The Nomad Camp. The healing from heartbreak. A detail on a wild land fire hotshot crew with amazing people who helped life me up. The friends I made who have become anchors of support and remind me to live a little. My redefined relationship with my family. My journey for holistic healing was being laid before my–still fairly blinded–eyes. The two years after heartbreak that shattered a lot of superficial value and beliefs I had of the world and my world, Divine intervention was giving me these tools to build strength for the near future endeavors.
One of this endeavors was accepting a Crew Lead position states away from Oregon. I was going back home to the Rocky Mountains. Colorado and Oregon had always been places of curiosity for very different reasons. And, Colorado was my next destination, but not without a crazy, left field decision on my lifestyle. I wanted to start completely over–minimize my tangibles and maximize quality memories. I traded in my vehicles for a Nissan Titan, sold almost everything, and bought a camper to turn tiny home. Needless to say, I do things big–so I accepted the position in Colorado without much for research and landed myself in a small town on the northern Colorado border. At 8,000 feet in elevation with starkly different climate from Bend, and a future of opportunities.
Have you tried living in a tiny home? Been in a camper for a weekend? For those gypsy souls who can contently live in a space smaller than a typical livingroom–kudos! The camper I renovated was 25 feet total (including the tongue). One slide out to accommodate the dining area, a gas oven/stove, electric hot water heater–and two rambunctious dogs to share it all with. The small town I live in is, well, small. Like, it doesn’t even hit 1000 population in the whole county small! To add, it’s at least 60 miles from any city that has amenities aside from the bare basics with a few okay restaurants (foods great, but there’s always a struggle in small towns for employees, thus, service and pricing. This is by no means a dig on those restaurants–this is the reality of living in a small town).
Did I mention it’s also high elevation? Winters can be brutal! I had no idea what I was getting into moving here. Renting was (and is) almost impossible when I pulled in after my long haul from Oregon on October, 2017. I decided to camp out in the dry (packed with my life, mind you) camper in a parking lot the first night. I went to be with pleasant and mild last Fall weather…I woke up with about 6 inches of snow and below 0º temperatures! I was striking out left and right trying to figure out my living situation; and I was up against the wintery jack frost racing in for the winter.
By the grace of God, the trailer park had an open lot and the owner hesitantly let me rent it out for the winter. This couple became my savior as they gained more trust with my survival skills and supported me to the day that I bought that lot from them (another post). My father, who absolutely and unapologetically disagreed with my decision to stay in the camper for the winter, came down with my brother to help me insulate and skirt underneath the camper. It was cozy. It was hooked up to the lot amenities (water, electric, and sewer) and the local propane company dropped off a tank, helped me change adaptors and hooked the camper up. Small town manners are something to note. They may mind their own business, or get into your business, and sometimes to a point it can be isolating or invasive. Yet, when there comes a time for the community to pitch in and help, there are no questions asked!
It was an adjustment living in a camper. The water line had to have a pressure reducer. I couldn’t, heh-hmmmm, drain the black tanks but once a week with a thorough flush in the toilet. I had an oil heater with a thermostat under the camper for those frigid nights and stuffed most the windows with bubble wrap. The more I’m conjuring up memories, the more I smile while writing this. It was a fun adventure! Different. Challenging. I was a pioneer on the frontier alpine lands and I did my best to survive. I’d bake or cook to add the extra heat. Showers were ultra quick (thank goodness for my forgiving course, curly hair). It was a life of a minimalist to the extreme–which I still to this day appreciate. However, it wasn’t the ideal life (in my opinion) for the isolated town with unforgiving climate. Nor was it the lifestyle I needed at this point in my life. I needed room. Room to exercise. Room to lay on the floor; snuggle and play with the dogs. A great experience, but something I could do as a snow bird for a few months–probably not permanently. I was starting to nest. I wanted to find a place to put roots down 
Nonetheless, as I said before, I had to make it a cozy home! I knew I wanted to manifest this camper/tiny home into an asset, not a forever. So, I went creative. I also went on a budget. Another thing to keep in mind with any home on wheels is weight. The axles, how many? Tires–psi and max load. Not your typical home. I had to get savvy!
Within a year, I bought a home. I’ll describe the home later–as I don’t want to skew you in any direction. My! How does one think they can even afford a house on a single income these days?!? Anywhere and especially in Colorado?!?!
Once again, I didn’t think I’d be sharing my creations with the world, so photos are subpar. I hope they give you an idea of what I love to do with my imagination and my hands! It took me about three years to finish the camper before I sold it to a wonderful family that drove away with it and huge smiles on their faces.
I’ll create another follow up for the details on this savvy, cozy camper I made a home and the affiliate links for you to get savvy and creative.