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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What is Home?



We've been thinking a lot about home lately. I wrote in one of my posts that a house is not a home without love. Well, what is a home without a house?

One of the quotes on the Airstream website is: "Home is where you are."

We tend to agree.

Speaking of Airstream, we've been fantasizing about selling everything, moving into one and venturing out onto the open road... towing our home behind us. It would be a mobile live/work space. And it would be fabulous. We'd see things we'd never seen before, we'd be free and the great American outdoors would be our 'backyard.' That's the fantasy.

The reality is that we can't afford to buy an Airstream (new or used) but if Airstream were to say give us one (I said it was a fantasy, didn't I?) well...

The idea of selling everything and paring our lives down to the absolute bare minimum is thoroughly appealing and equally frightening. I say I don't want to be attached to the material, but am I capable of living in a 200 square foot space? Am I cut out for that? On one hand it seems perfect. Bob can work anywhere as long as he has wifi and I can write anywhere. We could live almost anywhere. We could, as the Airstream motto goes, SEE MORE, DO MORE, LIVE MORE!

And I do love the design of the Airstream. So sleek. And you can do almost anything-- including solar-pimping. You can be eco-friendly. Check this out:


The Portable Planet-Friendly Home
at Sprig

It seems like the perfect thing to do now while we have the chance because when else are we going to be so displaced without a plan? It could be our best chance to raise the anchor and be vagabonds for a bit. No matter where go we know we'll be working extremely hard. This is the time for that. And how much space do we need for that? Another bonus about living in a tiny space: it's so much easier to clean. Right?

Could you do it? Would you? Anyone out there done it before and have some insight to share? Please do. Share away in the comments section. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

So will we end up in an Airstream or pop-up camper? I don't know. We've had lots of extremely generous offers from friends and family to stay with them for a while. And that's most likely where we'll head. Back to the Chicago area to stay with my family for a bit. Work our butts off to make something happen. Then either rent an apartment back in L.A. or buy an Airstream trailer and act out our nomadic fantasy.

For now, I surf the web and try to imagine a home on wheels.

Here's another one I found today on Inhabitat. It's a pretty amazing concept. Very Jetsons. And unfortunately it's still only a concept. Instead of popping up, it fans out and there's a weather-protective skin that stretches over the top.


Click HERE for more pictures of the Expandable Mobile Mini House.


Links:

The very fancy Design Within Reach trailer - Airstream

Airstream Trailer Serves Eco-Nomads - Cnet News

Small Space Ideas from an Airstream Trailer - Apartment Therapy

The Expandable Mobile Mini House - Inhabitat

4 Comments:

Kim Hooper said...

You should DEFINITELY read the latest Psychology Today. There are some great articles in there that I think you would relate to. In one article, they talk about how "failures" can open us up, how we're almost grateful for them because they force us to think of a different, formerly crazy way of living/being. I love the Airstream idea! I have fantasies all the time. I think, "If I get laid off, we're going somewhere random for a year." I guess the fantasy helps to temper any sadness of reality. But, there is something exciting about "starting over." It's the great American way. They talk about that in the magazine too. Get it, get it, get it!!!

Love in the Time of Foreclosure said...

Ooooh. Good tip. Thanks, Kim! Can't wait to read it.

Anonymous said...

I have already warned Jamie that an Airstream or its like is in our future. seriously. I could totally make it work. And I think Pablo was made for the open road :-)

I think we have at least another 10 years or so before we head out, but I do a lot of fantasizing about it. I even watched the show about it on HGTV. I love the idea. I spent a lot of weekends in a popup camper growing up and look back on it very fondly. Instead of the round the world Pablo trip, it could be the great american road trip with Pablo....

Megan

Love in the Time of Foreclosure said...

I've been thinking about the round the world trip we wanted to take. It reminds me that we've always had this desire to be untethered for a while. You know? And yes, I agree. Pablo would do quite well in an Airstream. Or popup camper.

Speaking of the HGTV special, I've been wanting to see that, but am not sure how since we don't have 'TV' anymore. I haven't been able to find it online yet.

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