Not all sunshine and rainbows! Transition is hard.

Literally, it rained the 1st two weeks while we were in transition. We are also snap decision makers and then dive in face first. We’d much rather learn something by doing than researching it – starting to think this may be an exception! I read a LOT of posts and blogs now trying to get a handle on this. Read our starting out post and get an idea of who we are if you haven’t already – I’ll wait.

Welcome back! We have managed to pick up a few things along the way. The rain does seem to end. We are becoming more comfortable in our own skins and in our rolling home. Then, as comfort sets in, we learn more things that rock our worlds.

Arguments, Stress, Dogs – oh my! An entire family makes the transition in less than a week.

As I read other blogs and posts – people are way smarter than I am! Most people took a month, if not months, to make the transition out of their sticks and bricks! Our family did it in less than a week. We eventually got there – but it was a whirlwind of activity.

We quickly took things to trash. Then we grabbed things we thought we couldn’t do without and went to storage. As we did these things, we loaded the trailer with what we assumed we would need to live. Then, back to storage to either grab more things for the trailer, trash or to bring things to the storage from the trailer!

It was complete chaos. Our contracted cleaners were terrible, and we ended up cleaning the entire house at the same time. Our pool pump went out and the pool turned into a swamp – we face several difficulties all crammed in while trying to get into our rolling home.

I took the trailer to Little Rock Air Force Base to set it up for camping and start our adventure while trying to close out of the house! This was another tough learning point.

Without further ado – the promised list!

Top 8 Difficulties while in transition

1. Prioritizing the schedule and process – Wow – this was the toughest. We tried to do everything in less than a week. There was a limited plan in place. We should have worked out a plan to separate items, room to room. There should have been piles of “keep in storage for the kids”, “take to the trailer” and “take to the dump”. We eventually got there – while making last minute repairs and cleaning.
   • Process – We strongly suggest separating the stuff and getting it into where it needs to be, then schedule cleaning and repairs and finally contacting a listing agent.
2. Emotional baggage is heavier and harder to negotiate than actual baggage. We would often find ourselves looking a glass we had not used in over a decade and saying something like “this is the last Coke glass from the McDonald’s giveaway we have left from Germany”.
3. You are really moving into a tiny home. The space constraints are real and cause friction if you are not prepared for them. There are times you feel suffocated and setting boundaries quickly becomes extremely important.
4. Organization is key. It is a Tiny Home (see point 3!) Downsizing is integral to the process, but you’ll finally get down to what you think you “need” (we’re still learning we do not need as much as we thought!). Then you have to find places to put everything and the dreaded “prioritizing” word comes up. What order do you access things?
   • Please do not rush out and buy a lot of containers, baskets or bags. You will discover what your system requires as time goes by. As I type this Ash is making a list of some things to buy to help organize the pantry – to fit our needs. If we’d bought things at the start, we wouldn’t have known what to buy!
5. Our teenage daughter is on this journey with us. I am so excited to have her here. It has been about a month and the change in perception and values has already begun. However; she has extremely limited space. In choosing our camper it was important she had her own space, but due to towing limitations (could not afford a bigger truck!) she is in a bunk space with a curtain. Her bed is her space, no floor, no vanity, no closets (although she does have storage). Getting your kids input while assigning storage and helping them decorate their space is essential.
6. The disruption to the daily routine is severe. I guess this one does not just apply to this type of transition, but also to retirement, major life changes, etc… We have already noticed a massive change in how we choose to eat. We really only eat if hungry. Sometimes that’s once a day! Sometimes it is 3 times a day. We are hoping it evens out some, but it is definitely interesting to see how much all aspects have changed when deadlines are gone.
7. We have to plan out where home is next! That’s a new process. Luckily, we have several things in our favor. I was raised to know how to read a map – huge. I spent years driving a commercial truck and relied on being able to plan a trip and Ash is a wizard at sniffing out interesting camping areas.
8. Finally, if it is possible for your situation – TAKE YOUR TIME. We definitely would have benefitted from an extra couple of weeks.

Hope all of this helps!

Please learn from our mistakes and try to make your transition smooth if you choose to do this! We definitely have things we would have done differently. However, it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t just dive in and try it out.

Remember to follow us, bookmark the front page, hit us up on the Contact page! We’re going full force into this adventure, and really don’t know how to do it any other way. We look forward to meeting you on the road!

Sincerely,

Steven, Ash and Sierra