My Nomadic Journey Begins

A new way to travel, a new way of living

My discovery of minimalism led me to determine how little I needed to be happy… and with a life of less, I could keep my things in a small amount of space… and if I could keep these things in a small amount of space, I was not tied to a “sticks and bricks” home to store these things.

Having less and wanting less meant that I had enough. My real estate investments were allowing me to focus less on work. I could now do things I wanted to do… things that had absolutely nothing to do with earning money.

I knew that travel made me happy, and I decided it was time to have a new adventure… a different adventure. This time my travel would not involve airplanes, cruise ships or hotels.

I would travel across the United States in a travel trailer. There was just one problem… I didn’t have a vehicle. I had decided through my journey into minimalism that I did not need a car. And… well, a source of transportation comes in handy when traveling cross country with your home in tow.

In August 2016, I found my home on wheels… a 13’ travel trailer… the Scamp. I pulled the trigger and placed a deposit on my egg-like home. The cost… $13,693. Production would begin over the next couple of months with a delivery date of mid-June 2017. I would call him Mork.

Now that I had found my Mork, it was time to search for a Mindy to pull him. (Yes, I know, I had “put the cart before the horse.”) My initial thought was a Kia Sportage but after evaluating the reviews, I decided upon a Jeep Renegade… a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk with four-wheel drive.

Never a fan of waiting (impatient, party of one), I kept looking at travel trailers, specifically vintage travel trailers. In my search, I discovered a 1981 Serro Scotty on eBay. The orange and brown stripe… the wood paneling… the handmade curtains… this little guy was oozing retro. He was my childhood wrapped up in a tin can.

On November 5, 2016 I flew to Cleveland, Ohio and purchased “Scotty” for $3,000.

I had never pulled a travel trailer before, so I did not feel comfortable driving the camper to Atlanta. Plus… I had no place to park Scotty. I had homework to do. Oh… and I had to cancel the order on the Scamp Mork.

After locating a secure parking spot in a town just outside of the city, I made arrangements through Uship to have my 35-year-old tin can delivered on November 20, 2016.

My Scotty adventure was going to see me head south to Florida then west. I was going to limit my time in campgrounds. I would install solar on my new home. I would stay on public lands. I would live simply. I would bathe in a shower built from a cement mixing tub… a home depot bucket would serve as my washing machine and toilet. (Are you scratching your head yet?)

As the new year approached, I learned the ins and outs of pulling my new 13 foot long friend, and on January 11, 2017 I hit the road. Oops… I mean “we” the road. My cat, Patrick, was joining me for this aventure.

Yes… so much to tell.

To Be Continued