We enjoy living with less and the tendencies of living in a home are to fill it with stuff, but stuff doesn’t equal happiness; if anything, it can weigh you down.”

We met the Fabers (@followthefabers) this summer in Wyoming, by providence. Ellen and I were having a beer at the local brewpub when Morgan ran up for the local run club that meets at the pub… Marc followed. I mistook Morgan for a waitress (still not sure why?!), and we struck up conversation.

It’s really eerie how much we have in common. They’ve been loosely spending their summers in and around Pinedale, living out of their 1981 Trillium 1300. It’s a molded fiberglass camper with 65 sq. ft. of livable space, if you’re being generous. They hit the road full-time nearly three years ago, when they left their home in Grand Rapids, MI.

“We do miss is our family and friends and a sense of community, but we don’t have an end {to full-time travel} in sight,” Morgan reflects.

They just purchased a home in Wyoming, but have no plans to stop traveling. “We’re just going to use it as a home base and it’s in one of our favorite places in the country. Plus, now our friends and family can come visit us and have a place to stay instead of the other way around :)  Also, we plan on traveling in different ways.  Once Marc retires, we plan on hiking – a lot!”

They have goals to thru-hike the CDT, AT, PCT and the Arizona Trails, specifically. “We think it’s great to live minimally, and there’s something exciting about carrying all you need to survive (and thrive!) on your back!”

Ellen and I couldn’t agree more…

“We feel that we’re pursuing a life that is really intended for all of us. We want to gather experiences, not things. We want to develop friendships that encompass people from all walks of life. We want to explore this beautiful and crazy world that the Lord has created and revel in the beauty of it,” they said.

We don’t feel that God intended us to live in one spot, in one neighborhood, in one group of the same people, shut up into a routine and sheltered from the rest of the world.  The world is an incredible place filled with incredible people, and until you actually step outside of your comfort zone and experience that, you’re not really living.”

“Unfortunately for most people, ourselves included, ‘living traditionally’ is and was ‘living safely’ and in our minds, after what we’ve seen and experienced, that’s no way to live.”

They travel everywhere with their mascot, “Monkey”, a sock monkey given to the Fabers by a friend on their maiden voyage with their trailer.

“Yeah, we know, super creative. Just like our camper’s name, Trilly. We’re naming geniuses.” Morgan laughs.

In the short time we’ve spent with the Fabers, we got a glimpse into their laid back, fun personalities. They are deeply caring and open people. They pour into others and the little communities they come across.

This sounds cliche, but traveling has restored our faith in humanity. People are inherently good and kind and that is not what is portrayed in our current society. The media and news paint a picture of fear and hatred and division and when you live ‘traditionally’, you’re constantly bombarded with those images and that fear of others or the unknown can be crippling. We lived in a neighborhood for years and barely knew our neighbors. We’d go to the same church with the same people and the same friends and not really ever try to branch out. Traveling has changed all that.  We are constantly meeting new people and doing new things. Our ‘neighborhood’ changes constantly and we make it a point to meet our neighbors.  I’ve always said, campgrounds are a great equalizer.  You have people from all walks of life and backgrounds and economic statuses. Where else will you find people with half million dollar rigs and others living out of tents because they have to, and everything in between – all within the same ‘neighborhood’ gathered around a campfire together? You won’t. If it weren’t for traveling – for camping – a lot of these people would never cross paths, but now, we call all of those people friends. It’s beautiful. ❤”

— Andrew

Ellen and I hit the road full-time in June of 2016. We are on a mission to inspire and educate everyone on the importance of getting outside. Check out my workshops and my prints, made #ontheroad in my mobile print studio. The revenue will help propel us further on this great adventure. Enrich yourself and others… and feel great about it too as you’re helping to ensure our public lands are cherished and to keep the wild spirit of the American Dream alive. Our goal is to visit all 59 National Parks in 3-5 years. LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE