For the last four and a half years I have lived on and off the road in a converted school bus. I also have a handful of conditions that make me a spoonie (an individual, normally with chronic illnesses, who must ration their energy [spoons] throughout the day due to a lack of energy). 

Every day I face debilitating chronic pain and fatigue while also living on the road with my best friend and my furbabies. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It has enabled me to experience places that I never would have otherwise, and allows me to get out of the “box” that society tells us is what our life should look like. It requires constant adaptation, collaboration, and grace – all things that my sedentary lifestyle didn’t focus on as much. It brings out the best and worst in me, but mostly it allows me to find compassion for the areas I’m still working on (which are many).

I’m currently two weeks into a six month road trip around the United States and decided that this time I would share it with ya’ll, especially my Zebra and Spoonie communities. I certainly don’t envision this lifestyle for everybody, but I do believe we are all meant to find whatever it is in life that breaks the mold, forces us out of our comfort zone, and encourages us to truly embrace who we are. For me, that is bus life.