March 7 marks nine months since I agreed to buy Rita. Thought I would celebrate with an in-depth look at the more real-world, material aspects of this life so far.  Sort of a pros and cons list (spoiler alert: the pros win!)   Things I Love About Rita Her LENGTH – 22 ft is short enough to go just about anywhere and plenty roomy inside. Rita gets a bath! Her LAYOUT – she is designed perfectly for me and how I live. She feels like a Tardis – she looks small from the outside, but feels huge on the inside. Most bus layouts I have seen include a small table with seats that convert to a couch or bed. I thought I wanted something like that, until I saw Rita. I don’t even like sitting at tables and never work at an actual desk, anyway.  The fact Rita doesn’t have any built-in table is perfect and gives me more comfy lounging space and seating to visit with guests.  I do have a cute folding table I use sometimes; it folds flat and stores on the inside of the closet.   I love the KITCHEN – there is plenty of workspace for prep work, and the stove and oven work great. I was so surprised I was able to fit my favorite roasting pan in the oven.  Beneath the oven is a storage space that is surprisingly huge. I can store all my cookware (10” fry pan, 12” deep fry pan,...

Aside from figuring out where to buy food, get water and finding the best places to pass the nights, my critical project was finding a mechanic. Rita needed an oil change and was also leaking transmission fluid.  I had posted on the San Carlos FB page looking for referrals. I had collected a number of options, as well as random friend requests and messages from people who wanted to be helpful.  I began contacting mechanics, understanding all too well this was going to be a process.  One woman contacted me and sent me several messages and even called me – she sent me the name and number of a mechanic she said was very good.  It turns out she thought my situation was more critical than it was (which made it all way less weird how much effort she was putting in to talk with me).  She also spoke excellent English and let me know she was available for any other support I might need.  Lupita was very sweet, and it seemed like she was interested in meeting, so I suggested me get lunch sometime and I could ask her all kinds of questions about the area and where to find what. I had already lined up a meeting with another mechanic before I contacted Lupita’s recommendation.  Gerardo came out to the beach where I was parked, which was very convenient.  He looked Rita over and we discussed what I needed.  He said he would get back to me with...

As I approached San Carlos / Guaymas, the road became more highway-like and things felt more urban.  I did not have an actual destination, so that made it a little difficult to know when I arrived.  I stopped at the San Carlos sign with a view of the distinctive peaks of Tetakawi.  In 2016, I sailed into this area aboard Summer.  We first arrived in Playa Algodones, looking to Tetakawi from the north.  In Rita, we were arriving from the other side – but the peaks are unmistakable and it was fun to be arriving to something somewhat familiar.  It was afternoon and I didn’t want to do a lot of touring around, I just wanted to figure out where were spending the night and maybe walk around a little bit.  I headed to Playa San Francisco, which was listed on my iOverlander app as having good spots to stay, and of course it was free. There are actually several parking areas to Playa SF.  I stopped at one with a huge, wide open parking area right on the beach.  I stopped and walked around. It was beautiful and the view was lovely, but it felt too exposed to me and I did not feel comfortable parking overnight there.  I checked the map and found another area farther south that seemed more suitable. It also had a huge, wide open parking area, but it was not right on the beach -there were several sandy paths you could drive down, with...

In all of my anxious imaginings of what could possibly happen at the border crossing, with my entire house, I never in a million years could've dreamed up how it actually went... I spent the night about 15 miles from the border and was on the road at first light (past experiences were always that super early on a Sunday were best) and got to the border with no problem. There were only about 5 cars ahead of me. A woman officer came walking out directly to me and said (in Spanish) "You have to back up and turn around and go to the Mariposas crossing - just a few minutes from here" That’s the gist of it, we actually had a bit more back and forth and confusion on my part…but I didn't ask why, I just tried to find out how to get there. I had to reverse, careful not to hit the car behind me, and maneuver my way through a gates she opened for me.  It led into the US border crossing side, which was packed. Not super excited to have to cross the US border, the possibilities of horror slowly filtering into my brain. I was hoping it would be a non-issue since I was not actually in Mexico, but how could I be sure they knew that?! Someone finally let me cut into the lane and eventually it was my turn through the booth. I was going super slow because it was very tight....

When I arrived in Silver City, I was immediately enamored with it.  It was adorable, filled with cute historic buildings and funky shops. I couldn’t wait to check it out.  I had hoped to get there several hours before my massage appointment, but… that is not how Rita rolls…between the stops to walk around, and buying a bag of rocks at a trading post, and the fact we just go so damn slow…I had barely an hour and I was starving.  I got some food that was so-so, from a diner where the waitress was super friendly.  Afterwards, I stopped in an ice cream shop and got the most amazing flavor ever – rose, pistachio and cardamom.  Despite the cold temps, I sat in the sun and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I decided I was definitely coming back to roam around this town again before I left. My massage was AMAZING.  Marshall is a very charismatic guy who listened carefully to what I’d been through, and we decided on a very tailored therapeutic session, rather than the “spa bliss” type massage.  It was exactly what I needed.  He did all kinds of intense things to my hips and low back and even gave my poor neglected neck some great attention.  He definitely pushed me up a few more notches on the healing path. After the massage, I was able to walk a bit more and stopped in the local food co-op, to get the chicken I had somehow neglected to order...

