Alice Everdeen has been traveling around the country in a school bus for over a year.
The 32-year-old quit her office job at an Austin-based supplement company in 2020 and now makes $130,000 a year working remotely on the go.
She said she worked 50 to 60 hours a week and earned less than half of what she earned in her previous career as a content manager. She wasn't satisfied and told Business Insider she wanted to travel more.
Since then, Everdeen has focused on her former side hustle as voiceover. She also creates videos of user-generated content and does virtual facilitation and speaking engagements.
She loves traveling around the country with her partner, dog Jared. The couple has been traveling since September 2022 and recently finished renovating their school bus. They call home.
Van life and remote lifestyles have grown in popularity in recent years, with many people documenting their travel and budgeting experiences while on the road on social media.
“We really spent a lot of time making sure it was ours,” Everdeen said. “Sure, we're sacrificing space, but we didn't have to sacrifice our sanity or our lives to make our dreams come true.”
Everdeen can earn more and work less with remote work
Everdeen calls herself a digital nomad. This term refers to people who work remotely and travel freely.
She finds gigs on websites like Fiverr. Not only does she get paid more than her previous office job and can travel on the road, she also only works two to three hours a day.
Everdeen's expenses are also lower than in Texas. Her main budget items are limited to cell phone service, food, parking and school bus gas.
If she and Jared park at a campground, they could potentially pay $30 to $60 per night. However, it is free if you stay in a public parking lot, on public land, or with her friends or family.
Jared sometimes works at the campground in exchange for a place to stay.
Everdeen said school buses travel about 7 miles per gallon, so a big road trip can cost $1,000 in gas. However, she and Jared typically stay in the same place for weeks or months before moving. She also pays auto insurance on her 2003 Chevrolet, which she tows with a bus and trailer.
The couple pays $50 a month for two cell phones and spends $300 to $600 a month on food.
Still, Everdeen advises anyone thinking about life on the road to plan for the unexpected.
“If something breaks down, it might cost $5,000 to repair. Not only that, but you're homeless for a week and have to pay for a hotel,” she says. “I think accepting everything that comes your way, both good and bad, is the best way to live and enjoy this adventure to the fullest.”
Travel gave Everdeen a new perspective on life
Everdeen said she learned many lessons on the road and that minimalism changed her perspective.
“I think the most important thing is how little we need in life to be comfortable and happy,” she said. “All my life, I've always been the person who was shopping at Marshalls or her TJ Maxx and looking for the next best thing. I can't do that anymore because I don't even have the space to put things on the wall. .”
Still, there is a lonely part to traveling, Everdeen said. Due to her freelance work, she doesn't often talk directly to clients, and neither do her colleagues.
Last summer, she and Jared spent several months in rural Maine.
“I remember at one point asking myself, why am I so sad? Why am I so depressed? And I just couldn't understand it,” she said. “I had people who loved me, I had a dog, I was taking care of myself, and I realized I was missing that aspect of connecting with people.”
Everdeen said she tries to be more social when she travels, instead of just meeting people at the grocery store or while sightseeing.
She said sometimes others have misconceptions about Everdeen and wonder why she is living on a school bus by choice. However, she stands by her own lifestyle.
“There are a lot of people, especially older people, especially people over 70, who have really enjoyed their lives. They always say, 'I'm so glad you're following your dreams,' and you're living life. I love it and I'm doing what I want to do.”
Everdeen plans to be in Montana by May, when the weather warms up. She may eventually want to buy her own house and live on a farm, but she doesn't plan on giving up her street life any time soon.
Do you live on the road? Have you made a big career change to suit your lifestyle? To contact this reporter, contact: allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.
