On the occasion of the two-year anniversary of picking up my Alto 1743 trailer, this week’s update is a look back at the last two years of being in love with my tiny home.
This was me on May 2, 2016 at Safari Condo, with Denis, the guy who put up with my nerves and questions and worries during the 15 months of waiting for pickup. And honestly, everything he told me to get for the kind of camping I thought I would do? It all worked out. I love my Alto setup, and wouldn’t change any of the options I got, they do work for me. So thank you very much, Denis!
In the last 730 days, Bella, The Breeze, and I have racked up 25,500 trailer miles and 216 campsites (not counting driveway surfing spots). We’ve been through 90F days in Texas (February 2017) and snow twice in Colorado (May and October 2017).
We’ve seen a zillion sunsets and about half a zillion sunrises in the last two years, everywhere from New Mexico (below) to Florida to both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
And sometimes, circumstances forced brief separations, like when I broke my hand last year and had to stay in hotels for 2 weeks. Bella and Breeze weren’t far away, though, waiting patiently for when we could resume our vagabond life.
And here we are this week, 2 years after I drove out of the Safari Condo sales office towing my Alto and thinking both “wow, it’s all mine!” and “I have no idea what I’m doing” as I carefully drove the mile down the road to my first ever RV campsite.
I’ve learned a lot in the last two years, more than I could ever put into one post (which is kind of the point of this website). Here’s a short summary:
- Family and friends are the key to surviving life on the road.
- You can learn anything if you want it enough.
- You’re never that far from a Walmart. Or a Target.
- Amazon sells almost everything and delivers almost everywhere.
- Plans change, and I can too.
I am a fugitive and a vagabond, a sojourner seeking signs.
Annie Dillard
Hello from Oakland, CA.
I am so thrilled to have found your blog and oddly feel compelled to write 🙂 I am in the process to get my TrailerLife planned (hopefully within the next year). The Alto caught my eye early on (size/weight/look). And even it’s far out in CanadaLand, it seems to be the “one” I keep coming back to. US Trailers seem over-equipped heavy & old school design (inside). Who needs oak cabinets, curtains or even carpet on walls?! I have just scratched the surface of your blog and can’t wait to dive in 🙂 Thanks for sharing your story, it is super helpful with my research! Best Daniela
Welcome to my blog, Daniela! If those other trailers seem clumsy and overdone, the Alto may be right up your alley. You can join the Facebook group “Altoistes” to learn more and also try to find someone near you that you could ask for a tour of an Alto. In the end, the 15 month wait and the drive to Quebec and back were totally worth it!