Preparing for a year on the road

We’re 149 days out from our official launch date — October 31st — and the planning has officially shifted from “what if” to “well, here we go.”

Preparing to live in a converted school bus for a year is part excitement, part problem-solving, and part realizing just how loud Don is on Zoom calls.

Here’s where we’re at so far:

Mechanical Check-Up

First thing’s first — we took Skuhlie to the mechanic for a full check-up. After completing the recommended list of things to fix, she passed with flying colors. No red flags, no leaky surprises. Just a solid green light to roll. (Insert heavy sigh of relief here.)

Space: The Eternal Puzzle

We're deep into the “where do we put all this stuff?” phase. We’re exploring under-the-bus storage lockers or possibly a rooftop cargo box, though that’s getting a bit crowded with the kayaks and the solar panels already up there. So now we’re asking ourselves the question we never thought we would: Should we get inflatable kayaks? TBD.

Zoom Tent (Yes, Really)

Don found a tall tent that could double as a 12*12 outdoor office space for meetings and to give us two independent working spaces. Between the size of the tent and the volume of his voice, we're pretty sure this setup could work without disturbing the wildlife—or other campers, haha. Where to put the tent when not in use adds to the storage puzzle pieces.

Ebikes & a Beefy New Rack

We upgraded to a heavy-duty rack for our Lectric eBikes. This one locks, rides smooth, and feels way more secure than our last setup. The bikes will definitely be our main source of exploration in towns and trails, ensuring they ride safely was a priority.

Mapping the Journey

We got a big ol’ map and started pinning it with must-sees: national parks, Camvio clients Don will visit, bike and kayak trails (Hiawatha in Idaho, we’re looking at you), and of course, friends and family scattered across the states.

The Tools to Get There

We’re planning the route with RV Life Trip Wizard, which has been a great way to scope out campgrounds and stay within our comfort zone of chasing 70-degree weather, and away from tornado alley during tornado season.

First Stops Booked

We’ve officially made our first campground reservations starting Halloween — because what better day to roll out than the one where pretending to be someone else is celebrated? This time, we’re just pretending we totally know what we’re doing.

We're excited, nervous, and constantly making lists of things we haven’t thought of yet. But after 10+ years in Nicaragua (where hurricanes, earthquakes, and power outages were part of daily life), we’re feeling pretty confident that we can handle whatever a year on the road throws our way.

Skuhlie’s almost ready. So are we.