Jayme Serbell and their partner traded the 9-to-5 grind for van life, converting a 1996 Chevy Express into a tiny home. Two years later, a pregnancy prompted a shift to an off-grid property on 40 acres in northern New Mexico. Both experiences were 'amazing and exciting, yet stressful and exhausting,' Serbell notes.
The couple sought adventure beyond suburban St. Louis, finding freedom in van travel but also stress. Their off-grid home offered beauty and solitude, but its remoteness proved challenging. Ultimately, they moved to a walkable city, concluding that neither extreme lifestyle fits their current needs.