I left Mission, TX and headed north in search of the 'free for as long as you want' campground.  Ifound it easily enough, and it was as advertised.  It wasn’t exactly a beautiful area, but it was right next to a state park, which was probably more interesting.  It was chilly and grey and the rain was catching up to me, so I was not exploring much. I found a nice level spot to call my own and settled in a bit.  I went out for a walkabout to be sure I had the best spot, and see the area.  As I was returning to Rita, a woman approached me and asked me about bus life.  We got to chatting.  Catianne turned out to be one of the most interesting people I’d ever met, right there in the middle of nowhere!  She was a photographer in war zones for the United Nations.  Her work had ended due to COVID and she spent some time taking care of her father until he passed.  On the one-year mark of his death, she decided to take a trip down to Texas to meet his family that she had not previously known.  They took her in (as family will) and she was so glad to have met them.  She was interested in learning more about bus life, as she had been meeting people in this campground and learning their stories.  She insisted she was not camping, but given the amenities of this place, she...

It was only a couple hours’ drive to Rutherford Beach – as Pearly recommended. It really was way out in the middle of nowhere – long, empty roads and not really towns. All the houses are up on stilts. I passed by some nature preserves and the road out to the beach was one lane and through a wetlands area, with alligators (I saw one on the side of the road!) and all kinds of birds. The beach is hardpacked sand and no problem to drive out on it. It is almost like a road on the inland side. There were a lot of RVs and vans lining the beach with decent spacing between them. I drove down a way until I saw a gap that looked like I could fit in, not too close to the people on either side. The water not only looked disgusting, but there were signs warning it was dangerous with high bacteria levels, swim at your own risk. Luckily it was too cold to swim anyway. The beach was pleasant enough, full of monochromatic shells. While it was not the prettiest beach I’ve ever seen, it was a beach and it had been far too long since I’d been on one. I was super happy to be there. There were even beautiful sunsets over the water! And the moon waxed full while I was there. It did get crazy windy, but it wasn’t too cold and it didn’t rain. I took along the walk...

Six months ago today, Rita became mine! It went by fast and there had been a lot of knowledge going in and money going out and adventures all around. In that time, we have traveled over 10,000 miles through 26 states.  Rita is about ready for another oil change.  At 286,xxx miles, her motor is just breaking in – this particular motor is known for going well over 500,000 miles.  We may be a couple of old gals, but we got a lot of life left in us yet, and many more places to go and adventures to have.   I am hoping the next 6 months are going to be a lot more relaxed. I foresee less driving, more beaches and working in our future.  I’m ready to really settle in for a bit, have more time for projects and less long days of driving (which apparently aren’t good for my right hip/back so much…).  Maybe we’ll even get this blog caught up to date!!  Dare to dream. Rita is resting for the next few days in El Paso, TX.  Temps are getting down into the low 20s at night, and neither of us likes that very much.  I hadn't planned on being in this kind of weather, but I also didn't really check how could it could get down here in Texas.  This is the flip side of loving surprises!  New Mexico and Arizona and then Old Mexico are in our near future.  

When I left Chattanooga, I just had a few hours drive down to a boondocker’s farm in Verbena, Alabama. I was looking forward to being alone – not visiting anyone and not going anywhere. I wanted to get a bunch of little things done (which I did!) and relax a bit, and recharge. I stopped to buy groceries on the way down. I spotted a Trader Joe’s in Birmingham, AL. Why I keep ending up grocery shopping on a weekend is beyond me. It was a total zoo and parking was also a nightmare. Usually, I park way back in the far end of a lot where there are always empty spots and I don’t feel bad hanging over into a spot behind me. Well, this shopping center was a big circle of stores and restaurants with the parking in the middle…so there was no far end! I managed to find a place and not destroy anything in the process. I picked up a whole chicken, determined to finally roast a chicken in Rita’s oven. And there was no room for it in my fridge, so I HAD to roast it when I arrived. I even made soup with the bones and had good eats the whole stay. The owners of the land didn’t live there, but they came to meet me when I arrived - they were very attentive, showing up every day to check on things and meet others who were also passing through to stay. They were...

