Family of 5 lives in 250-square-foot school bus full-time - Insider

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In 2018, the 35-year-old Colby started remote work as a software engineer, and the 34-year-old Emily was pregnant with her third child.

When the couple began to think about what they wanted their lives to look like in the coming year, they realized they wanted to try something different from the normal suburban experience. 

"We have heard of traveling families, and we have always prioritized travel," Emily told the insider. "So we were like,'Well, what if we sell everything?'" 

The couple followed their idea, sold most of their property, and rented out their Utah home for full-day travel. Five of them visited Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Fiji before returning to the United States for vacation.

When they were at home, Emily was diagnosed with breast cancer, so Bells decided to shorten the travel time.

When Emily sought treatment, they moved back to their Utah home, but not long after, Bells looked for another way of life again.

"We love our house, we love our neighbors, but our travel has changed the way we see the world and our goals and priorities," Emily said of why her family wanted to travel again.

Colby and Emily are found

In the spring of 2020, they bought the school bus for $14,000. They sold their house, and after three months and a renovation worth $26,000, the fool was ready

.

Colby, Emily and their three children-Zoe, 7 years old; Crew, 6 years old; and Marley, 2 years old, have been living and traveling on the bus since August 2020. 

There are two sofas in the living room, which used to sit in a house in Utah.

Sofas are spaces for relaxing, eating and entertaining. They can allow the whole family to sit together.

When Bell purchased the bus, the bus had been demolished and insulated, and the previous owner raised the roof to create more space.

When Emily saw the large space above the cockpit, she thought of the pigeon loft.

She said, "I used to be a teacher, so I like reading." "I was like,'Well, I have to read there."

This space is also a home for children's toys. As Emily said, the buildings painted on the walls give the area a whimsical feel. 

of

There is a stove, oven, a large sink with a water filter, and cabinet storage above and below the cutting board countertop. 

The cabinet doors are equipped with magnets to ensure that they will not slide open when the bus is driving.

An open shelf above the stove can create more space.

Emily (Emily) said of her family's method of designing the bus: "We try to increase the storage space as much as possible."

In fact, they raised the floor behind the bus

Under it.

The rack is pulled out from the wall, so it does not take up space in daily work.

Emily said: "In fact, we have enough storage space." "If needed, we still have more space to store more."

She added: “Our international travel really makes us more budget-conscious about actual needs and actual usage needs.”

The bathroom has a pocket door that slides instead of pulling out, thereby optimizing the corridor space.

The bathroom and shower room are separated by different floors, walls and shower curtains, thus forming a miniature space shape.

Skoolie's emergency exit is also in the bathroom.

Emily said that every child has his own bed and the railing is custom-made.

Children’s bedrooms also have custom built-in bookshelves where children can store books and toys. 

There are also lockers under the bed, which are covered by Velcro cabinets. When you remove the cabinet door, you will find a dustbin full of clothes.

The combined washer-dryer and water tank sit under the crew’s bed.

The laundry basket and drawers take up the remaining space under the bed.

Their bedroom is raised on the platform, separated from the children's room, separated by walls and doors.

The space under the bedroom is used to store larger items such as paddle boards and tools.

This space also has cabinets and built-in shelves, which contrast with the shelves on the walls of the children.

A skylight above the bed leads to the roof terrace.

She told insiders: "I have started yoga and meditation, which are vital to my cancer journey." "I think this is a mental challenge, at least for me, it is almost greater than a physical challenge. , Even more important."

She said: "I hope the place I can go can be my own or separate." "We built a deck so that we can escape a little bit."

It is not uncommon for very small families to use their family

Emily told Insiders that when people hear her family traveling full-time, they usually only think of the interesting part.

"A lot of people ignore a lot of logistics," she said. "You must fill up with water, fill up with gasoline, you must find a parking space, and you must find a grocery store.

She said: "I think people just forget their daily lives."

However, the hard side of their lives did not make Bell want to change their way of life.

Sometimes it’s hard to access and lack privacy, but Emily also said that

Bring them closer.

She said: "I think we spend most of our lives helping us become conscious." "This helps us see each other's behavior, see our own behavior, and consciously achieve our goals."

Emily added: "This helps us recognize our emotions and take responsibility for them, and then communicate with our family."

Emily said of her lifestyle: "If this is what you want, then you can definitely have it." "This is just making it a priority."

For people who want to live a small life, Emily and Colby suggest reducing the size by focusing on the items you use every day, so that you can only keep what you really need. They also told Insider that choosing to live a life requires perseverance and dedication, but if this is what you really want, it is worth it.

She said: "I just want people to know that they can have what they want." "And, if you have a vision and a dream, then you must realize it, because you should have what you want."

You can watch a video tour of the roller skates of the Bell family

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