February 01, 2017 8 Comments
I'm not crazy in the definition of being mentally unstable or irrational. I’m crazy because I’m about to take the biggest leap of faith … and move into my school bus.
My name is Jessica Perez and as of February 3rd, I’ll have left my corporate career I’ve diligently worked hard at to pursue my own passions and path.
You see, I believed that following the route that society deemed as respectable, honest, and rewarding, would ultimately provide long term security and happiness in life. I graduated college and earned two Bachelor’s Degrees which helped me land a career in the consulting industry where my portfolio of clients were Silicon Valley’s poster children. My life was focused around work and I lived by the motto, “arrive before the client, and stay late past the client.”
Here again, I kindly refer to myself as crazy because I actually enjoyed this fast paced, deadline-driven environment that challenged me and kept me on my toes. As you can guess, I quickly burnt out and learned my first lesson: happiness in life is not all about work and money.
I relocated to Lake Tahoe for love and wanted to try out a more simple life with my boyfriend Nick Cahill. Ironically, I found my way back into consulting, working for a local firm that had an impressive client list. This was a difficult transition for me as I had hoped for a new career path that didn’t keep me behind a desk. I’m also a city girl at heart, now living in a mountain town: shopping, manicures, and brunching were traded in for hikes, gym classes, and home cooking.
My appreciation and love for being in nature steadily grew. I even challenged myself with a goal I thought I’d never accomplish, and that was to climb Mt. Shasta, my first fourteen-er. After having completed my “impossible” goal, I returned home with a fresh perspective: I can achieve all that I put my heart into.
For Nick and myself these past two years, we’ve put our souls into our goal of building our tiny home on wheels. While our friends are falling in line with what society has road mapped: graduate from school, find true love, make a career, get hitched, buy a house, have children… we consciously chose to take a different path.
We purchased a 1988 Thomas Mighty Mite school bus and have converted it into our 100 sq. ft. traveling home. With all the work done by ourselves or with the help of friends and partners, we take great pride in our bus.
We've put in countless hours, incurred unexpected expenses (like swapping in a modern fuel-injected engine), and have been patiently waiting to get on the road. Our materials for the most part have been re-purposed or up-cycled.
Our kitchen counter is reclaimed wood from a San Francisco pier. The sustainable hardwood flooring is bamboo, and goes nicely with the recycled bamboo tiki curtains. The couch was donated to us from Home Reserve, an eco-conscious company that creates adaptable furniture--perfect for small spaces. Our entire bus is re-purposed from once having been an active public passenger vehicle, to now our tiny home. Thomas is our baby, and our commitment to each other. Thomas to us symbolizes freedom, passion, dedication, and optimism.
Originally this bus was simply going to be our Burner rig for Burning Man, but our project quickly evolved into something larger than we could’ve ever imagined. Nick is an up and coming photographer who has landed the cover of National Geographic, toured with the widely recognized electronic music artist Seven Lions, and is the Media Director of the largest military content network, Hurricane Group (formerly SOFREP).
Part of our original vision was for Nick to be able to take extended trips with the bus into desolate locations to expand his landscape photography portfolio. However as our bus conversion progressed, we soon found ourselves eager to embark on our next great adventure together: moving into the bus.
While Nick is the all-star photographer with a career that allows him to work remotely from anywhere (as long as there’s internet connection), I will be his right hand lady / manager. “But how are you going to earn money,” is a question I’m frequently asked, and to be honest, I’m not 100% sure yet. I’d love to get Nick’s artwork into galleries, do freelance work on the side, and return to my passion for video editing, but these jobs aren’t promised in my future.
As of now, I’m selling my possessions and “things” I’ve managed to collect over the years for some quick cash. Leaving the security of a steady pay check in exchange for a gypsy-nomadic life on the road traveling from one location to the next, scares me - yet has me feeling exhilarated and alive. For once I feel like I’m in charge of my life’s direction, creating my own destiny, and finding my happiness.
Call me crazy... for I’m about to move into a school bus with Nick, where we’ll live in 1/15 of the space we currently reside in, with no promised income - but the freedom of the open road ahead of us.
Check out Nick's portfolio for some amazing stills and motions, as well as follow @BlueBusAdventure to join Jessica and Nick on an adventure of a lifetime.
February 03, 2017
Your story is very inspiring. My life is filled with too much of my job and it makes me want to buy a van and live a simple life exploring what brings me happiness. Best of luck to you!
February 01, 2017
Great to hear! Enjoy every adventure that lies ahead and most of all have fun and be safe. Hopefully see you both in Tahoe or maybe Maui we always have room for you here.
February 01, 2017
Have you ever seen pictures of Dr. Dean Edell before he became a radio and the TV doctor/ medical expert? He had a “hippy bus”. Go for it and have fun!
February 01, 2017
Fantastic story along with beautiful pictures of Thomas. You two have a wonderful future ahead. I wish you both the best of luck with your new adventure and style of living. Pioneers in this new way of living becomes you two. I know you can do it. Good luck. Lovingly, Grma
February 01, 2017
Amazing story and write up. Go Jessica!!!
February 01, 2017
Congrats to you and Nick! Love your energy and passion for life and love ❤️ I’m happy that I can continue to watch your journey and adventures. It actually helps me keep in perspective of what’s important and how life is really short so make it count! Love you both ? May each destination bring you many happy creative memories.
February 01, 2017
I’m so excited for you both! I’m very excited to see the adventures you go on and people you get to meet. I will be sure to be following you guys and living vicariously through the Blue Bus Adventures.
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My name is Alan—founder at Dream Big Live Tiny Co! A few years ago, I quit my consulting job to pursue a life full of adventure. After traveling around the world for a year, I sold most of my stuff and moved into an 160-sqft tiny house. Now I spend most of my time showcasing incredible people living with less in pursuit of more freedom, as well as incredible tiny houses around the world!
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Joshua Carpenter
February 11, 2017
Love your story! Very similar to ours!! Would love to meet and catch up with you two sometime! We are currently on South Padre Island, Texas, headed to Arizona doing concerts over the next few months. Let us know where we might cross your path!! We love connecting with other crazy people!!