age, most new homes are large,  2,000+ square feet and not much outdoor space. The focus on newer homes being built is the bigger the better. We found ourselves, like most, filling it with unnecessary things, stuff, crap we just didn't need. Most of the house wasen't used and we all tended to gather in the same small space. The decision to go small for us was easy.

First, we found that by downsizing, we were free of so much clutter, closets full of items we never touched and things we just didn't need. By living small, we are mindful of the things we have in our home. Mindful of our purchases and need to make sure that each item we bring in has a spot to go. If it doesn't, we get rid of something we haven't used in a while.  It's simple and so freeing. 

Second, we don't need a large space to live in to all be comfortable. I'll be honest, moving from 1,400 sq. ft to 300 sq. ft was an adjustment to say the least. When you've lived your entire life with enough space to have to actually look for the people you live with, its strange to nearly have eye contact with them each time you turn around. For a mom with 4 boys, they are never far from our sight, unless they're outside. Does each person have their own private space? In our tiny home, yes. Each of us has a bed space we can escape to when needed. Do we find ourselves there often? No. 

Third, we live small because in the end, we live far under our means, which means our finances can be directed into the most important places. Right now, that is the growth of our business. Living in Southern California, attempting to grow a business from the ground up without the help of outside finances can be near impossible. Having the ability to live small, love it and live below our means puts us on track to achieve the goals we have set out to accomplish. 

When we slowed down the travel life to have our 4th son, we rented a house that was about 2,600 sq. ft. We used maybe 60% of the space and still didn't need it all. We joked that the master bedroom was larger than the RV we just moved out of. It was daunting and we couldn't wait to get out of it. Lesson learned. Living small has its pros and cons, its ups and down and its trials and tribulations. Yet, at this time in our lives, it really does work best for us. Will we always live small? Maybe not THIS small, but I cannot imagine living in a 2,000+ sq. ft house ever again. 

In 2016 when we first decided to travel in an RV fulltime, this concept was pretty foreign to most. We were wedding photographers, only working on the weekends with kids in school during the week. Our weekdays were mostly open other than side work and we felt the urge to break away from whats expected and explore. To each other, this idea felt wildly freeing, to our family and friends, I think they thought we were nuts. I specifically remember my moms reaction when we shared our plans with her, "That sounds like a fun idea." To which I responded, "It's not actually an idea, we're really going to do it and thats why we're telling you."
Moving away from what's considered "normal" and changing course was a big jump but it was one we were so confident in. Getting away from a mortgage, a 9-5 job that barely paid the bills, and exploring the US sounded exactly like what we wanted to do.
So how did we handle those comments, questions, concerns and sometimes lack of support? We just did it. We didn't need anyones permission to hit the road. No matter how crazy they thought we were, we knew exactly what we wanted. When our parents decided to meet us on the road, travel with us a bit and watch our adventures on YouTube, they began ton understand the appeal. 
Now when we make big changes in our lives, they're not too often surprised. They tend to shrug, stand back and watch our next adventure unfold. We are lucky to have incredibly supportive parents, friends who are not afraid to ask all of the questions and kids who are just along for the ride. 
If you are deciding to jump into the RV Life fulltime and lack that support, just do it. They'll all come around and if they don't, it's still your life. Live it how you dream. 

This renovation was built for a family of 4 to travel around the US. Although the state of the world slowed us down, we got her done and delivered. Watch until the end to see the familys reaction to their new home.