At home with my Little Guy

… and then I realized, adventure is the best way to learn.

For the past week as I have traveled from Colorado to Ohio, I have been asked along the way for tours of my tiny trailer – from complete strangers at gas stations, rest stops, and tourist destinations. Therefore, I will start this post with a short tour for you. I’ve included several photos near the bottom of the page.

When I purchased my trailer – appropriately named the Little Guy T@g – it needed a bit of rearranging to make it my summer home. I stacked the mattresses to make sleeping more comfortable, which also doubled the living space. I added a “dresser” that houses ten days’ worth of very tightly rolled clean clothing. I found the plastic container at Goodwill for .99 cents, which also doubles as a nightstand and/or table. I found a little three-drawer plastic thingy (again, at Goodwill for .99 cents) to hold my Keurig pods, tea bags, and extra toiletries. Both are Velcro-ed to the wall so that they don’t float while in transit. I attach a little bungee cord to the front before traveling so the drawers don’t fly out.

The cupboards aren’t full yet. I have my books and writing utensils in one, where I added a mirror. The other cupboard houses a small space heater and a hoodie, in case I come across a chilly night as I continue to travel north. Behind my bed is another storage space that remains empty. My thought was that this would be a great place to put dirty clothes between laundry days. Four cubbies are located above the bed, where I have a rain jacket, first aid kit, and extra towels. I made curtains and added bedding to make the place look a bit homier. There is additional storage under the bed/floor where I have the water hose. It’s inconvenient to use this storage, so it will probably remain empty for the most part. Ironically, I don’t have a television or DVD player in my permanent home, but the Little Guy came equipped with both (cable or antenna ready). We will see if I use it while traveling. I am enjoying the surround sound stereo system.

The kitchen in my Little Guy is so much fun. It’s fully equipped to serve all my food needs this summer. I intend on eating well, so I have limited the amount of junk food and snacks – NO room for bottles and cans of Diet Coke here! The kitchen has an electric refrigerator/freezer, gas stove, and water tank. My dry food is stored under the sink.

My car is virtually empty. I have my vehicle tool bag, walking stick, bag chair, and a few items to set up the trailer at night (wheel chocks, leveler blocks, hitch lock). In front, I have my snack box, water bottle, and phone charger. I’ve realized I need very little.

Well, there you have it – a tour of my summer home.

My next blog post will cover my adventures this first week on the road – mostly avoiding nasty tornadoes and flooding throughout the Midwest. Verizon is concerned regarding my whereabouts and has provided me free unlimited internet while I’m in storm-stricken areas. This makes WiFi extremely convenient now, as I can use my cell phone as a hotspot for my laptop. I’m taking two six-week courses from June 23 to August 3. My immigrant literature course is requiring 14 novels and dozens of analytical articles, so we will see how long I can remain on the road while trying to keep up with the coursework. Until then, I’ll be in touch.