The leaves were beginning to change and the nights were growing colder and my will to exist was growing dimmer…as will happen in the cold weather. It was definitely time for me to begin the journey south and westward.  I was certainly not going to make the mistake of passing another winter in the Northeast.  I was excited to get on to the next projects and some fun visits along the way.   I stopped through New Hampshire for one more visit with Scott and Adriane.  They have had a challenging year, to put it mildly.  Adriane is battling the aftermath of surgery and ongoing treatments for a rare form of sarcoma (click here for more info and to help out)  among many other life stressors.  I roasted them a chicken for dinner and popped it in a pot for soup the next morning – it wasn’t much, but I hoped I could make a minor dent in the mountain of stress, at least for a brief moment.   That night was damn near freezing cold and my heater needed some maintenance I just wasn’t prepared for at that time.  I woke up with an icy cold face to a pretty sunrise and I knew I had to make tracks south and fast! I was excited for the next stopover – to have some time with my favorite niece, Kiyomi, who is starting her new chapter in New York City.  Not an easy place to get going, and she is bravely giving...

What’s It Like to Drive a Bus? A lot of people ask me this - is it hard to drive Rita? What is it like? I figured it would be good to get a bunch of stuff down now while it is all still fresh for me as a newbie. I have logged over 7,000 miles on Rita now, but definitely feels still very new to me in a lot of ways. Slowly, much of the anxiety about navigating unfamiliar roads and showing up somewhere new (how big will it be? Can I back out? What if I get stuck? What if I hit something?) is dissipating, as I have successfully survived more and more varied situations.  Driving Rita is not nearly as difficult, or terrifying as I feared.   Space, the Final Frontier Keep in mind, Rita is only 22 feet long – many pick-up trucks are just as long!  While she is nothing like driving a 40 foot, full sized skoolie, she does have some unique characteristics and things I had to learn/get used to. The very first thing that freaked me out about driving miss Rita, was how WIDE she is.  Around 8 feet to be specific.  This means she takes up an entire lane most of the time.  I’m always worried about side-swiping someone.  In my lower side mirrors, I can always see the ground and can make sure I am within the lines.  At first it was super challenging and a little terrifying (especially when...

NOTE: SORRY If you got a new post notification and there is not, in fact, a new post after this one yet...working on it!! But now you know the post notifications are working finally 🙂   I got a not-too-early start out of Salt Lake. It was so great to visit with Art and Lisa – I’m already looking forward to visiting them in their AZ home this winter! I was able to fill up one tank with water before rolling on out of there. It was to be a fairly short drive to my overnight at Dinosaur National Monument. I didn’t even know about it before, but I saw it on the map when looking at my route and it seemed like a place I HAD to see. Thanks to Art, I now have the Gas Buddy app, and it shows me the cheapest places to get gas. They are always just a tiny bit off the beaten path – so worth it. I discovered I actually have a 55-gallon tank, so saving 20 cents or more/gallon is a big deal! Still, after nearly $6/gallon in CA, everything feels like a deal. One of my biggest fears, and the reason Jonny put the extra latch on my door, was that the door would fly open while I was driving. Even though we reasoned that, when driving forward the wind/pressure would likely make it impossible for the door to open. Well…that myth has been busted. The extreme vibrations of driving...

It was quite stressful waiting on Rita for the week. Kind of like having a friend in the hospital (with no insurance), waiting to hear the news of multiple surgeries.  It looked like she was going to be done on Wednesday, but then it turned out to be Thursday night before I could pick her up. I was losing my mind a little with anticipation and anxiety and thinking about all the things I had to do to take off.  The bill made me a little nauseous, but I keep reminding myself what my BFF Jen told me “Stop saying you’re bleeding money! Instead say “I’m investing in my future”. So yeah, this is my home and in the grand scheme of things, homes never cost this little!  I spent the week working and walking to errands (and Deanna kindly loaned me her car a couple times as well, lucky me!!). Deanna drove me down to Watsonville to pick her up – traffic was a nightmare so it took forEVer.  We went out for Mexican food while we were down there (Watsonville is a little like being in Mexico anyway).  A couple errands and a fuel fill up, it was about 10pm by the time I got back to Deanna’s.  I have to say I did NOT like driving in the dark, and will try to avoid that as much as possible.  I do not see well, and the headlights are a little funky/not straight and I don’t appear to...

I had to carefully turn into the narrow gates of John and Laura’s long driveway – I managed not to scrape either side.   I love this big old house on Pinto Lake.  I helped them move in back when I was a professional organizer.  That’s how Laura and I met.  I adored her from the start, and eventually we became too good of friends to be working together.  I love that house, filled with fun and interesting and beautiful art and the wooden stair case that make me feel like royalty everytime I walk down it. I left Rita at the shop first thing Monday morning.  I was feeling optimistic and added a couple other things I wanted checked to our extensive list.  Doug grimaced at me and said “do you need it back today?!” And I said “NO, I just need back when it’s ready!”.  That apparently gave them the green light to let her sit ALL DAY without getting started on anything.  A whole day I could’ve been getting some stuff done!  So I was a little annoyed about that. FOUR DAYS! That’s how long they kept her.  In the end there was a 4 page estimate of what she needs totaling over $13K.   A large chunk of that was for air conditioning – they were not able to fix the system because THERE IS NO SYSTEM…some previous owner had ripped it all out. Puppies, wine, and a blankie, what could be bad? SO.  No air conditioning is...

