The idea of living in a tiny home for some sounds like a dream. Having the freedom for a house on wheels, going anywhere, and seeing everything. One of the Godwin teachers decided to make this their reality. 

Social Studies teacher Olivia Kay started this special project in Oct. 2020. She and her husband are converting a school bus into a home. 

 “I’ve always wanted to live in a small or tiny house. When I met my husband we both wanted to travel but we both work in professions that do not make a lot of money so we wanted to live tiny to save money. The bus is the perfect solution,” said Kay. 

Kay and her husband started converting the bus at the height of the pandemic, resulting in some unforeseen issues. They originally planned to have the bus done by August of 2020, however they had to push the finish date to this coming August. 

One of the biggest problems they ran into was supply line issues making the cost of products rise. 

“The biggest issue so far has been being able to get materials, because of the pandemic and the Suez canal situation, supply lines have been backed up,” said Kay.

Another problem with the bus is that it is old. Some of the hardware is not being made anymore. This caused Kay to search all of the hardware stores for specific pieces they needed. 

Even after they acquired the pieces, they still had to figure out a way to install them. Since they are converting the bus by themselves, they had to figure it out all on their own. 

However, these problems did not stop them from enjoying the experience of converting the bus together.

“My husband and I laugh a lot at all the little things. That is probably my favorite part, just getting to spend time together working on something we both love,” said Kay.

The process of converting the bus has been really rewarding for Kay and her husband. People they haven’t spoken to in years have reached out for updates on their journey.  “[Repurposing the bus] has really brought people back into our lives that we may not have gotten to reconnect with,” said Kay.

 The bus has given Kay a sense of freedom and creativity to do what she wants.

“The most rewarding [part] is definitely knowing we built the home we want. While there are changes we had to make because of space or practicality, we are in charge of every decision and at the end of the day we will have the perfect home for us,” said Kay.

Once the bus is converted, they plan on moving into it full time until they are ready for kids. 

One of their goals is to travel across the country with their bus., “I would love to travel full across [the] country to hike every national park,” said Kay.

In order to find inspiration for the idea, Kay took to social media.  Some of those accounts on Instagram that Kay uses are @Dixietribe, @artwethereyet, and @that.miller.life. 

Kay also has an Instagram and TikTok account dedicated to their bus conversion process to inspire others.

This bus conversion journey has been an experience for both Kay and her husband. They dedicated a lot of time, effort, and money into this bus. They decided on “The Gap” for the bus name.

“We named the bus ‘The Gap’, because we met in a town called Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania. We thought it symbolized this gap’ in our lives where we aren’t ready to buy a house but we want to be out in the world,” said Kay. 

The projected finish time for the bus is August 2021. Even though this is a year past the intended finish date, both Kay and her husband have enjoyed the process even with challenges along the way. 

They are both looking forward to the many adventures that the bus will take them on. 

To find out what Kay is up to next, look for her on Instagram and TikTok @livinitskoolie.