1. A Getaway From the Rush of City Life
Jessie Lipskin, 27, had been working hard to pay the rent and make a living in New York City, like many others. She witnessed folks around her struggle to make ends meet by living in cramped quarters over the years, and she determined that was not the life she wanted. “I understood that the time and mental energy I had been devoting to physical things may have been better spent elsewhere.” Jessie penned the piece. She was adamant about getting away from the rat race of modern life. How did she manage to do that?
2. A Crazy Thought
Jessie developed a deep passion for the outdoors while attending Binghamton College. She desired to have nature just outside her door while yet being able to enjoy the conveniences of a modern home. In the Big Apple, her dream looked unattainable, but one day she had an epiphany: she would have a mobile home. “I could easily travel to different countries while maintaining my vegan diet.” Jessie pondered. That seemed wild and tempting, but she had a lot of challenges ahead of her.
3. Where Did Jessie Get Her Ideas From?
Jessie came across a documentary film called Garbage Warrior while thinking about what kind of mobile home she wanted to build. She wanted to take the filmmaker’s approach of being an eco-architect and construct a home out of recycled materials. All she had to do now was find the perfect vehicle. Was it simple to locate?
4. Obtaining A Bus
Jessie’s first choice for a mobile home was an RV, but the designs did not appeal to her. She desired to design a fantasy home that would live up to her expectations. All things considered, the antique bus she chose was the best option. She found the bus on eBay and paid $7,000 for it. It was now time to get down to business.
5. How Did The Bus Appear?
The bus was a 1966 Greyhound, which was the identical bus that Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock had to salvage in the movie Speed. The bus had 400 square feet of potential inside, enough of space for Jessie’s mobile home dream, but the bus had to be delivered to her because it was in California and she resided in New York. To make matters worse, Jessie lacked a valid driver’s license.
6. Trustworthy Friends
Jessie’s friends assisted her in driving the bus from Perris, California to the east coast as she was learning how to operate a vintage bus with a stick shift. The bus finally arrived in New York after a long voyage, and the restoration project began.
7. Making a Space Map
To begin the renovation effort, Jessie and her pals dismantled the bus and sold all of the seats to a restaurant. They also covered it with shiny white paint to hide the dirt. The simple part was removing the furniture and painting the walls. Building a real house necessitates a lot more effort.
8. Welcome to Team Mobile Home!
There were still a lot of issues to work out with Jessie’s mobile house project, and she couldn’t do it alone. A livable home would have to include self-powered air conditioning, plumbing, and an electrical system at the very least, all of which required expert knowledge that Jessie lacked. As a result, she formed a work team with her pals to find ways to complete the job.
9. Calculation Period
It took a lot more than just determining what would go where to turn a vintage bus into a welcoming and comfortable home. Jessie needed to ensure that whatever was built inside the bus stayed stable while it was moving. And that necessitated a great deal of complex and time-consuming calculations. Jessie, on the other hand, overcame all of her challenges and began to fulfill her dream piece by piece.
10. A Shower Room that is Eco-Friendly
Fortunately for Jessie, the bus’s ceiling was high enough to create a standing shower. There was a slotted mahogany wood floor beside it that was part of the water recycling system. Water dripping from the wooden planks would be directed into a gray water tank on the vehicle’s underside.
11. Compact Spacing Optimisation
One might believe that the inside area of a bus is insufficient to accommodate all of one’s stuff. But it turned out that Jessie could fit all she needed in her teeny-tiny apartment. The bus had been modified to include a wonderful kitchen, a cozy bedroom, and even three closets!
Electric Ladyland (12.)
The renovated bus has a fully functional electric system that could accommodate any electrical device you could think of. Jessie gradually added a refrigerator, a washing machine, a spin dryer, a water heater, and a propane tank to her teeny-tiny house. All of these household appliances were picked with care to fit her energy-saving and environmentally sensitive mindset.
Cook With A View (#13)
One of the best things about living in a bus with windows is being able to get up close and personal with the breathtaking environment. Jessie placed her kitchen near the window so she could cook while admiring the scenery.
Dreams on Wheels (#14)
In her mobile room, Jessie has created a lovely bedroom. Jessie has created a little library near her bed, which she has decorated with velvet curtains. Nothing beats reading your favorite book in bed while taking a deep intake of the fresh morning air from the woods.
15. An Object Of Art
Jessie and her friends had put in three years of effort to accomplish the project, and it had been well worth it. The elegant mobile home was totally functional and elegantly designed. It has environmentally friendly electrical and water systems. Jessie had finally achieved her dream of owning a mobile home after escaping her bustling Manhattan life.
16. Be Present Right Now
Jessie’s modest home, as well-equipped as it was, lacked the amenities that a conventional home would have. The modified bus, for example, was not equipped with a television. Jessie, on the other hand, did not perceive this as a defect. “I enjoy not having a television.” “I had the choice of having a TV, but I prefer hearing the birds outside my window when I get up in the morning,” she told the Insider.
17. Finishing Touches
Jessie managed to liven up her modest home with a splash of color in addition to providing it the basic necessities. Here’s a shot of a painting that Jessie found at a Goodwill sale and installed in the converted bus’s central hallway.
18. A Family Keepsake
Jessie considered the converted bus as her personal refuge, so she took only the things that were truly important to her: a set of porcelain dishes that had been passed down through her family for many generations. It was a way for her to bring her past with her wherever she went on the road.
19. A Feeling of Regret
Despite the fact that Jessie was pleased with the end product, she had a few regrets. She had been too preoccupied with finishing the project to read as much as she would have liked. If given the chance, she stated she would repurpose the converted bus once more.
20. It’s Time to Say Goodbye
Jessie eventually decided to sell the modified bus after years of labor. She listed the bus for $149,000 on Craigslist, and it is now being rented out as an Airbnb near Joshua Tree National Park in eastern California. Jessie’s fantasy has come to an end. She’s moved on from her brilliant idea. What happened to her?
21. Traveling
Jessie now has a job that allows her to work from home, and she hopes to travel while doing so. Perhaps she doesn’t want to be tethered to the bus by her responsibilities. From the moment she decided to build a mobile home till now, freedom has been her life philosophy.
