The decision to live in our trailer for seven months was made much in the same way people choose to take a sabbatical: a little bit of burnout, a desire to rediscover our creative interests, and a time to get to know ourselves all over again?the ideal recipe for adventure. Interestingly, it also happened at that folktale time of Saturn?s Return (Editors note: astrology buffs consider this a period of change and growth, usually occurring when you’re in your late 20s): I was 27, my husband 28. We had our savings to get through the winter and after seven years of building a wedding photo and video business, having three children and navigating the ever-inflating rental market, we needed a break from the day-to-day.
As it turns out, living in a trailer with our kids was some of the hardest work we have ever done. When we began our trip, our kids were one, three and five years old, and having just finished a busy wedding season, we were heading into our calmer winter months. Travelling the southern United States felt like a great way to treasure this time of littleness in our children and explore our own creative journey.
Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Butler
Our first major hurdle was figuring out how to manage our long car rides with three kids in the backseat (without entirely losing our minds). Alternating movies and podcasts, and allowing no toys in the back seat?nothing to fight over?was a surprising success. Some of our favourite podcasts included WOW in the World, Bu...