It was hard to leave Omega Camp, but I knew it would never be easy, I could've spent weeks there, I think! So I decided to make things easier in general by leaving Saturday instead of Sunday - I knew it would take me almost an hour just to get out the 4 mile dirt road, and with the extreme heat it probably wouldn't be wise to spend an entire day driving in it. I wasn't entirely sure where I would spend the night, but I definitely wanted to stop and see my cousin, Diane, just north of Sacramento. Not a super long drive, but definitely would cut a few hours off the trip down to Santa Cruz. Good luck to find Diane still at the house (it is under remodel, so they aren't there all the time). She texted the address and off we went. I wasn't sure exactly but I had the idea I could avoid going back to Grass Valley (after the nail salon owner incident, I wasn't too keep to roll through that town again so soon!). There was no cell service, so I actually had to pull out a paper map to check the route (glad I got a full set from AAA!). I was able to go in the opposite direction and pick up 80 all the way to Auburn. A little ways out I saw signs for a scenic overlook, so I thought I'd stop and have a look-see. Turns out there was...

Rita got her fancy new tires put on in Fort Bragg and we were off. The first hour or so was the super sketchy  winding part where I had to pull over a million times to let people pass. Surprisingly, I’m actually not annoyed at being the slow one. Once we got past that part it was much smoother sailing. Rita was clearly excited about her new tires. I could feel her soul come alive as she bounded along the open road with new and beautiful scenery. This is what her heart needed and she had a permanent smile on her face. Oh wait. Maybe that was me. I loved that it was hot- even clearly TOO hot… (I really hope we’re able to get Rita’s AC working next week. ) The air was so hot blowing in my window I had to roll it up. It was like being cooked in a convection oven. But I noticed I still had the smile. I got as far as Grass Valley and needed to stop to check the directions as I knew I was close, and would lose cell service soon. I saw a Safeway and thought going in the AC might help me think clearly for a minute. I missed the turn in and thought the next parking lot went through so I turned in. There was a construction fence at the end and it was just a very narrow little lot. I panicked a little bit…how to get out?!...

The first order of business in customizing Rita, was to get a shower installed.  There are lines already in place, and a hot water heater.  Just needed to waterproof the bathroom, put in a drain and hook up the shower head.  Easy peasy, right?!  Well...no. I headed up to Fort Bragg, CA to hire my ex for this project and a few others.  We owned/lived on a sailboat together for 10 years.  He knows how to do everything and he happened to have time to and interest in helping me. 10 long days in Fort Bragg… Did not end up getting what I thought I was coming for.  The shower install turned out to be too complicated,  and there was not enough time to sort it all out.  I had a deadline to get to a 4th of July camp out!  But I got a lot of what I needed/didn’t know I needed. Jonny busted his butt for me and did things I wouldn’t know where to even start with - better than most people would or could, and under-charged me for sure. And no one got murdered. But we did joke about me throwing him under the bus a lot… Working on Rita is so much like a boat - maybe because she was designed by someone who builds sailboat interiors. It feels so comfortable and familiar to me. BUT…we can drill holes at will and not worry about sinking!! I still want a damn shower, somehow, so that...

Welcome to Rita's Blog a 2000 Ford Thomas E450 School bus that has been converted into a tiny home. I purchased her from her creator (Craig) in June 2024.  Quickly transitioning to full time living, while getting up to par mechanically is a bit overwhelming, but we are persisting. The idea for this life began almost 2 years ago, when I was living in Mexico.  I was planning to return to the US to be around my family more.  But the US is awfully expensive...how to do this?  I had lived on a sailboat so, tiny space living is not foreign to me.  I also love the idea of having my own home but not being stuck in one place all the time.  I was SO done with landlords, and owning a home in the US is not only impossible, but very unappealing to me now.  I really just something that was MINE and gave me the freedom to be where I wanted.  It was a long process to finally get here, not without some big sacrifices...but those are stories for somewhere else.   When I am determined to make something happen, it usually happens, maybe not exactly how I planned, but always after a fashion! Rita has *almost* everything I wanted - maximized storage space, composting toilet, full kitchen, easy to use bed, complete off-grid solar system, plenty of freshwater storage, and even some things I didn't know I wanted - like the diesel heater. Pics below are from the...