New House on Wheels

I bought a trailer. 

This has been a dream of mine for a while now. I have researched many a Craigslist ad for a trailer that I could live in full-time for less than $5,000. Well, I found one. It's a 1971 20 footer. It's very dated on the inside (lots of brown), but it's in pretty good condition. I am working on getting it to a livable condition as it sits in my parents' driveway in California.

I figure the trailer is a metaphor. Like Frozen says, "everyone is a fixer upper," and it's definitely true for my new home (yet to be given a name). The veneer is peeling in some places, there's some truly psychedelic carpet in one of the cabinets, and the exterior paint floats away in the breeze. But every piece of work I put into it adds a bit of charm and makes me like it more. It's starting to seem like my property, at least, and not just something I'm working on.

Speaking of work, I got a part time job here, and when I'm not working, I work on the trailer. I've bought key things, like a new battery, brake lights, and new clearance lights for the exterior. I put some serious elbow grease into cleaning the ceilings and floors. There are some 70s features that I love and I'm going to keep, like the olive green oven, or the faceted glass light cover. The floors are also pleasant: a marbleized linoleum with gold faux cracks. 

When I bought the thing, I could see the potential, and it's growing on me. I definitely effect it, but it works back on me. I wasn't so emotional when I bought it, and I didn't build up fantasies in my mind about how much work it would take for it to get where I want it, but I was willing to make the investment. This can be a metaphor for my future marriage relationship. My husband won't be the perfect person. There are things I would rather change, but every little positive thing I will give to him will contribute to the success of our relationship. 

With the trailer, I almost feel like I should ask it what it would allow me to do. Though it's old and not in pristine condition, I feel the need to preserve some original things, but other things need to be brought up to date. I would really like a desk, but would it appreciate me just sawing into it? If it could communicate to me, which of my plans would it agree with?

For now, I will keep putting my love into it, and soon I will move into it full time, with all my stuff. I hope it all fits, and we can begin a wonderful journey together. 

Full-time living, here I come.