If you’d told me six months ago that I’d be living in a roughly 200-square-foot camper with my two rescue dogs, I would have laughed in your face … but here I am.
At 32, I live right across from my parents’ camper van on their 120-acre plot of rural land in western Georgia, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier.
As a freelance journalist and content creator, I’ve had some ups and downs in my career and finances over the past few years. The past several months have been especially hard, between the chaotic landscape of my industry and my clients’ fluctuating budgets.
Once it became apparent my situation wasn’t sustainable long-term, my parents made me an incredibly surprising offer: I could move from our home state of Florida to live with them on their land in rural Georgia, in a camper they’d buy for me.
The stipulation? I had to share a tiny space with my two dogs, Remi and Milo, and save every possible dollar of my income. We also agreed that I’d cook them dinner every night as my “rent” contribution.
I had conflicting feelings at first, but quickly adjusted
I’ll admit that I was a little sad while packing for this new chapter. I had lived in my previous apartment for almost two years and made so many memories there, like adopting Milo and reaching several exciting career milestones. It felt like home.
Almost as soon as I arrived in Georgia, though, I realized the magnitude of this incredible opportunity. Not only was my financial burden so much lighter, but my parents knew that this was going to be so beneficial for my fried nervous system; all things considered, I had been living in fight-or-flight for way too long.
My parents had set up my little camper to be as comfy and cozy as possible — and they were very thoughtful about setting up space for Remi and Milo, too.
In the weeks leading up to my move from Florida to Georgia, my parents located fencing on Facebook Marketplace that my dad used to build what we now refer to as the “dog park,” where my dogs sometimes hang out while I’m running errands.
They also set up some long-lead leashes so my dogs (who have terrible recall skills) can play and run around with a bit more open space.
The financial benefits are undeniable
I’m extremely grateful for this gift my parents have given me.
It certainly wasn’t without financial sacrifice on their part, and I don’t take that for granted — but their setting me up to stay here for the time being has not only helped me save several thousand dollars on rent and utilities, it has also brought us closer and really given us the opportunity to foster a really healthy relationship.
Living here has helped me appreciate all the physical, financial, and even emotional hard work my parents have done to make living on this land possible and comfortable not only for themselves, but for my dogs and me.
I love showing them my appreciation daily by helping them around the house with tasks like painting, moving appliances, and working on the cabin they’re building — and, of course, cooking them nice, homemade dinners we eat together every single night.
I know this won’t be my living situation forever, but I’m in no rush to leave
As much as I’ve been applying to full-time, part-time, and freelance jobs every single day while I’ve been here in Georgia, this job market isn’t exactly an easy one to navigate. Thankfully, though, my parents are in no rush to kick me out.
They’ve given me much more than I could have ever asked for: an invaluable amount of time and space to explore new career opportunities, a sense of peace and calm about my living situation for the first time in a while, and the ability to just spend quality time with my parents and dogs in such a beautiful outdoor setting.
I get to enjoy dinners outside, soak up the sunshine with my mom, take my dogs for a long hike every morning, watch the deer prancing around with my dad, and savor every moment of this super unique and special chapter.
Now that I’ve been living here for three months, my camper is starting to feel like home. Even though I plan to return to Florida as soon as I start earning a full-time income, I know that I’ll look at this era so fondly — and probably miss it a ton in the future. I know Remi and Milo will, too.
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